ion and to their characters as officers
and members of the V. C.

First--The Postponement of the Convention--It is claimed that these
men had nothing to do with it--that it was entirely the work of the
organization. Here are the facts:

Those who were delegates to the Philadelphia National Convention
will remember, that the subject was first mooted there _at the
request of the three members of the F. C. in question_, in a caucus
of members of the V. C. It was proposed by a member of D. II, and
seconded by a member of D. I, and passed as a recommendation to the
D's that they favor a change in the constitution, by which each
district should elect delegates in proportion to membership to the
National Convention. It was recommended in that form to the F. C.
for promulgation to the D's. When promulgated it had undergone a
remarkable change, by which each district was allowed two
delegates, irrespective of membership. This would give a district,
having then less than 100 members in good standing, the same
representation as others having 1,500 members.

The proposition of the F. C. was passed in some D's, with an
amendment providing for representation according to membership, and
a request that the amendment be submitted to all D's. The reply of
the F. C. was that there was no time to do so, and yet about a year
elapsed before the convention was held. Thus they secured a
postponement of the convention under pretense of submitting a
constitutional question to the D's, but so altered the question
itself as to deprive large districts of representation in
proportion to their membership, reducing the number of delegates to
the convention, thereby making the work of manipulation easier.
Thus, you see, the proposition originated with the F. C. was
supported by them in caucus, and they voted and worked for its
passage, and yet they tell you they had nothing to do with it,
"that it was the work of the organization."

This was the first part of the program by which they sought to
deceive and hoodwink the organization, escape a proper accounting
of their trusts, and secure a continuance in office. Let us now
examine the second part of the program, or farce, played at Boston.

The Convention--Notwithstanding the long delay and the evidence of
elaborate