154 AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



national convention assembled, That we most solemnly protest against 

 the passage of the said election bill, and we most earnestly petition our 

 senators in Congress to employ all fair and legal means to defeat this 

 unpatriotic measure, which can result in nothing but evil to our common 

 and beloved country. 



The following telegram was received and read, and response author- 

 ized : 



" Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 2. L. L. Polk, President : Our fraternal dele- 

 gates will convey greeting of the Knights of Labor to your convention 

 on Friday, at any hour you designate. 



"T. V. POWDERLY." 



Brother Livingston of Georgia arose and spoke to a question of per- 

 sonal privilege. He was followed by C. W. Macune and L. L. Polk, who 

 spoke to the same question. The tenor of their remarks was : That 

 newspapers and persons had circulated reports which reflected on the 

 character and official acts of each. Brother Macune stated that it had 

 been generally reported that charges would be brought against him, and 

 he defied any man to bring any charges or adduce any evidence on which 

 charges could be based. He was not on the defensive, and could not be 

 put on the defensive. All three agreed in demanding a thorough and 

 complete investigation, by a committee composed of one from each State. 

 This was granted, and the following committee of investigation appointed : 

 McDowell of Tennessee, Allen of New York, Demming of Pennsylvania, 

 Mitchell of Maryland, Beverley of Virginia, Vance of North Carolina, 

 Latimer of South Carolina, Wright of Georgia, Hine of Florida, Bone of 

 Alabama, Burkett of Mississippi, Adams of Louisiana, Jones of Texas, 

 Barker of Arkansas, McGrath of Kansas, Hall of Missouri, Winn of 

 Kentucky, Crum of Illinois, Force of Indiana, Howe of Michigan, Hous- 

 ton of West Virginia, Vestal of California, Starr of Colorado, Stewart of 

 Indian Territory, Sanford of North Dakota, Van Doren of South Dakota. 



THIRD DAY. 



Report of State business agents read and referred to a specia 1 com- 

 mittee of five. 



Resolution by Sister B. F. Clover of Kansas adopted : 

 In view of the mountain of mortgage debt heaped upon our people 

 through the unjust financial system enacted during and since our unfor- 

 tunate civil strife, and the notorious unreliability of the United States 

 census concerning the amount of that indebtedness ; be it 



