Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1891 — REFUSED TO UNITE. [ARTICLE]

REFUSED TO UNITE.

Knights of Labor of Michigan Refuse to Fuse with the People's Party. The General State Assembly Knights o 1 Labor was in session at Lansing on the 4th. The one point of importance was action on the recent greeting sent by the geheral secretary and treasurer of the order at Philadelphia, by which the assembly was earnestly requested to take independent political action. There was to have been an effort made to induce the assembly to indorse the People’s party platform, but the forces were routed by the sudden appea*ance of John Devlin, of Detroit, member of the general executive committee of the order in the United States. It is doubtful if the effort would have been successful any way, as Master Workman Henry I. Allen, of Schoolcraft, was heartily adverse to such radical measures and had prepared to fight the move. In lieu of such action the assembly adopted a resolution indorsing the action of all industrial councils or conventions that have inaugurated work looking to a consolidation of all industrial people at the ballot-box, trusting that this great movement of industrial consolidation may culminate in the full emancij ation of the masses from industrial slavery. . Following this a greeting was extended to the Farmers’ Alliance, the Patrons of Husbandry and Industry, the Citizens’ Alliance and the National Citizens’ Industrial Alliance, promising support in all well-directed efforts for the advance of tbe cause of industrial reform. Theactof the Legislature in reducing the test of illuminating oils was heartily condemned as being in the interest of the monopolists. Master Workman Allen said the election of a general secretary and treasurer of the order was the first move toward a grand co-op-eration by all of the labor leaders throughout the country for strong and fuli efforts for an advance of industrial leform. He has great faith in tho efficacy of the move and its organization, lie says the time is not far distant when the people’s interests will triumph. He does not hope to place the industrial-movement presidential candidate in the white house until 1896. He reports Michigan as corning rapidly to the front within the past six months.