The circular then recites the reasons which
have compelled this serious action, and which
are that the general offices have organized a
conspiracy to enable them to hold on to the
salaried offices which they use for selfish pur
posis; that they have misappropriated the
money of the order to pay favored
persons, “general lecturers,” “general organ
izers, ” etc., extravagant sums for useless ser
vices; that the district or local assemblies
known to be hostile to the plans of the conspir
ators have been suspended or expelled; that
the records of the general office have been fixed
or d' ctored to admit or rule out, as the case
might be, the general assembly representatives
that extravagant hotel bills have been con
tracted ; that the funds of the order have been
donated and loaned to the officers and their
families; that the constitution lias been alter
ed in an illegal manner; that it has been tam
pered with ; and measures inimical to the in
terests of the ordoijat large have been railroad
ed into what is called “law” ; that war has
been waged by the administration
ring against the trades union and trades dis
trict, that the motto of the ring lias been:
“Down with the trades districts, exterminate
the trad's union.” This, in spite of our obli
gation to extend a helping hand to all branches
of honor.ible toil, and that, finally, as a result
of this blundering wishy-washy incompetent
and stupidly arbitrary policy, the membership
of the order has decreased 217,924
members in one year. The circular then re
quests all loca.land district assemblies in accord
with the above declaration, or desirous of in
formal ion, to address Charles F. Seibe, secre
tary of the provisional committee.
