is a natural law. When humanity becomes interested in or loses interest in anything, there is certainly a cause for it. If an investigation is made as to the cause of the varying interest in labor organizations it will be found to lay entirely in the slothfulness, selfishness or ignorance of the individual member. If questioned as to why their interest was falling off, very few would admit it. Plenty of men can be heard boasting of being members of the order of the Knights of Labor when occasion suits them, when they have not been seen in an Assembly for months or even years. If asked why they did not attend, which question they cannot avoid by denying, the slothful ones are found by their answering that they are too tired, or it is too far, or they hold the meetings too late.

The ignorant ones will say, "What's the good of it?" No better evidence is wanted to prove their ignorant nature than the fact that they joined it by reason of a cause and the reply they afterwards give.

The selfish ones are not so easily discovered. They are the class who joined when they saw that it would assist the size of their pocket-book or aid them in holding a position. They expected to reap of the work of others without an outlay or risk on their part. When they learn that such a plan will not continue they do not know where to stand.

If the members of the Assembly are employes of a large corporation, such as a railroad, it is organized to bring about or retain a just relation between the company and employes. The selfish man wants to be protected by the organization as against the company personally, while he takes no part to protect another. He is generally in doubt which way the cat will jump, and wants to be safe in any event, hence he cannot take much interest in the organization. He wants to be so he can say, should occasion suit him

and he should be accused of being "one of them d -d Knights of Labor," "no, no, not now; I have had nothing to do with them lately; I never did take much interest in it."

It is the existence of such classes and their combined influence that effects the progress of the Order where the members are at one class of work.

Where an Assembly is made up of men engaged in a variety of callings, as in a small place, the hope of political prestage will raise the interest at one time and cause it to fall off when that hope is gone.

All this shows how few in reality join the Order as a matter of principle, the selfishness of man being the ruling cause, but as this is generally combined with ignorance it causes the opposite of what they had hoped to be the result, for he gains nothing himself and suffers in the end equally with the others.

That ignorance that causes a man to say that a labor organization is no good is what really makes them So. A river can never rise above its sources. An organization can never raise its members. As they are, so is the organization.

There is another influence that tends to decrease the interest which arises from the fact that many men judge an organization as they see the acts of some leading members, or men who have received direct benefits from such organization.

How many men there are in every part of the country who occupy prominent or political positions who owe that fact to the influence, either directly or indirectly, to the organization. It raised them up to where they could not go alone. How few there are that will let you know this afterwards, or who retain that activity that they had before their elevation, some forgetting so far to whom they are indebted that they will assist in doing things that tend to degrade those who were their benefactors; at least they sel

dom do anything to aid them, either by their influence or presence in the Assembly. The action of such curs is certainly discouraging to others, and has its bad effect. It is one of the lowest forms of selfishness.

To correct these influences requires the earnest work of every man. The slothful men must be taught that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty;" the ignorance must be eliminated by meeting it with the open book and courageous reasoning.

The selfish must be shown what miserable worms they are; how weak they are when they are forced to stand alone; that they can expect nothing without they contribute equally to the welfare of others. While this is being done our progress will be slow or we may stand still or have to go back some, but it will be more than regained in time to come.

If a man does not wish to be classed as one of the disintregators let him be sure to be seen often in the Assembly room, taking a part with those who are always there.

THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.

The eighteenth plank in the declaration of principles of the Knights of Labor declares for the Government ownership of the telegraphs, telephones, etc.

The need of this is perhaps better understood than any of the others. It has been many years since the Knights of Labor placed this proposition before the people, and it was received at first by many with contempt, as many of the others are yet. This view has been chang. ing gradually as regards the postal telegraph at least. There is but little doubt if the proposition was to be decided by a popular vote of the people it would carry by a large majority, and if Congress intends to do the will of the people it will not adjourn its next session with

out taking steps to accomplish it.

The telegraph has grown to be as much a necessity as the postal service; by its flashes prices are regu-· lated, and the information by which the civilized world is guided is distributed. It is time the people were awakening to the great danger they are in, in not having control of this great avenue, to the fact that they are virtually at the mercy of one or two men who have the power to regulate, distort or suppress whatever information is conveyed from one point to another and to tax them whatever they see fit.

What can be done by these men has been demonstrated the past month, when the Western Union absorbed the Baltimore and Ohio lines, and the ten and fifteen cent rates between competing points on these lines were advanced to fifty cents, besides the throwing out of employment 2,000 men and women.

It had the effect to sound an alarm from every quarter, even the press, which is at the mercy of the telegraph corperation, and who generally from policy have said little regarding the inroads of cor-porations on the rights of the people, have spoken out. Heretofore they have left such matters to poorlabor agitators. They must begin to see that they are in danger, for it is possible and probable if something is not done and done soon, that the few men who control the telegraphs will own, control, or drive out of existance every daily for them to cry out before they are newspaper in the land. It is well

throttled.

The general assembly has been alive to the need of action on this question, which is vital to the existance of our form of government, as the following resolution shows: To the People of the United States: General Assembly convened recognize that in the absorption of the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Company a serious blow has been struck against the industrial,

WHEREAS, The Knights of Labor in

commercial and political welfare of all the people of the country, for in the ownership of the intelligence-conveying medium by an individual news of every character can be withheld or subjected to such manipulation as would render it worse than useless, making it possible to put artificial prices upon commodites and bring about panics, with their results-suffering and misery-upon all classes of people; and WHEREAS, In the consummation of Gould's monopolistic purpose, in relation to the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Company, it is patent that the position taken by the Knights of Labor in their opposition is a just and a necessary one, and that such a result of the monopolistic tendency of the age was foreseen by the founders of the Order; therefore

Resolved, That this General Assembly protests against this far-reaching monopolistic deal, and denounces the insatiable and avaricious purpose of those who for individual gain would imperil the welfare of the nation; and further

Resolved, That the organized power of the Order be directed in demanding at the hands of Congress the passage of a measure for the purchase or construction of a telegraph system for the country, and that it is the duty of all citizens to assist in nominating and appointing such candidates as will pledge their support to such candidates as will pledge their support to such measure; and, further, that petitions and blanks be prepared and distributed throughout the country to receive signatures favorable to the proposition and for presentation to Congress, and that special instructions be issued to the Legislative Committee at Washington to agitate for such ownership, and make governmental telegraphy one of the burning questions of the hour.

We trust that there will be none who will allow their personal animosities to go so far that they will oppose this measure simply because the Knights of Labor support it. Let every true citizen use all his influence for the speedy accomplishment of this measure while there is a chance left.

THE man that walks into a city is of as much value to that community as the man who rides in in a palace car, and of more value if he works to produce something and the other remains idle and lives off the work of the other.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The General Assembly of the Knights of Labor has met and adjourned. What good it has accomplished time will reveal. Very little reliable information is at hand at this date, but the predictions of the press for the past few months have not materialized. The order has not gone to pieces. T. V. Powderly has not been forced to resign. In fact all information at hand shows the order stronger than ever, and the General Master Workman the right man in the right place.

The Socialist-Anarchistic element have been shown that there is no place for them or their teachings in the order. Everyone of their schemes to place the order on record as in sympathy with, or backing their teaching or acts, have met with defeat.

The report of the General Secretary show there is 600,000 members in good standing. When it is taken into consideration how many men have become delinquent through carelessness and who can be placed in good standing on short notice, and the number who are forced by fear of tyrants to not be known with the order or as sympathizers with its principles, some idea of the immense strength of the organization can be imagined.

The General Master Workman, in his address, gave a powerful defense of the many charges and complaints that have been made against his acts the past year, most notably in that of the pork packers strike of Chicago, and the attacks made on him by the Anarchists. His principal recommends are that the full force of the organization be centered on legislation that will establish a department of labor in the government, and the government ownership of the telegraphs and telephones, and for the estab. lishment of a universal benefit plan in the order; calls attention to the need of the order doing more for the education of its members.

The Assembly has endorsed his recommendations and taken action toward the furthering of them. Action was also taken toward the establishment of a department of woman's work within the order under the direction of a general investigator.

The Assembly resolved to co-operate with the National Farmers' Alliance to secure favorable legislation, the resolutions being as follows:

That it is the opinion of this joint committee that the most feasible method to redress those evils is for each organization to maintain at the national capital a committee from each, who shall consult and compare together, with the view of securing such legislation as will conduce to the interest and welfare of both organizations.

That in case either organization shall fail, through inability or otherwise, to have a representative committee at the capital, the officers of the organization that fails to have its committe at the seat

of government shall use their influence with the members of said organization to support the actions of the committee of the organization that is represented, upon which the two bodies are in substantial accord by the following methods:

First By circulating petitions for signatures among their own members and

other citizens in favor of the enactment

of such legislation as the committee is endeavoring to promote.

Second-By using their best endeavors to have their members refuse to support for re-election any member of any legislative body who has failed to vote for and support any measure that has received the sanction of the executive heads of those two organizations, viz.: The National Farmers' Alliance and the Knights of Labor. Be it further agreed, that the Executive officers of these two organizations shall recommend that a similar course be pursued in the different States, wherever they shall have branch organizations.

The factional feelings have ran high during the session, being between those who wish to see the order follow its line of principles, and those who wish to force it to

adopt radicalism, and principles have won. This has undoubtedly stirred up personal feelings between men occupying prominent positions, but the interests of individuals is not to be taken into consideration.

The refusal of Barry and Bailey of the executive board and of the wing opposed to the present course of the order, to resign when called on to do so by the Assembly should bring condemnation on them from every honest man in or out of the order.

The General Assembly has only made laws for the government of the order as an order, and recommends a course for it to pursue in reaching the goul for which it is organized. It can do nothing of itself, it must have the co-operation of each member, it is on them alone that the result depends. If they do not do this then the calling together of the Assembly has been a waste of time and money.

ELECTION DAY.

Election day is close at hand. Many a poor wage-worker will go to the polls on that day and express his wish as to who shall make and execute the laws under which he lives. His ballot will go into the same box as the monopolist and will count just as much-at least that is what our government guarantees to every citizen.

There is an extensive and growing discontent among the people everywhere, that something is wrong in the ruling of our nation nearly all admit. It cannot be imaginary or the complaint would not be so universal.

The majority of the complainants lay the cause at the door of bad laws and the unjust enforcement of others.

These complaints are made mostly by the wage earners, the farmers and small manufactors and business men of the land.

The men who labor daily by hand or brain make up two-thirds of the voters of the country. T. V. Powderly in his Fourth of July circular said:

"Two-thirds of the voters can, if they are honest, patriotic and vigilent, vote