The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-13
Henry A. Hicks, of New York, Elected
General Master Workman of
the Organization.
NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CHANGES UNEXPECTED, BUT MADE
WITHOUT FRICTION, 1T is SAID.
Government by Injunction" Bitterly
Attacked by the Retiring General
Master in His Address.

A|OOlO NOV. lZ.-JdmoS h. SOV-
ereign, who has been general master work.
man of the knights of Labor for the past
four years or more and who, before and
during that time has been one of the ablest
champions of the order and it's doctrines,
was, this afternoon, relieved of his office by
the General Assembly, which has been in
session. in this city since Monday last. I'm
der ordinary conditions Mr.. Sovereign's
term of Office would not expire until the
next meeting. This, however, it is said,
makes no difference with the order, whose
general officers during meeting are al
ways in the 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
this special election, namely. MCGUIRE, gen.
eral worthy foreman, of Amsterdam, N. Y;
Daniel Brown, of Montana and H. B. Mar
tin, of Minnesota, members of the executive
committee.
Henry A. Hicks, of New York, District
253, New York city, was chosen to fill Mr..
Sovereigns place, and /. d. Chamberlain,
of Pueblo, Col, was selected as general
worthy foreman. Sarsfield Fitzpatrick, of
Montreal, and Henry Bostock, of Assembly
300, glass workers, were chosen as the two
members of the executive board, the third
member being Andrew d. Best
This very decided change in the corps of
general officers of the Knights of Labor
will cause considerable astonishment in
labor circles throughout the country Save
to those who were on the inside" so to
speak, for the past three months, there was
absolutely nothing of this known. 1t is
said though the change was sudden and
totally unlocked for, it was done with the
amicable consent of all. In some quarters
it is hinted that it had been prearranged
before the delegates gathered in this city
for the General Assembly. On good authori-
ty it is learned that it was with Mr.. Sover-
eign's most hearty approval that he steps
down and out. 1t is likewise with the ap-
probation and in fact love of his brethren
of the order that this is done. The same
holds good with the other officers who were
relieved. Mr.. Sovereign stated tonight that
he wished retirement. He wanted rest from
the labor which the office entailed upon him.
Henry A. Hicks, the general master work
man-elect, was seen after the meeting. He
said that he did not intend to outline the
future policy of the order under his admins
tration for several days yet. He expressed
the highest admiration for his predecessor,
saying that he thought him one of the
greatest exponents of the age of the prime
idea represented by the knights of Labor.
/. d. Chamberlain, the worthy foreman
elect, is newspaper man.
All the business transacted at to-day's
meeting went through in the most amicable
manner possible There was not the Slight
est hitch and perfect brotherhood prevailed.
In the morning session the remnant of the
routine business which had been left over
was disposed of.
SOvEREIGN'S ADDRESS.
The afternoon session was principally
taken up with the delivery of Mr.. Sover-
eigns annual address, which was listened
to by the delegates with the greatest in
terest and greeted with enthusiasm.
Mr.. Sovereign prefaced his address with
the statement that the opening of this
regular session of the General Assembly
presents to the world the same undsmayed
membership through whose fortitude and
courage the spirit of progress combats
greed and avarice and defies the cant and
hypocrisy of the age" He then dwelt brief
ly on the triumph of the principles of the
order, saying that it had survived the
crimes of it's traitors and prospered i'll spite
of the contumely of its enemies. The order,
he said, was to-day stronger in membership,
stronger in character and stronger in the
hearts of the people than it was year ago.
He recommended that this session confine
its deliberations largely to the work of or
put in operation which will insure the serv-
ice of the largest possible number of eX-
perienced and efficient organizers in isolated
and unorganized fields. The work of whole
sale reform in the labor field, he contended,
is retarded through the coercion and cor
ruption of the poor by the holders of idle
capital, who dominate the press and de-
bauch the politics of the country, while the
courts apply the arrogant lash of despotism
in the form of injunctions against the free
dom of speech and peaceable assemblage of
the conference
said, was a united labor protest against the
most fragrant outrages ever committed
against civil liberty in this country 1t was
the vox populi of an outraged Nation thun-
dering against the pomp and arrogance of
returning despotism and since that time
free speech had not been suppressed by
court injunctions.
Mr.. Sovereign then took as his theme the
great miners strike in which he said the
involved. He said, in part THE great
struggle was a test between underpaid
half-starved labor and arrogant, greedy
coal barOnS. 1t was a strike horn of hunger
and necessity and appealed to all the higher
impulses of humanity. On the side of the
strikers stood the charity and philanthropy
OF the world beckoning onward the slaves
of the mines; on the other hand. the shot
gun policy of the corporations and the des-
picable court lnjunctionS. The armed thugs
We're more tolerable than the restraining
orders of the courts. The injunctions sought
to give the air of official sanction and the
color of judicial dignity to the vilest ex-
country. But anarchy in judicial robe is no
more respectable than anarchy in rags; a
judge who will suppress peaceable public
aSSemblage is no less q traitor to this coun-
try than was Benedict Arnold, and the
citizen who will resist such an injunction is
no less a patriot than were the signers of
the Declaration of Independence or the he
roes of Valley Forge. And if il ever comes
to a contest between constitutional liberty
and court injunctions, ] would prefer TO
wrap myself in the flag of my country and
tear down the courts in defense of the Con-
stitution rather than to dishOnor the flag
and tear down the Constitution in defense
of the courts. While this great strike was
supported by all recognized labor organiza-
tions and was the greatest struggle of the
kind ever known in America, to the credit
of labor it can be said that there was no
lawlessness or riot committed by the strik-
ers."
Mr.. Sovereign's reference 10 the Hazelton
affair was brevity itself He simply said
that il was "a cold -booded murder of in
offensive Hungarian miners by the sheriff"
whom he characterized as an agent of en-
ployng corporations. Mr.. Sovereign con-
cluded by saying that the most gratifying
result of the national labor conferences
held during the past year was demonstrated
in the ability of the organized labor forces
TO rise above selfishness and jealousy and
unite for the common good of all.
After the annual address, the change In
officers took place. The old officers were
relieved and the new ones elected and i'm
stalled Mr.. Sovereign's name was the first