The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-13
SOVEREIGN SUCCEEDED.
The Knights Of Labor Leader Re-
tired From Leadership.
SUCCEEDED BY HENRY A HICKS,
General Worthy Foreman Mcguire
and Two Members of the Executive
Committee Also Retire-Mr. Soy
ereign Declined denomination,


Committee Also Retire-Mr. Soy
ereign Declined denomination,
ereign, who has been general master
workman of the Knights of Labor fol-
the past four years or more, was yes-
terday afternoon relieved of his office
by the general assembly, which has
been in session in this city since Mon
day last. Under ordinary conditions
Mr.. Sovereign's term of Office would not
expire until the next meeting. This,
however, 1t is said, makes no difference
with the order, whose general officers
during meeting are always in tho
hands of the assembly and can be
chosen and deposed at the will of the
majority. Along with Mr. Sovereign
there were three other officers retired
because of their special election, viz:
Il. B. Mcclure, general worthy fore
man, of Amsterdam, N. Y, and Daniel
Brown of Montana and II. B. Martin
of Minnesota, members of the execu-
tive committee.
Henry A. Hicks, of New York city,
was chosen to fill Mr.. Sovereigns place,
and I. d. Chamberlain, of Pueblo, Cal,
was selected as general worthy fore
man. Sarsfield Fitzpatrick, of Mon
treal, and Henry Bostock, of Assembly
800, glass workers, were chosen as the
temporary members of the executive
board, the third member being Andrew
d. Best.
Though the change was sudden and
totally unlocked for, it was done with
the amicabe consent of ALL In some
quarters it is hinted that it had been
prearranged before the delegates had
gathered in this city for the general
assembly. 1t was with Mr.. Sovereign's
most hearty approval that he steps
down and out. In fact he declined
denomination. The same holds good
with the officers who We're relieved. Mr..
Sovereign stated that he wished re-
trement. He wanted rest from the
labor which the office entailed upon
him.
In his annual address yesterday Mr..
Sovereign spoke very hopefully of the
future of the order. He said in part:
Mr.. Sovereign prefaced his address
with the statement that the opening OF
this regular session Of the general as
sembly presents to the world the same
undismayed membership through whose
fortitude and courage the spirit of
progress combats greed and avarice
and deties the cant and hypocrisy of
the age
The order he said, was tc.ay strong
eT in membership, stronger in character
and stronger in the hearts of the peo-
pie than 1t was year'ago. The work
of wholesale reform in the labor field,
he contended, is retarded through the
coercion and corruption of the poor BY
holders of Idle capital. who dominate
the press and debauch the politics of
the country. While the courts apply the
arrogant lash Of despotsm in the form
OF injunction against the freedom of
speech and peaceable assemDaee of
the poor. 'Fhe St. Louis conference"
he said, was a united labor protest
against the most fragrant outrages
ever committed against civil liberty in
this country"
tnNa nNaFg great Sat Saiaars" itihKG', In which he
said the Knights of Labor had a
large membership directly involved. He
said in part:
That great struggle was a test be-
tween underpaid, half starved labor
and arrogant, greedy coal barons. 1t
was a strike born of hunger and ne
cessty and appealed to all the higher
impulses of humanity. On the side of
the strikers stood the charity and phi
lanthropy of the world beckOning on
ward the slaves of the mines. On the
other hand the shotgun policy of the
corporation and the deSpicahle court
injunctions. The armed thugs were
more tolerable than the restraining or
ders of the courts. Anarchy in judi
cial robe is no more respectable than
anarchy in rags A judge who will
suppress peaceable public assem-
blages is no less traitor to this coun-
try than was Benedict Arnold, and the
citizen who will resist such injunction
is no less patriot than were the sign
ers of the Declaration of Independence
or the heroes of Valley Forge. And If
it ever comes to a contest between
constitutional liberty and court in
functions l would prefer to wrap my
self in the flag of my country and tear
down the courts In defense of theN con-
stitution rather than to dishonor the
flag and tear down the constitution in
defense Of the courts
Mr.. Soveregn's reference to the Ha-
zleton affair was brevity itself He
simply said that it was "a cold blooded
murder of inoifonsive Hungarian min
ers by the sheriff of Hazleton," who he
characterized as an agent of employing
corporations.