The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-08-28
Cont. from page I, col. 8.
ODD FELLOWS SUPREME
COURT
BY B. ]. Davis, Chief Justice.

I, BY B. ]. Davis, Chief Justice.
1atiye and judicial, and that people
may always get their rights and. re
fceive the proper protection these
three branches are kept separate anc
distinct, one not encroaching upon the
rights of the other. Who would be.
lieve for moment that the members
of the S. c. NJ, whose duty it is tc
enforce the law, should be charged
with the responsibility of interpreting
the law. These men have to come .ur
every two years for election, and they
are human beings, and their decisions
will often be influenced and shaped
according to their political fortunes
Bro. Morris argument in favor of the
court was that it was impossible to
get a pure judicial decision approach
ing fairness and equity to all men,
so long as the decisions were rendered
by men who had to look after their
political fortunes. 1t is the opinion
F! of the civilized world that the judici-
airy, where rights and lives of men are
to be tried should be as far removed
from politics as possible. If this were
not true, in our government the presi-
dent and his cabinet would pass upon
all cases instead of the Supreme Court
and save the expense of providing a
great judiciary at cost of millions
a year. If it was hea1thful or helpful
for the cabinet to legislate and it was
consistent with civilization and pro-
lection of the rights of property and
life, there would be no need of Con-
gress, and another great item of ex-
pense would be cut off. Centaliza-
ton of power in the hands of one man
or few has always been dangerous
and inimical to the rights of the peo-
pie; then why should we centralize
all of our judicial and legislative pow
ers in the hands of a sub committee
of management, nine men,, who as a
rule are far below the average in in
telligence. Thus we show you the
necessity of a court, that is has a
place in our scheme of government,
that it is an essential and in keeping
with all civilized government.
2. If the court is not useful, if it
has not lived up to the expectations
of it's critics, the critics should be fair
and inquire the reason why. If the
volume of work has not been ample
for the pay received, let us see why
the court has not performed more
work. The law provides that no cases
can come to the court unless it is
handed it by the Grand Master or the
S. c. M. The court has tried every
cause handed it by the Grand Master
or the S. c. NJ The law provides that
within thirty days after a cause is
received the Grand Secretary shall
forward the same to the Chief Justice.
So you see the papers are not filed
with the clerk of the court or with the
chief justice, but with the S. c. NJ,
and if the Grand Master or. Grand
Secretary or S. c. NJ, elects, for ul
terror reasons, not to transmit any
causes for trial in the court, the court
can not perform its duties; and where
the, Grand Master is opposed to the
court for personal or other reasons
and Is willing to violate the law and
bring the court into disrepute, you
see how easy it is to keep the bust
ness from the court in order to dis
credit it.
In spite of the treatment the court
has received from the S. c. NJ, it has
written between seventy-five or one
hundred decisions, and have tried pos
sibly as many more cases without de-
cisions. This has been done in four
years. Now the S. c. NJ has been sit
ting for fifty years, and it has not
tried during the fifty years and ad-
Indicated more than two hundred
cases. Consult the book of decisions.
More than a hundred cases. could have
been tried by the court, had the COM
mittee been inclined to carry out the
law and not infringe upon the rights
of the court. The duties of the S. c.
M. are executive. Their duties are
most largely those Of a board of d.
rectors, but instead of combining them
sedves to its duties, it has tried many
judicitl questions, which should have 4
been tried by the court.
1t is in the experience of the chief
Justice that wherever members of the
sub committee had personal interest
N cases, they refused to let these i
cases go to court, for fear the court
would not try them in way pleas
ing to the interested member, and
thus the. court has been deprived OF
he work justly entitled to, for rea-
IONS Interior. How can the court fill
is highest function and reach its
highest usefulness, if the S. C. M. |
its work from it? How can
he court satisfactorily DISCHARGE ire