Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-11
Annual Reports Submitted to the
General Assembly.
SOVEREIGN OUTLINES HIS PLATFORM
Attitude Of the Federation is Crit
cised. .ea.,
TIL E RECENT MPAIGN

L
General Assembly of the knights of Labor
went into secret session Immediately after
ccnvening today. and will remain behind
closed doors until 3 pm. General Master
Workman Sovereisn's report was read, and
was followed by the report of General Sec
rotary and Treasurer Hayes.
Nothing of the other proceedings Will be
given out to the press until the different
committees report. which will probably be
early tomorrow morning,
Mr.. Sovereign's report was as follows:
Mr.. Sovereignty Report.
ITO the officer and members of the TWEEN
tieth general assembly, Knights OF Labor:
After a struggle of twenty-seven years
against the evils of aggregated wealth by
our order, We are confronted with more
serious problems affecting the rights ana
liberties of the industrial masses than ever
before. ''. y '-.''-
Not only have the idle, specializing
classes demonstrated their ability to doni-
nate productive enterprise and accumu-
late the wealth of toilng millions, but they
have demonstrated their power to coerce
Vage-earners and mortgaged farmers with
threats of discharge and foreclosure into
submission to their will The autocratic
holders of idle money have subverted the
| principles of free government by forcing
political service from the poor as the ten
| ure of employment.
| ''Laboring men can combat falsehood
| and bid defiance to traitors from their own
ranks. but when depraved monster of
corporate rapacity steals into their homes
and threa ems them with discharge and per
| secution because of their political convic-
| tons. they sacrifice their liberties in con-
sideration of food and shelter for their
helpless wives and innocent children. The
struggle just passed has demonstrated that
pecuniary dependence is political slavery.
How to prevent the complete overthrow
| OF our civil liberty is the problem of the
hour How weak and impoverished labor
can triumph over naughty, domineering
confederated capital is a question too Sc
rlous TO admit of procrastipation. 1t must
be considered in all its length and breadth;
ard the best possible organization per
fected to meet the Vaccinations Of the
money changers.
In the struggle just passed the knights
of Labor proved Itself to be the only labor
organization that stood like an iron wall
before the fire of. the organized money
power of two continents. Every general
oincer and every district and local assem-
piy or cur order spurned every offer of
bribery. and scorned every threat of the
money king. When the test came our or
der was found to possess the knowledge
'he courage ard the manhood to defy and
COMBAT tne eTnlSSarIeS of organized greed
Except the great support given by that
natchess champion of labor. Eugene f.
Debs. the chief officer of no other national
TABOR organization gave us material aid in
L
people.
The Federation Criticised
The American Federation of Labor
proved too loose in its organized capacitv
and 100 weak in its test of membership to
either resist or evade the onsIauehts of the
Wall street combines, and it therefore be-
came the prey to the emissaries of corpor-
ate wealth
= hot
rulings of our higher courts have placed all
abor organizations in the category of
criminal conspiracy, thousands of the mem
oers OF the federation voted to sustain that
pernlcious ruling. They plead guilty to the
charge by the votes they cast Not only
did they vote to exalt the money changers
and make the rich richer and the moor
poorer, but they voted to sustain govern
meht by injunction, and the recent income
tax decision of the Supreme Court
Many trade unions ana many of the Of
hctrs OF trade unions stood Loyalty by the
cause OF depressed labor. and did valiant
service in our late struggle for orr eco
nomic reform. and they cannot be TOO high
~ praised for the high type of manhool
their acts expressed. but trade unions in y
seheral sense, are too frall in their organic
construction to depart from the narrow
INES of craft se!tishaess and lead a great
labor movement against the encroachment
ana asSreSsions of avarice and greed THAI
duty devolves upon the Knights of I,hor
ana at this session of the general assem-
Oily We should prepare the way to unite
under the shield Of Eniehthood all the in
dustrial reform forces of America.
10 that end l would recommend that
the order divest itself of all its Utopian
dreams. as a weary traveller would cast
away his personal effects to tighten his
burdens in dangerous march across a
dreary desert. / would instruct our trade
distr1ct assemblies TO as far as possible
adjust all local differences with employers
leaving the general officers free 20 devote
the entire coming year to the work of or
Sal:Zation.
Proposed Labor Platform
II would so change and abbreyiate our
present test of membership as to center
our Immediate demands upon an eGuita BILE
income tax, the free and unlimited coinase
Of silver at present legal ratio, tbs pay
ment of all government bonds according
| to present contract, and the government.
| is'ue OF all OF the money of the country
l would make positive and unequivocal
| declarations against government by injunc-
| ton. increase of the standing army. the
| payment Of hcnded debt in gold alone. the
issues of bonds in time of peace and the
issue of circulating notes by BANKING COR
porationS
Il would then prepare an entirely now
secret work with stronger obligations than
We now have, establish a degree known as
me ininutelnen. and as far as possible re-
absolut. secrecy.
Il would then appeal to the free silver
ana reform forces everywhere for member
snip and support ana throw this organiza-
| ton into the great broad field of agitation
TO 1lent the money power and the, CORPORA
tons to an everlasting finish.
| Il would not rccede from our demands
tor land reform nor from any of the other
great principles contained in the pre;,m
| BILE of this order, but l would designate
| them as battle grounds 10 be fought over
| after We nave thrOttied the life out of the
| money power that is undermining the foun-
datiOn of American liberty
This order should not let the bird in the
| hand escape with the hope of catching the
one in the bush. We should battle for the
| reform which is nearest the hearts of the
| people instead of expanding our energy on
| questions enshrouded in the doubt and
gloom of a far distant future.
| Tie money power has made Itself the
| guardian and protector of every other
| monopoly and combine, and stands forth
| today the idol OF every miser, the hope of
| every king. and god of every despot. The
| idle holders of idle wealth throughout the
| world are combined against the free coin
| age of silver. BODYBUILDING aristocr.;cv
! demand its abolition as primary mnney
| in order to appreciate debts and deprecia ~
| the profits of labor below the profits ~
| money at Interest, SO that fixed incomes
| annuties, may be saddled upon the in
l ding RI of