The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-11-12
THEY ARE SLAVES
S0VEREIeE'S OPINION OF AMERI-
OAN WORKINGMEN.

Grand Master Workman's Report to thu
knights of Labor Threatens DIoneyet
Charges of Intimidation of Laborers
all of Whom are Assumed to Hare Beer
for Free Silver and Equally Assumed te
Have Been Compelled to Vote Against
it-Othsr Conventions.
Rochester, N. Y, Nov. 1.-THE gener-
al assembly Knights OF Labor went into
secret session Immediately after con-
Vening today and remained behind closed
doors until S D. N. General Master
Workman Soyereign's report was read
and was followed by the report Of Gen
sral Secretary-Treasurer Hayes.
Nothing Of the other proceedings vii.
be given out to the press until the diff
terent committees report, which VIII
probably be early tomorrow morning.
SOVEREIGN'S REPORT.
Grand Master Workman Sovereign, in
his annual report, said: "After strug-
rle of twenty-seven years against the
wills OF aggregated wealth by our order,
Ne are confronted with more serious
problems. affecting the rights and hber-
les of the industrial masses than ever
pefore.
Not only have the idle specula ing
classes demonstrated their ability 10
dominate productive enterprises and ac-
.umulate wealth of the toiiing millions,
out they have demonstrated their power
10 coerce wage earners and mortgdged
farmers with threats Of discharge and
foreclosure into submission 10 tneir WILL
'eThe autocratic holders of idle money
nave subverted the principle Of free gov
srnment by forcing political service from
she poor as tenure OF employment. La
poring men can combat a falsehood and
bid defiance to traitors from their own
ranks, but when depraved monster OF
corporate rapacity steals into their
hcmes and threatens them with dis
charge of persecution because OF their
political convictions they sacrifice their
liberties in consideration of food and
shelter for their helpless wives and inno-
rent children. The struggle just past
has demonstrated that pecuniary depen-
aence is political slavery.
I'm the struggle just past, the Knights
pf Labor proved itself to be the only la
bo- organization that stood like an irvn
wall before the fire of the organized mo-
ney power of the two continents. Every
general officer and every district ano To-
ral assembly of our order spuIned every
offer OF bribery and scorned every threat
Of the money king.
Mr.. Sovereign added that except Du-
gene V. Debs, the heads Of the labor or
CARNATIONS, including the Federation of
Labor, gave no material aid in the re-
cent struggle. The master workman
says:
The knights should abandon Utopian
plans and center their efforts as follows:
I would so change and abbreviate our
present test Of membership as TO center
our immediate demands upon an equit-
able income tax; the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the present legal ra-
tic; the payment of all government bonds
according TO present contract, and the is
sue or all the money of the country.
would make positive and unequivocal 0e-
clarations against government by injuac-
ton, increase of the standing army, the
payment Of bonded debt in gold alone,
tine issue of bonds in time of peace and
the issue Of circulating notes by banking
corporations.
Il would then prepare an entirely new
secret work, with stronger ob,iga tons
than we have now; esta blish a decree
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 finish.
Il would not recede from our demands
FOR land reform nor from any of the
great principles contained in the pream-
bic Of this order, but / would designate
them as backgrounds to be fought over
after we have throttled the life out of
the money power, that is undermining
the foundations of American liberty.
1T may be said that by accepting this
issue we would be charged with favoring
the silver mine owner in the Rocky
Mountains. The charge would not be
true, and IL 1t was. | have only 20 saw
that / would a thousand times rather
cast a thousand votes for mine owner
in the Rocky Mountains who employs la
Dor and contributes 10 the wealth of my
country than to cast one vote for for
eign shylock who conspires to rob the
labor of the word.
II appeal to the delegates here assem-
bled to place demand for the free COIN
age or silver at the present legal ratio in
our pramble and bar our ports and clear
our decks against the plutocratic COM
btne arraved on the side of the single
gold standard
HAYES REPORT.
The annual report of Secretary J. ".
Hayes opens with a reference to what
that official terms attacks of a most vii
1ainous character on the general officers
OF the order. by reason of the jus:
stand taken by them in refusing to fol-
low small clique of men who are fami-