The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-14

A. n. L. Leader Sent to Jail for Six
Months.

IOntnSs
CINCINNATI, July 13.-Judge w. II. Taft,
of the United States Circuit Court, delivered
his decision to-day in the case of f. w.
Pheian, charged with contempt of this
court in impeding and obstructing the re-
ceiver Of the Cincinnati Southern road, ap-
pointed by this court. in the management
and operation Of his road by directing and
melting the employees to leave his employ.
and by interfering with the business of
other roads with which the Southern road
sas business. The court room was crowded
and large numbers were in the corridors.
Many deputy marshals were in and about
the court room. but their presence was not
needed, as the utmost decorum was OBJ
served. The decision was very long. re-
quiring a full hour to read it,.
The Judge reviewed at great length the
testimony which, he declared, showed I'M
fnistakably that Phelan came here as the
agent and co-worker with Debs TO institute
and direct a boycott determined On by the
convention of the A. Il. L.. TO force the
railroads TO break their contracts with the
Pullman company in order to compel the
latter to treat with its employees who. it
appears are not eligible to membership in
the "A. X. L. Phelan's denial Of personal
agency had no weight with the court, ow-
ing 20 the evssive and flip
and in the face of the kilograms
passing between MIN and Debs. as well as
Ills pubic utlcldlceS- He Knew the Cincln-
natl Southern road was in the hands OF a
receiver, and yet his first efforts were d.
rected against IL. The court found that he
was the active agent here in an Unlawful
conspiracy with Debs and others TO para
lyze the business OF the United States, or,
III other words, TO starve the Nation in or
der TO force an employer into terms.
The employees of the receiver had the
right 10 Join a labor union which should
n r1ae 1o1nt acton e as TO their terms OF EN-,
the public that laborers should unite in
their common interest and for lawful pur-
poses. But this combination was unlawful.
II was a boycott. The employees of the
railway companies had no grievance
against their employers. Handling and
service any more burdensome. They had
no complaint against the use of Pullman
relation with Pullman in handling the
cars. He paid them no wages. He did not
regulate their hours or in any way deter
mine their service. Simply to injure him
In MS business they were melted and en-
couraged to compel the railway COM
penies 70 withdraw custom from him by
threats Of quitting their service. and
actually quitting their service.
The distinction between an ordinary
lawful and Deaceable strike entered upon
To obtain concessions In the terms of the
strikers employment and a boycott is not
power of fine distinction to determine
which is which. Every laboring man
recognizes the one or the other as quickly
as the lawyer or the Judge. The combina-
ton under discussion was a boycott. 1t
was 81 lcTIutu DN GtDS. Gneldn and all
engaged in IL. Boycotts, though unaccom-
panied by violence or intimidation, have
been pronounced unlawful i'm every State
or the United States where the question
has arisen unless IL be in Minnesota, and
they are held to be Unlawful in England.
But the illegal character of this COM
b~ination. viii Debs at its head and Phe-
Ian as an associate. does not depend alone
on the general law of boycotts. The gil
gantic character OF the conspiracy of the
American Railway Union ~staggers the
imagination. The railroads have become as
necessary TO life and health and comfort
or the people of this country as are the
arteries i'm the human body. and yet Debs
and Pheian and their associates proposed
by melting the employees of all the rail-
ways in the country to suddenly quit their
service without any dissatisfaction with
the Terms of their own employment to
paralyZe utterly all the traffic by which
the people live, and IN this way to COM
bel Pullman. for whose acts neither the
public nor the railway companies are in
The slightest degree responsible. and over
whose acts they can lawfully exercise no
control. TO pay more wages To his en-
ployeS.
The judge having found Phelan guilty as
chdtS6u, said. IN reference TO the SEN
tence that il was the duty of the court 10
enforce obedience TO its orders. To do
otherwise would court anarchy. The pen
atty for contempt. aggravated as this was,
by a renewal of the contempt after warn
ing. should be sufficient to enforce COM
piiance with the orders of the circuit. The
sentence was confinement for six months
In the Warren county jail. at Lebanon. o.,
and the marshal Vas directed TO iunme-
Ian was taken on the , O'Clock train "a
Lebanon by two deputy marshals.
At an immense meeting of strikers to-
night the chairman refused 10 permit any
speeches except his own. He cOunseied pa
thence and GOODNESS. y resolution was
passed TO send an enormous petition to
President Cleveland to remit or greatly
mitigate Phelan's sentence.