The evening world., 1888-06-01

Tue JURISDICTION OF which II exists AZ n Local Assem-
bly, OF the Knights Of Labor. The right of u. A. courts
TO hold trial and determine case. OF violation OF the
a w OF the order by local assemblies is established
ny law ana precedent. The law which gives to q
District Assembly Court the right to try local assem-
bites for infractions OF law will be found on page
1881, as follows:
l24. An assembly may and should he dealt with for any
s.s" @sIy to- to, w .GpasR L Seiob ,ss S By i BY t GSs; as Si ssS Rassa.
tive board. "'
THIS decision was made during the year 1873 and
was al approved at the session OF the General Assem-.
bly, held IN ~. Louis, Mo-, January, 1870. Since
then 1t has not been altered or amended and stands
District Assembly. Court the right TO Try local as
sembnes for violations OF law, ana the plea made
Jurisdiction over cases Of violation Of general law
Is not tenable. 1t Is furthermore held by Quinn
court on this particular case It would be regarded
as u recognition OF the authority OF the Court, that
u would be sinctioning the action OF the Court and
That In recognizing and sanctioning he would be
weaken,pg his appeal should he take one TO the
General Executive 30 ,rd.
In TINS view OF the case Quinn Is not sustained nv
law or precedent. lie might state lis objections
to the Court and give his reasons for objeuting, and
It they wereloyerruled by the Court 1t was mis- duty
to testify under protest. at the seine time serving
notice OF ais Intention 10 take an appeal to u higher
wrong. 1t does not follow that because the sec.
ton classes local, district, State or national trads
assemblies az equals IL their rsh, to trial ny tho
General Executive board. the same mode OF
procedure shall be valid in all cases.
To illustrate: II a state or National Trade AS
/ th'Nh hhhii NioluNt WV Jaw tWt Nhrt WuHt RD
direct TO the General Executive Board as the nrst
court OF record. II u District Assembly attached
To u state Assembly or q Local Assembly attached
TO a District Assembly shall violate the law the
charges must first be suhiec: TO trial before the
Assembly Ia attached before being tried by the
General Executive ,Board; said District or Local
Assembly shall Tor % wllfully or knowingly violat-
ing the law OF the order on conviction by the Gem
erai Executive Board he suspended or have its
charter revoked by the General Master Workman"
1t does not appear that In summonlng Quinn be-
fore the ID. A. court he was SUNNI 1ned IA ID. NJ.
W, but u Ia clearly stated that he was summoned
When an officer OF the knights OF Labor, whether
District, STATE, Nationa', Trade or General Master
Workman. Is summoned and appears before a
Court Of the order AZ n member ne stands there
vested with no power other than that which may
he exercised by the member OF the Local Al, embiy
who mods no ONCE IN the order. II, DUR x trial,
he Is questioned In such a way as to elicit informa-
ton which would injure him in the community In
member, he is accorded such privileges az are al
owed The witness before the civil courts Of the
land.
The plea that a d. A.. Court cannot try cases OF
violation OF the general laws OF the order will not
tuition adopted at the General Assembly together
with the A. X, constitute The general law OF the
order, the only difference being that certain por-
visions of the order. All law passed by the Cen
eral Assembly Is general law; Insomuch as the
erred:
fir;t.In not giving his testimony. even though
S%econd-ln basinV his action on an interpretatio on
OF Section a46 to which II is mot entitled.
upon the d. Nj. W.. gives him the right to decide
cases In the hands OF the d. 4. Court.
or the latter l am not positive and do not know
mi fh sp funs sR'a'Sa q me ne' D.. n. wynn W.. are the same with
held by the General Master Workman in relation
to the general order and the General Executive
tive. He executes the law and decides points OF
law as they come to HIM properly signed and sealed
II q dispute arises concerning the meaning OF q
term In law, or II an assembly wilfully violates the
law in such a way as to leave no doubt as to guilt.
| points OF law. but does not decide cases placed in
the handS OF The ID. A: Court and on which charges
to give evidence as to how the law was violated
the u. NJ. W.: has no Jurisdiction nor right to cit
the functions OF the Court, which are Judicial in
The d. NJ. W. may interpret law, but he cannot
enact law. The enacting OF law for the d. A. rests
with the District Assembly, which Ia Legislative in
It's character and is neither executive nor Judicial.
II therefore follows that when standing IN the
presence OF Inc ID. A. Court as a witness he was
not acting as D. NJ, W. and mad no right TO decide
as TO the legality Of the Court or Its night to ques-
ton witnesses as 10 their knowledge Of the case be-
fore the Court.
CONCERNING THE COURT.
When the Court of d. A. ~ suspended James L.
one month. it had the right to certify that fact to
the said Local Assembly 2,2aI, in wiring. Having
nOtlntu 4. A. =, Z3 tHdt " ndu HhsNcu sentence OI
suspension upon Quinn, the Court OF ID. A. 40 mad
no further Iight 10 interfere in the case until the
notice of suspension. In me matter Of suspending
q memoer on direction OF a ID. A. Court the
Local assembly has no right 70 refuse to comply
with the mandate OF the said Court. The law.
as given In Section lis' says; The Local
exists in The Local Assembly, that body may take
an appeal 10 a higher court ami NOTIFY the ID. A.
Court of the fact at the time the appeal Is taken.
The right OF appeal shall not be denied. and until
the appeal Is d clded by the higher Court, the SEN
fence snail be stayed. II the sentence is carried
e~quitably by the accused, for 1t may be that the
higher Court snail reverse the decision OF tine Il. A.
Court. In tnat case no action that can be taken by
any tribunal can undo the wrong done to The de-
iendant In lnnicting n penalty during the time an
+! appeal against II Is pending before the Court OF
last resort.
While the l. A. is in duty bound to carry out the
low that II snail be done immediately on notincation
received from the regular onicer OF the d. A. Court.
a reasonab E time snail be allowed the local Assem-
bly, to prepare LIS appeal. Undue haste must not be
exercised In carrying out the sentence. lftne.L. A,
instead OF giving notice OF an appeal, shall
Ignore the decision of the d.. A. Court, and
refuse to lnnlct the penalty or give notice
d. A. Court 10 meet and take action on the Local
Assembly, which shall then be suspended for in
subordlna,ion. When the ID. A. Court shall suspend
a Local Assembly for any cause 1t shall certify Its
findings to the District Assembly and the District
Assembly shall execute the penalty by recording
Inc Local Assembly as beng under the ban OF sus-
pension.
The District Assembly Court erred in reporting
It's indings TO the District Assembly Ia the case of
James L. Quinn. The testimony shows that the
meeting oil the d. A. Court al which Quinn APP
peaIed, anu nj which he refused to testify, was |
nelI on May N. On that same date l. A. 2,23I was
IN session ana was notified OF the action OF the
ID. A. Court, but did not take action on the notice, |
either in the direction OF complying with the man
date OF the Court or OF taking an appeal to the
General Executive Board.
Pending action at the hands OF l.. A. 2,aS4, the
Court of the ID. A., al a meeting OF that body held
on sunday, May ~, two days after the finding OF
the Court and before Quinn was onicially notified
Of the action that had been taken, certified TO Dls-
t1ct Assembly 40, In open session, that Quinn mad
been suspended from active membership Tor one
month. In taking such action the Il. A. Court
exceeded It's authority and encTodched upon the
prerORatives OF the local assembly, which mad Its
de egAtes upon the noor TO report what the action