The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-07-25

Widely known among miners as Mother
Jones, whom Judge Jackson yesterday re-
fused TO sentence after he had declared
her guilty OF contempt of court. because
he said she was trying to pose as q
martyr.
OF an arbitrary power by the courts Of
the country. or is II a power that has been
recognized from a very early date as enc
OF the branches of administrative justice?
'I answer this question by affirming that
the ordinary use OF the writ OF Injunction
is to prevent wrongs and injuries to persons
and their property. or to reinstate the rights
of persons to their property when they
have been deprived OF 1t It IS the most
efficient II not the only remedy to stay
irreparable injury and to punish those who
disobey the order OF court granting the
writ.
Right to Strike II Maintained
IT do not question the right Of employees
Of this company to quit work at any time
they desire to do So unless there Is a con-
tract relation between them and the en-
ployer, which should control their right to
quit. At the same time I do not recognize
the right OF an employer to coerce the en-
ployes to continue their work when they
desire to quit.
while 1 recognize the right Of all labor
ers to combine for the purpose Of protect
ing all their lawful rights, do not recog-
nize the right OF laborers to conspire to-
gether to compel employees who are not dis
satisfied with their work In the mines to lay
down their picks and to quit their work,
without q Just or proper reason therefor.
merely to crafty professional set Of 'ag-
itators, organizers and walking deleGates,'
who roam all over the country as agents
for some combination: who are vampires
that live and fatten on the honest labor OF
the coal miners Of the country, and who
are busybodies, creating dissatisfaction
among a class Of people who are quiet, well
disposed. and who DO not want to be dis
turbed by the unceasing agitation of this
class Of people.
Scores ProfessionaI AEitators.
'In the case we have under consideration
these defendants are known as professional
agitators, organizers and walking delegates
They have nothing in common with the
people who are employed in the mines OF
the Clarksburg Fuel Company.
THE strong arm of the court of equity
Is invoked in this case. not to suppress the
right of free speech. but to restrain and IN
hibit these defendants. whose only purpose
is to bring about strikes by trying to coerce
people who are not dissatisfied with the
terms of their employment, which results in
infiicting injury and damage TO their en-
ployers well as the employees.
The right of a citizen to labor for wages
that he is satisfied with is a right protected
by law and is entitled to the same protec-
ton as free speech and should be better
protected than the abuse OF free speech IN
which the organizers and agitators indulge
in trying TO produce strikes
The court then referred to Mother
Joness speech near the Kinnickinnnick
Mines. saying her utterances were the out
growth of the utterances Of those who be-
lieved in communism and anarchy
"Mother' Jones and the Judge.
''The evidence showed that Mother Jones
had called the miners slaves and said she
did not care anything for injunction; that
It was duty to urge the men at work to
lay down their tools and advise the men
TO strike; that the Judge was hireling Of
the coal company and the local coal oper-
ators were all robbers. She said in her
speech to pay no attention to Judge Jack
son or to the court, but just make the min
ers lay down their tools and come out.
1T is true" said the court, that Mother
Jones denied some Of the statements of
the witnesses. but her denial was not posi-
1--WE, Dut eQulVOcal
The court. after reciting other acts in
violation of the Injunction. concluded with:
Il reach the conclusion that the defend
ants in this case who were served with no.
tice of this injunction have violated IT and
have treated with contempt the order Of this
court"
Woman sEPoses as q Martyr
Judge Jackson suspended Judgment in the
case of Mother Jones for contempt He
stated that she had been found guilty Of
contempt. but as she was posing as a mar
tyr, he would not send her TO jail or allow
her TO force her way into JAN" He said
he would hold conviction over her and II she
again violated the Injunction he would SEN
tence her heavily.
Thomas Haggerty got ninety days and
five others got sixty days each in the Par
kersburg jail.
The Hungarians who claimed they had
not understood the injunction were released
upon the promise not to violate It again.
| The Austro-Hungarian Consul at New York
was here 70 represent them. Including some
arrested later there were twenty-four Hun
! sariRns released In the same manner.