Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-14
.LABOR'S BIG BATTLE
Annual Address of General Master
Workman Sovereign.
POWDERLY SEVERELY DENOUNCED
Perils and Pitfalls Before the
Knights.
BANK NOTE BOY COTT
BANK NOTE YCOTT

The matter Of credentials having been
satisfactorily settled, the knights of Labor
listened yesterd day Afternoon to the annual
addresses of General Master Workman
Sovereign and General Worthy Foreman
Michael ]. Bishop.
Much of Mr.. Sovereign's address was de-
voted to the alleged treachery of those who
headed the revolt against the general Off
GERS of the order during the past year. He
reviewed what he termed their "devilish
treachery' and their efforts to disrupt the
order" He claimed that they had ex-
hausted all their power maligning the gen.
eral officers through the columns of the
press and discouraging the loyal and con-
fding members through secret agencies
He explained the heroic methods which had
been used to weed out the dsloyalists, and
said that Today. for the first time, the order
presented to the world "a solid and I'M
broker front, battling for the brotherhood
of man and the freedom of labor from the
thraldom of greed"
LabOr's Dilemma.
Labor is now between the devil and the
deep sea-" he continued, capital has mo-
nopolized the elements of production and
labor is in competition with itself for the
right to live. A money oligarchy is fast
liberty Construction by judicial author
ity is already given to law, placing all labor
organizations in the category of criminal
conspiracies. Misdemeanors of the most
trivial character have been raised to felony
without sanction of law and used to 'mpris-
on re personalities of labor organiza TONS
and injunctions followed by charges of con-
tempt have been used to condemn labor
leaders to a felon's cell without evidence
of guilt or trial by jury. The associated
yrvar he
of the people and the whole plutocratc
fraternity has invaded the realm of free
government and constitutional security.
Year by year the laws become more
exacting in their application to the poor
and more liberal in their application to the
corporations and the idle holders of idle
capital Year by year labor grows weaker
and more dependent, and the possibilities
of reSuScitation more doubtful. The indus
trial masses are fast being reduced to Cir
cumStanceS that oVerShadoW independence
and manhood with the struggle for bread
and shelter. With these facts before us l
take the liberty to urge upon this general
assembly the necessity of preparing for an
aggressive campaign against the common
foe. In former sessions we have spent most
of the time debating and legislating on tech
meal questions concerning the internal gov
eminent of the order and very little time
considering how to organize a force and
curb the powers of greed stay the hand
of a social robber. And after all the long,
weary sessions We have spent in this man
ner, do not believe we have any better con-
stitution today than we had fifteen years
ago In my opinion the constitution now
governing this order is conflicting in many
of its sections. l firmly believe we should
our present constitution and grant
to local, state and district assemblies the
greatest possible measure of home rule and
local self-governmcnt compatible with the
security of the order. In my opinion our
present constitution requires of the general
officers too much time and too much of the
funds Of the order in adjusting petty Of
fenses, and too little time and money in the
great field of organization and education.
Throw additional safeguards around our
test of membership by Strengthening the OBJ
ten tons between members and assemblies
will pass away.