The Jersey City news., 1901-06-03
STRIKERS SCORED.
Vice Chancellor Pitney's
Caustic Words in Pater-
son Case.
SWEEPING DECISION
Declares Those Who Wish to
Work Must Not Be
Annoyed.

! Annoyed.
The usual sombreness of the Court of
| Chancery was relieved this morning by
the presence of a number of brightly at
tired young women who occupied seats
in the body of the court room and took a
lively interest in the proceedings. They
were the young ladies who remained at
work in the Frank & Dugan silk mills at
Paterson wher a strike was declared
there. They have been subjected to as
saults, insults and other indignities at
the hands of the strikers, and they were
in court this morning to listen to the pro-
ceedings instituted by John Harding,
counsel for Frank & Dugan, to have GER
tain of the strikers punished for contempt
of court for violating an order made by
Vice Chancellor Pitney restraining them
from in any way interfering with the girls
who remained at work.
| This mornings proceedings were very
stormy at the start, the storm centre
being over the Vice Chancellor. The Court
was anxious to save time and asked
! William Hughes and James B. Blauvelt,
counsel for the strikers. what his side
admitted. 'fWe admit nothing" exclaimed
the opposition counsel in chorus.
Don't you admit that the restraining
order was served on any of these defen-
dants?" asked the Vice Chancellor.
mot properly served. No, SIR
'-See here, gentlemen, / want to say I
won't allow any fiiibustering here" said
the Vice Chancellor. The Court then di-
| of re
he had prepared as to service, and after
counsel had shown that six of the defen-
dants had been served the Court asked
| counsel for the defendants what they had
to say to that.
1--WE admit those men were served, "
calmly said the counsel. Then the storm
broke out The Vice Chancellor brought
his fist down with a bang and said
Counsel must not take up the time OF
! the Court like this What do you mean
by saying you admit service on none of
| the defendants and then after time has
been consumed in reading affidavits you
| acknowledge it is true"
| "Why should we admit it?'' coolly asked
Mr. Blauvelt.
| Because it's true, sir. 1t is true ex-
claimed the Vice Chancellor bringing his
gavel down with emphasis. The Vice
/ Chancellor then told the counsel for the
defence that he would consider the case
as though the restraining order was too
broad and had been modified and the de-
| PENDANTS had acted on the modified in
junction.
This quieted the atmosphere consider
ably and Mr. Harding then read affidavits
by Annie Turner and several other girls
showing that Clements Herald, John
Eagan, Harry Millerchip and others of
the strikers who had been served with the
restraining order, had interfered with
those who remained at work. They in
suited the girls, walked up to them and
sneering at them and calling the attention
of other people to them on the street.
The Vice Chancellor then asked the de-
fense what they had to say to this, and
Mr.. Blauvelt read affidavits from each of
the accused men generally denying that
they had done any of the things charged
against them.
s.You must deny these allegations spe-
cifcally," said the Vice Chancellor. II
won't take their judgment or the judg-
ment of these girls or the judgment of
Mr.. Dugan whether they maltreated these
girls want facts. Any disrespect shown
to these girls is a violation of the in
junction of this court"
Proceeding Mr.. Harding read an affi-
davit which set forth that Farrell had
said that no injunction could scare him
and that they would have the strikers
from another mill serenade and annoy the
girls.
"You can take an order to show cause
why Farrell should not be attached for
contempt of court
Then the Vice Chancellor delivered an
opinion in the case, which Attorney Gen
eral Grey and other eminent lawyers who
were in the court room declared to be a
sound and excellent dissertation on the
law governing such matters The funda-
mental principle of the law, he said. was
that any person had the right to work
for another person or not, as he chose,
but he had no right to keep another per-
son from working or making is disagree
able for the person who is willing to work
No person has the right to speak to an
other person without his consent. Com
mon politeness is the law of the land. A
person has the same rights on the street
as he has in his home. A person has the
=
all he is obliged to submit to is the or
dinary jostling incident to ordinary tarffic
This is right which even the Legislature
cannot modify.
THE rule of law" the Vice Chancellor
said SIS that an act must be so con
strued as not to interfere with private
rights. The right to influence man by
just argument and persuasion is conceded
but it must not be done without tha
mans consent You have no more righ
to accost him on the street against hi:
will than you have to invade his home
for that purpose. That is an invasion o.
his rights. A book agent has no right II
walk beside me on the street and annoy
me by urging me to buy a book / dom
want. So these girls are not to be accost
ed on the street, nor to- have faces maut
J at them, not to be pointed to others or il
any other way annoyed"
. The Vice Chancellor then took up tn,
question what had Frank & Dugan to dt
: with this case. He said their right de
: pended upon the law of master and ser
want, an important relation in this coun
| try upon which all society is based. II