Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-16
REASON FOR HIS RESIGNATION.
WANTED TO BE FREE IN ORDER TO
PUSH HIS CANDIDACY.
Friendly With Brynn, hut Will Try
to Defeat Him-StOry Is Vigor-
Ously Denied by knights
of Labor Convention
Delegates.

Louisville. Ky. Nov. 15.-The Courier
'Sovereign's Naultins Ambition" says:
The great secret is out at last. Mr.. j. r.
Sovereign, the retiring general master
workman of the knights of Labor. resigned
his position in order that he might push
his candidacy for president of the United
States in 1909
1t was exclusively mentioned in yestedav
mornings Journal that Mr.. Sovereign
would he assigned to the position of field
worker Being free now from the respon-
sibilteS of general master workman and
having none of the former difficulties To
contend with. Mr.. Sovereign has a clear
field before him. and delegates TO the gen.
eral assembly openly acknowledged last
night. that Mr.. Sovereign is an avowsd
candidate for the presidency of the United.
States when Mr.. Mckinley's term expires
and the movement of making him 'hele
worker is the initial step of the general
assembly of the Knights OF Labor to launch
Mr.. Sovereign's boom.
While it is said that Mr.. Sovereign and
the Hon. W. j. Bryan are on the friendliest
terms the supporters of Mr.. Sovereign say
he will make every effort to land the prize
which MIR. Bryan seeks to secure lie
spends all his spare time disseminating his
views and in the general agitation of all the
principles which the Knights of Labor ad-
vocate.''
The morning session of the general as
sembly of the knights of Labor was Ge-
voted to the discussion of the repor; oi
the committee on immigration 1t was the
prevailing sentiment that some vigorous
steps should be taken to restrict immiGra-
ton and statistics were presented showing
that nearly ten million foreign laborers had
come to this country during the last twen-
ty-three years. all of which, 1t was claimed.
worked Il hardship on the American work
ingman.
The report that Past Grand Master
Workman Sovereign had stepped down be-
cause he desired to fix his plans for the
presidency labor reform ticket in 1870
was vigorously denied on all sides.
Mr.. Sovereign has no such idea," said
one of his closest advisers this morning.
land there is no truth in it. If the presi-
dency was offered him. suppose he would
accept. as almost any other man would 10.
and the Knights of Labor would glory in
him. He has no designs en- the presidential
ckair. His resignation was solely for the
purpose of giving him more time and Il
EroaGer and wider field in which TO WORK
for the upbuildinS and Strengthening of
the cause In which he is greatly inter-
ested.
At the afternoon session it was voted
unanimously to set apart the last Sunday
in June as Labor Memorial day. This day
will be observed by all the district assem-
blies in the United States. 1t was ex-
pressly stated that the day should not be
regarded in the light of holiday. 1t was
fixed upon Sunday especially because it
could not be made a holiday with its at
tendant festivities. During the rest of the
afternoon a number of minor matters were
disposed of. which related purely to the
order. The report of the committee on
finance was received. This committee had
made an examination of the books of the
order and found everything to be in first
class shape.