The herald., 1896-11-12
Addressed by General Master
Workman Sovereign
TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS WAR
Finds the Industrial Problem More Com.
plicated Than Ever
The Leader Advocates Afilliation with
Forces and q Finish Fight With
the Money Power.

Associated Press Special Wire
ROCHESTER,, Nov. 1.-THE general
assembly of the Knights of Labor went
into secret session Immediately after
convening today.
Sovereign's annual report said:
After struggle Of twenty-seven
years against the evils Of aggregated
wealth by our order, we are confronted
with more serious problems affecting the
rights and liberties of the industrial
masses that ever before. Not only
have the idle, speculating classes dem
onstrated their ability to dominate pro-
ductive enterprises and accumulate the
wealth of the toiling millions, but they
have demonstrated their power to coerce
wage earners and mortgaged farmers
with threats of discharge and foreclos-
ure into submission to their will, au-
tocratic holders of idle money have sub
verted the principle of free government
by forcing political service from the
poor as the tenure Of employment. La
boring men can combat falsehood and
bid defiance to traitors from their own
ranks, but when the depraved mon
ster of corporate repacity steals into
their homes and threatens them with
discharge and persecution because of
their political convictions they sacri-
flee their liberties in consideration of
food and shelter for their helpless wives
and children. The struggle just passed
has demonstrated that pecuniary de-
pendence is political slavery.
'In the struggle just passed the
Knights Of Labor proved itself the only
labor organization that stood like an
iron wall before the fire of the organized
money power of two continents. Every
general officer and every district and
spurned every offer of bribery and
scorned every threat of the money
kings"
Sovereign added that except Eugene
" Debs, the heads of the labor organi-
cations, including the Federation of La
Dor, gave no material aid in the recent
struggle. The Master Workman says the
knight should abandon Utopian plans
and center their efforts as follows:
WOuiu oO CHdll6G anu cODi NialC
our present test of membership as to
center our immediate demands upon an
equitable income tax, free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the present legal
ratio, the payment of all government
bonds according to the present contract
and the issue of all the money of the
country. I would make positive and
unequivocal declaration against gov
ernment by injunction, increase Of the
standing army, payment of the bonded
debt in gold alone, issue of bonds in time
Of peace and the issue of circulating
notes by banking corporations.
II would then prepare entirely new
secret work, with stronger obligations
than we now have; establish degree
known as minute men, and as far as
possible return to our former system of
working in absolute secrecy.
Il would then appeal to the free silver
and reform forces everywhere for men,
bership and support and throw this or
ganization into the great broad field
of agitation to fight the money power
and corporations to an everlasting fin.
ish."
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
The annual report of ]. w. Hayes. Sec
retary and treasurer of the Knights of
Labor, opens with a reference to what
he terms attacks of the most villainous
character on the general officers of
the order "by reason of just stand
taken by them in refusing to follow a
small clique of men who are familiarly
L.. A. g
the Socialistic Labor party, to get con-
troll of the Knights of Labor for the dis
semination Of their doctrines"
The so-called triangle. according to
Hayes, consists of Daniel de Leon, Lu-
cien Sanial and Ernest Rohn. Hayes
recommends that the organizers be en-
titled to a regular commission of 25 per
cent on all business secured for the or
der, and that half the regular initiation
fee of all individual cards be allowed
organizers in lieu of commission. The
action of the American Federation of
Labor directing all organizations affili-
ated both with the Knights of Labor
and with the Federation Qor trade pur-
poses) to withdraw from the knights
Of Labor. the report says, is in direct
violation of the arrangement entered
into with the general executive board
by representatives of the national un-
ion, before the formation of the Ma
tional Trades assembly. Hayes recon-
mends the brewing industry to be thor
oughly organized into the order by dis
trict assemblies, and all organizers be
instructed not to admit to membership
any person who owes first allegiance
to the National Brewers union.
The statement of receipts during one
year and three months ending Septem-
ber &c. 1896, shows a total of 1898. July
l. 1892 there was balance on hand Of
S6404 The present cash balance is sS26.
Among the amendrknts proposed is one
to abolish the office and title of the gen.
eral executive board, and thereby place
the entire supervision of the order in the
hands of the general master workman,
general worthy foreman, general secre-
tary and treasurer and the elective Off
GERS of the general assembly, subject to
approval by the vote of the representa-
tiyac of tho paperal nSSamh1v