Page:Platform and Constitution of the Socialist Labor Party of the United States of America (1896).pdf/5

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ing the investigation, shall be delivered to the Secretary for safe keeping. The Secretary shall inform the accused in writing of such decision.

All decisions of the Section may be appealed from to the National Board of Appeals.

10. A majority of two-thirds of the members present at any business meeting shall be sufficient to expel any member; a simple majority shall be sufficient to suspend.

11. No expelled or suspended member shall he accorded the privileges of a member of the Party by any Branch, or Section, or by any City, State or National Committee unless the bar of expulsion or suspension has been removed by the Section expelling or suspending him, or by the National Board of Appeals.

12. Each Section shall hold a regular business meeting at least once a month.

13. In any Section which is divided into two or more branches; all local business of the Section and dealings with the Party's national and State Management shall be carried on by a Central Committee.

14. Members who have withheld payment of their dues for more than three months shall be suspended from all rights until they have fulfilled their obligations.

15. Sick or unemployed members will be excused from payment of dues.

16. The result of every election within the Section must be communicated at once to the National Executive Committee and to the Stale Committee.

17. In case of dissolution of any Section, all property of the same must be delivered to the National Executive Committee.

18. No Section shall enter into any compromise with any other political party.

III. STATE ORGANIZATION.

1. Whenever there are three Sections in any one State, in three different towns, they shall form a State Organization, to be known as the State Committee. It shall be the duty of such State Committee to conduct systematic agitation within its jurisdiction and form new Sections.

2. Every Section connected with a State Committee must also be connected with the National Executive Committee.

3. The State Committee shall send regular semi-annual reports to the National Executive Committee, and submit monthly a financial report showing receipts and expenditures.

4. In the election of a State Committee and its recall, the same rules shall hold good that govern the National Executive Committee.

5. The State organizations shall have power to make regulations governing their form of organization in accordance with the laws of their respective States, provided such regulations do not conflict with the Party's national Constitution and Platform.

IV. NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

1. The National Executive Committee shall be composed of seven members, to be elected by a general vote of the Section or Sections of the place selected as the seat of the same. The Committee shall elect from its members a Recording Secretary and a Treasurer.

The said Section or Sections shall elect the National Secretary, who shall also act as secretary for foreign affairs. He shall be a member of the Executive Committee, but with an advisory voice only.

It is the right and duty of the said Section or Sections to suspend any member of the National Executive Committee, including the National Secretary, who may be guilty of any neglect of duty; to, elect a temporary successor in place of such suspended member, and to submit such action with the reasons therefor to a general vote of the Party.