The times., 1897-08-01
BRAINS AND Drawn.

tons, have had maay matters or more
or less Importance which required careful
considerations during the last week.
The Knights Of Labor were given food
fer thought in the action of the general
executive board in reinstating Mr.. w. III.
q. Simmons tn full membership the reasons
for it. and what will be it's effect In
LEGAL clicies. The knights are also al
ready making prepar ations for great pie
mic excursion to Marshall Hall ON Labor
Day, when the members Of the order and
theiI families will, it is expected, turn
out in full force. The local Federation
of Labor is Just now very busy preparing
reply to the open ettcr OF Gov. Atkinson,
the contents and style of which it is
certain the writer must ever regret, the
first being unsupported by the facts i'll the
case and the latter being beneath the dig
nifty of the chief executive officer or any
State in the Union.
The report on Immigration by the special
Committee of the Central Labor Union, at
it's last meeting, has also Come In for
fair share of general discussis1. The
trades unionIsts are also making arrange
ments for n Labor Day excursion to River
View Tile BricklayeIs' Union have de
cided to celebrate the w or kingman's
national holiday with street parade, and
have invited all other organizations COR
nected with the Central Labor Union
and Building Trades Council to join with
them in observing Labor Day. The annual
election for officers of Columbia Typo
graphical Urion, No. i01, resulted in
complete victory of what is known as the
administration" candidates.
Aside from these matters of interest TO
the many individual local organizations,
there is a general interest in the strike of
the United Mine Workers, which rises
above factfonal differences, or personal
feeling. and ma kes the fight a common
cause, the concern OF all, whether he he u
cobbler or miner, Knight OF Labor, or
trade unionist.
The position OF Mr.. Simmons In local
labor circles, will for some time to
come, To say the least of 1t, be very unique.
Tie Timers Union, OF which he Is
member, is not now affiliated with the
Knights OF Labor, and the organization
with which he is at present connected
is a mixed assembly, he being the only
member of mis- craft belonging To 1t. The
question which has been asked very often
since Mr. Simmons was reinstated, is what
will the timers do: will they remain in
the national organization, or withdraw
and return to the Knights Of Labor? It
is more than probable that the timers Will
return to the Knights. They withdrew
through sympathy Simmons was their
most highly honored member, he was
master orkman OF District Assembly No.
Go, Knights of Labor. He was expelled;
his organization believed without Just
cause, and withdrew from District Assem-
bly, No. sc and from the order OF the
Knights OF Labor.
Much or The feeling created by the ex-
| puls!on of Mr.. Simmons and the withdrawal
| of the timers from theorder has died away,
and no doubt Mr. Simmons and his organ
izatiou, should / t desire to return win be
welcomed back To the fold. There were
oae or two other organizations which
withdrew from the Knights about The same
| tine as Gid the timers. and these. too 1t
| is expected, will again become Knights of
| Labor.
The members OF the Local Federation OF
Labor feel much hurt, and justly 50, at the
| genera! zone and contents OF Gov. Atkin-
sons letter in reply 60 their resolutions
| adopted at a previous meeting. The action
| OF the Federation, while cTiticising Gov.
| Atkinson very severely. in words and ex-
| preston, was well within bounds, refer
/ ring strictly TO matters connected with
| the miners strike. In his reply Gov. At
| kinson stoops TO use vile personalities In
| speaking OF the members OF the Federation
| and after some self. praise dismisses both
| the subject and the people as not worth
| while bothering with.
1t is to he hoped that If Gov. Atkinson
l affnmnfS n cf,Ynmnnir a
tion he receives from the local Fedora
| tiou he win give 1T the respectful con
| sideration IT is entitled 10, Vile epithets
viii not answer for facts, nor viii self
praise and braggadocio be taken for
| argument by those it is intended to hui
initiate and hold up to ridicule.
| The report on immigration submitted at
the last meeting of the Central Labor
| Union contains some excellent suggestions
for legislation, which, if carefully con-
| sidered, would probably lead 60 4 solution
| of the veyed question of immigration.
| While the labor leaders of the country
rejoice in the fact that the United States
| Is the land OF the Free" still they think
| there should be some restrictions as 60
| qualifications of character and condition
| which should be carefully inquired into
1
Convict and paUper labor should be shut
out. If these people could not or would
not be honest aud Industrious workers
at home. why would they be expected
| 60 be here? The alien labor contract law
| is, it is said, being openly violated nearly
| every day in the year. but still no effort
is made TO punish the violators All
such violations, the committee recommend,
should he punished by Imprisonment
| With the exception of the members of the
| Brlcklayers' Union, the members of or
| ganiZed labor in the District will spend
Labor Day at the resorts on the Potomac
| River. Two immense picnic excursions are
! being arranged for, one at Marshall Hall
and the other one at River View. The
| Carpenters Assembly, No. 1748, Knights
OF Labor, has arranged for an excursion to
| the Hall OH Labor Day and has invited
all the other assemblies and the unions
affiliated with the local Federation TO join
with them In celebrating the Iaborer's
holiday.
The trades unionists, composing all the
| unions affiliated with the Central Labor
| Union and Building Trades Council, VIII
| join forces and celebrate Labor Day at
| River View. The committees In charge of
| the excursions intend arranging progr ans
| OF amusements, consisting of athletic con-
tests, BASEBALL boat racing and other
| interesting games. At the View there
| will be tug Of war" betw cen the men,
ters OF the Building Trades Council and
| the Central Labor Union, which promises
| to be very interesting and exciting.
sc bob