The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-11-13
ONLY DEBs
Gsve Material AID IN the Reeent struaale.
so says Mr. sovcrelaa In the
Rochester Meeting.

The general assembly knights of
Labor went into secret session i'm
mediately after convening today. /
General Master Workman Sover- ]
eign's report was read and was
followed by the report of General
Secretary Treasurer Hays.
Nothing of the other proceedings
will be given out to the press until /
the different committees report. |
which will probably be early to-
morrow morning.
Mr.. Sovereign. in his annual re-
port, said;
| After a struggle of twenty
seven years against the evils Of ag-
gregated wealty by our order. we
are confronted with more serious
problems affecting the rights and
liberties of the industrial masses
than ever before. Not only have
the idle. speculating classes dem
onstrated their ability TO dominate
productive enterprise aud accumu-
late wealth Of toiling millions, but
they have demonstrated their
power to eoerce wage -earners and
mortgaged farmers with threats Of
discharge and foreclosure into sub
mission to them. The autocraiic
holders of idle money have sub
verted the principle of free gov
eminent by forcing political service
from the poor as the tenure Of en-
ployment.
Laboring men can combat
falsehOod and bid defiance 10 trait
ors from their own ranks, but
when a depraved monster Of cor
pOrate rapacity steals into their
, homes and threatens them with
discharge and persecution because
of their political convictions, they
sacrifice their liberties in consid-
Grafton of food and shelter for
their helpless wives and innocent
children. The struggle just passed
has demonstrated that pecuniary
dependence is political slavery.
In the struggle just passed the
Knights of Labor proved itself tC
be the only labor organization that
stood like an iron wall before the
y fire Of the organized powers Of the
two countries. Every general Off
Ger and every district and local as
I sembly Of our order spurned ever,
I offer Of bribery and scorned ever!
threat of the money king"
Mr.. Sovereign added that ex
eept Eugene V. Debs the heads o
the labor organizations, including
the Federation of Labor, gave NJ
material aid in the recent struggle
The master workman said III
knights should abandon all utopiai
plans and center their efforts a
follows:
Il would so change and abbrs
viate our present test Of member
ship as to center our immediai
demands upon an equitable ineom
tax, the free aud unlimited eoinae
of silver at the present legal ratio
! the payment Of all governmer
= bonds according to present eontra'
- and the issue Of all the money {
the country by the government.
e. would make positive and unequi'
ocal declarations against govern
ment by injunction and increase I
the standing army; the payment
u the bonded debt in gold alone; q
" issue of bonds in times Of pea
10 and the issue Of circulating not
,h' , by banking corporations.
ne Il would then prepare an eI
N tirely new secret work WI
lee stronger obligations than we nc
re- have, and establishing n degr
az known as the minute men, and
}. far as possible return TO o
IN former system Of working in a
us solute secrecy.
lot II would then appeal TO {
ice free silver and reform forces ever
nla where for membership aud suppC