New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-14
KNIGHTS or LABOR.

II the convention Of the Knights of Labor.
which has been in session at Rochester this
week follows the line of procedure marked out
for it by General Master Workman Sovereign
in his opening address. and by the Executive
Committee in their annual report. as seems prob
able. one thing at least will be gained. II will
be- Notwithstanding the added mystery which it
will take on in accordance with Soveregns
recommendation of IAN entirely new secret work
with stronger Obligations much more in the
open. in its aims and purposes, than ever before.
1t will cease Incorporating as an organization
devoted to the interests of labor or of working
men as a class. and become openly and avOwed-
" what It has been secretly end crcutously I'M
der the lead Of Sovereign. political machine.
1t within the beautiful. though somewhat be-
wlldcring language Of SOveregn-"divest itself
'of all its Utopian dreams as weary traveller
"would cast away his personal effects to tighten
his burdens in dangerous march across
"dreary desert" To no one but Sovereign could
this impressive figure Of speech have occurred.
No one but he would ever have thought Of light
ening burdens for a dangerous march by throw
ing off Utopian dreams. The organization seems
disposed to adopt his recommendation whatever
It may mean. And Of the Utopan dreams
apparently is that il Is possible for workingmen
to live on terms Of peace and anIy with their
employers.
Acting upon this suggestion, the Executive
Committee say in their report AT last the time
"has come when the lines Of battle are fairly
drawn between the laborers Of America on the
zone hand and their implacablc enemies the
money kings and their mnons, on the other"
SO. the Knights Of Labor take up the Bryaniic
cry Of the masses against the classes and de
clare the lines of battle drawn. They say that
while the late election has shown that six mill
lions of American voters have arrayed them
SELVES permanently under the banner OF prin-
"ciples 50 long upheld by the knights of Labor"
it has also shown that lat least two millions
more would have done likewise but for the
''frghful forces Of money and coercion used in
this campaign by the plutocrats" In this view
! OF the situation they recommend that the most
thorough consideration be given to the Qucs-
ton. "how best to preserve the political advan-
tages already gained for the masses" The
method proposed-and a very natural and logical
one. 1t must be admittcd-is to organize the work
ingmen more thoroughly and rapidly. and. of
course. bring them all together into the order
over which Mr.. Sovereign presdes with so much
huency.
Then ihen-what? With his eight mill
ion voters behind him constituting n popular
majorty-what does Mr.. Sovereign propose to
do? lie does not say But in the urid language
which he habltually hlngs abroad. and In the
statement Of the Executive Committee that the
employers of labor are the "implacable enemies
of the employed, there are very significant sug-
gestops What would happen should this pro-
gramme of the knights Of Labor to array eight
millions OF voters against a minority Of five or
six mons-whOm they denounce In their dec
laratiOn Of principles as 'implacable enemes'-
be successful may well be left to the magma