Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-12

/ ~. lNVh, Snow a lutal OF SoN,oHo, Ou july
| l. 1895. there was n balance OF S6iOi. The
present cash balance is 1926,
Among the amendments proposed arc
these: Making the per capita tax to the
general assembly cents instead OF cents;
to 60 amend the constitution us TO abolish
the Office and the title Of the general
executive beard and thereby place the
entire supervision Of the order In the hands
of the general master workman, general
worthy foreman, general secretary aud
treasurer, the elective officers OF the general
assembly subject to the approval by vote
OF the representatives of the general as
| Scmbly; to so amend the various articles
and sections OF the constitution as to make
the decision Of appeals to the next highest
| authority governing on court cases or
points OF law as the decision final; to amend
/ initiation ceremonies by shortening the
same; to give to district assembly 253.
knights Of Labor. building contractors, the
absolute authority ana right to organize the
| building trade into locals. to be attached to
said districts in a radius Of twenty-five
! miles from the general postofIicc in New
| York City.
The knights of Labor and the American
Federation of Labor, through their officers.
have demanded a revision of the lists from
which the grand jurors Of the county are
selected The labor organizations allege
that too many capitalists and too few work
! ngmen are on the lists to insure justice.
Both the organizations have sent to the
liOdTu Ol NOnU UllSSlOOtlS q Erdnu juror
memorial containing a list Of members of
! the two organizations which II is claimed
are eligible as grand jurors A demand Is
made that these men be placed on the lists
to represents laborers interests.
ORDERS GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
At the adjournment of the session this
afternoon the following conclusions of the
| executive board were given to the Asso-
| ciatcd press
| In our annual report to the Washington
| general assembly we used this language
"in spite of the good legislation already
! secured, in spite of improvements already
made in the social and industrial conditions,
| there yet remains n vast work to he done
| before the wealth producers viii he fully
! free from the chains of wage slavery and
! the oppression of monopoly. The force of
a great army like the knights of Labor,
to accomplish the most important results,
must have its power wisely directed against
the weakest point in the enemy's line and
the very stronghold and citadel of monopoly
must be captured. No organization In the
world has SO clear definite and practical
! Il plan of a campaign as our order, The
| wrested from the hands of the agents of
the plutocrats and restored to the people.
The money of the people, the life-blood of
CDmmtrcc, must be issued by the agents
! of the people only. The great highways of
commerce must be freed from the clutches
| Of railway kings, and the land, the great
reservoir from which all wealth Is drawn,
which is the prime necessity for the main
! tCuarcc of human existence. must be re-
| stored 10 the WnOlc people. Inc equal rights
| of each one Of the children of men to
! Il share of the bountics of nature must be
recognized and secured. The opportunity
to live i'm peace and secure the opportunity
to labor and enjoy the fun fruits of their
toll must be guaranteed beyond a possi-
bity of doubt. These are the great is
sues. clear and distinct. which the knights
| Ji Labor propose to fight out to n finish
and the wealth producers of the world are
welcomed TO their ranks"
During the year that has followed your
general officers have striven earnestly to
carry into effect this declaration, bcliev-
plish results of great value to the cause
| OF labor. The hope we then held has been
more than realized I'm the vast present
uphcaval which has taken place in the
United States since the Washington gen
cral assembly closed. In pursuance of the
policy set forth in our Washington as
sembiy, we attended the convention Of the
poprlist party in 81. Louis and the demo
best efforts to secure unincation of the
| forces represented by those two parties
the preamble of the knights of Labor
| And II should be a cause Tor rejoicing or
TIE part of every true knight Of Labor
| position to government bond issues, the
| income tax ulank and numerous other very
| important principles, which nave been SO
| long and StTenuOusly btttled Tor by the
knights of Labor against hopeless odds
have become the commanding issues of
| American politics, and have completely
ovcrshndowed all the sham issues which
have long been used By politicians ,,,'lg and
eyes and distract their attention from
these vital questions affecting the real
welfare of the wealth producers.
At last the time has come when the
lines of battle are fairly drawn between
and their implacable cncmes-the money
| kings and their minions-on the other
| hand. Although n complete victory for the
immense gains have been made. Six mil
lions Of American voters nave a]rraysd ]
| of the principles so long upheld by the
knights of Labor. AT least 2,Ol0.OCO more
frightening forces of money and coercion
used in this campaign by sne party of the
This general assembly should give the
! most thorough considerations to the qucS-
vantages already gained for the masses
! and how we may perfect the organization
for victory in the immediate future. The
| millions of wealth producers are now
aroused rs they never were aroused be
| fore IN the history Of the nation Let
ter at this general assembly to decide on
such policy as will show the people
they viii become Irresistible in their de-
/ mand for the reform which labor requires.
| CRYING NEED OF ORGANIZATIONS.
| The lack of organization among the toll
/ ers Is grave menace 70 the republic.
| Not 8 per cent of the working people Of
the United States are. organized II is
| to organize them more RAPIDLY than they
| have ever, been, organized in the plst
/
| first, that we must make IT clear to the
! laboring people that ii Is to their inter-
! est in every sense of the r-ord to become
| good members of the knights of Labor
! We must make 1t clear to the employers
| that ii will not be injurious to their best
| interests If their employee are permitted
| and encouraged to join our order. We
| must make II clear beyond question thai
! every man and woman who is member
| of our order will be safer and better pro
| tcctcd i'm their rights than those who are
| not members We must make the em-
| ploycr understand that If he employs
| knights of Labor members he VIII not
be placed at any disadvantage with his
| competitor who employs no knights OF
! Labor, and Is at open warfare with the
| order.
Hasty and il-advised strikes should be
| avoided as much as possible every strike
| and lockout Is incpicnt civil war. one Is
| an attack of the employer on the emplogc
| and the other is an attack of the cmpluye
| and the employer. These attacks and COun.
| ter attacks often develop into civil war,
| and as one blow brings on another we can
| never foretell what the final outcome of
| some of these struggles may be. The plu-
| tOCraCy Is seeking an excuse to greatly
| increase the standing army. The petty Vio-
! lence connected with the strikes and lock-
| outs Is their most plausible excuse now.
| Let us not play into their hands. We should
| teach the laborng people 70 cease to be re-
| bcllous slaves and to realize their real
| position, that of the head masters and
| rulers of the republic, clothed with ample
| power to reconstruct all social and indus
trial conditions on whatever lines they de-