The record-union., 1897-11-13
Himself and Others Relieved Of Office by
the General Assembly.
Henry A. Hicks Of New York City
Chosen as the Head of the Order
in the United States-Sovereign
Delivers His Annual Address,
Principally Devoted to an At
tack on the Mine Owners Of the
Strike District.

LOUISVILLE, Nov. 12-James r.
Sovereign, who has been General Mas
ter Workman of the Knights of Labor
for the past four years or more, was
this afternoon relieved of his office by
the General Assembly, which has oeen
IN session in this city since Monday
last. Under ordinary conditions, Mr..
Sovereign's term of Office would not
expire until the next meeting This,
however, it is said, makes no differ
ence with the order, whose general
officers during a meeting, are always
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 meeting, viz: 7. B. Mcclure,
General Worthy Foreman, of Amster-
dam, n. Y; Daniel Brown of Montana
and III. B. Martin of Minneapolis, of
the Executive Committee
Henry A. Hicks of District 253, New
York City, was chosen to fill Sover-
eign's place and I. D. Chamberlain of
Pueblo, Col, was selected as General
Of Montreal and Henry Bostock of AS
sembly 800, glass workers, were chcs-
en- as the two members of the Execu-
tive Board, the third member being An
drew Best
This decisive change in the corps Of
officers of the Knights of Labor will
cause considerable astonishment in Ia
Dor circles throughout the country. Save
to those who were ION the inside" SO
to speak, for the past three months,
there was absolutely nothing Of this
known. 1t is said, though, that al
though the change was sudden and
totally unlocked for, it was done with
the amicable consent of ALL At head
quarters it is hinted that it had been
prearranged before the delegates gath
cred in this city for the general assem-
bly,.
On good authority it is learned that
it was Mr.. Soyereign's most hearty ap-
proval that he step down and out. 1t
is likewise with the appreciation and,
in fact, love of his brethren of the ord
er 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
Workman-elect, was seen after the
meeting. He said that he did not in
tend to outline the future policy of the
order under his administration for sew
eral days yet. He expressed the high
est admiration for his predecessor, say
ing that he thought him one of the
greatest exponents of the age of the
prime idea represented by the knights
of Labor.
I. D. Chamberlain, the Worthy Fore
man-elect. is newspaper man.
All the business transacted ar to-
days meeting went through in the most
amicable manner possible There was
not the slightest hitch. In the morn
ing session the remnant of the routine
business which had been left over was
disposed of. The afternoon session
was principally taken up with the de-
livery of Mr.. Sovereign's annual ad-
dress, which was listened to by the DEL
egates with the greatest attention and
greeted with applause.
Mr.. Sovereign prefaced his Address
with the statement that the opening of
TINS regular session of the General AS
sembiy presents to the world the "sane
undismayed membership, through
whose fortitude and courage the snirjt
or progress combats greed and ayarice
and defies the cant and hypocrisy of the
age. The order, he said was TODAY
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 it's deliberations largely to the
work of organization.
Mr.. Sovereign then took as his theme
the great miners strike, in which he
said the knights had large member
ship directly involved. He said in part;
That great struggle was a test be-
tween underpaid, half lf-starved labor and
arrogant, greedy coal barons. 1t was
strike born 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
shotgun policy of the corporations and
the despicable court injunctions.
'.The armed thugs were 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 express
sions of anarchy ever uttered in this
country. But anarchy in judicial robe
is no more respectable than anarchy in
rags. A Judge who will suppress peace
able public assemblage is no less a
traitor than was Benedict Arnold, and
the citizen who will resist such an in
junction is no less patriot than were
the signers of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence or the heroes of Valley Forge.
"And il it ever comes to contest be-
tween constitutional liberty and court
iniunctions. 1 would prefer to wrap my
self 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 organizations,
and was the greatest struggle of the
kind ever known in America, to the
credit of labor it can be said that there