The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-07-26
IT IS An OUTRAGE
ORGANIZERS OF MINE WORKERS IN
PRISON FOR CONTEMPT.
Judge jackson, Of United states Cir
cult Court, Passes Sentence-Fears
to Sentonee "Mother" Jones-
President Mitchell says Decision
''Imperils the Rights Of All Amer
leans in the Courts"

has held Mother" Jones and seven other
organizers and officials of the United
Mine workers guilty Of contempt Of court
in violating his injunction of June 10,
prohibiting them from making inflam.
matory speeches." and has imposed a
sentence of from thirty to ninety days
upon all, with the exception of Mother"
Jones.
The injunction in question, which
Judge jackson issued, is directed at the
right of free speech. It is a deadlier
blow at American liberty and the rights
of the masses of the people than has
been struck for long time 1t is an
outrage which cannot butt make the blood
of every working man boil with indig-
nation.
Trade unionists know President John
Mitchell, of the United Mine workers.
They know him by reputation all over
the land. They know that he has COM
PEELED even those on the capitalistic side
to acknowledge that he is cool-headed,
conservative, brainy and far-seeing. He
is not given to loud talk or extravagant
assertions. Yet President Mitchell says
of the Jackson decision:
1T imperils the rights Of all Ameri-
cans in the courts.''
1t takes something Of more than ordin-
airy significance to draw from President
Mitchell such an accusation against one
OF the highest tribunals of justice in the
United States. Even now the statement
is dignified, and quiet, but for that very
reason it carries all the more force with
thinking men.
''The rights of all Americans in the
courts is imperiled by what? Trades
unions? Strikes? Organized labor?
Boycotts? Oh, no! BY the action. of. a
man chosen to meet out justice from the
bench Of the United States Circuit court,
which is next to the Supreme court itself
the highest court Of justice in the coun-
try.
In the case of Mother" Jones, the
judge suspended contempt. In doing
so he said that she had been found guilty
of contempt, ''but as she was posing as
martyr, he would not send her to Jail
or allow her to force her way into JAIL"
No more insulting message to organized
labor could have been given out than
that comment on the case of Mother"
Jones, coming after his action on her
case. If she were guilty, she deserved
punishment just as much as the others.
But, because, forsooth, she is we'll known
among organized labor circles, and her
Imprisonment would call attention to the
monstrous injustice of this ermined an
archist, he sneeringly remarks that he
will not allow her to ''pose as a martyr"
and turns her loose.
But, by the same token, if Mother
Jones has any claim to pose as a martyr,
so%has every other individual imprisoned
by THU; petty tyrant. And while they
may be more obscure, they are none the
less the representative of the organized
working class, and Judge jackson may
find that their imprisonment, under his
infamous order, will be just as quickly
and effectively resented, and will be re-
membered just as long by the working
people as would the imprisonment of
Mother" Jones.
The truth is, this Judge is a coward,
& PATRON, who did not dare to carry
out his own infamous decree. He lacked
the courage to do his own dirty work,
when he thought that it might arouse
the working people of the entire country
Il anyone doubts that this usurper OF
power and enemy of the right of free
speech is a dastardly coward, listen to
this from the capitalistie press:.''l>.
1T is currently reported that the
house of Judge Jackson had been guarded
for several nights, and that guards were
in the court room"
Yet this is the man who metes out
justice. He fears that the common PEG.
pie, the workingmen, will respond to his
anarchistic abuse of power with resort
in the same spirit to force. He judges
others by himself He fears the people.
BY the same sign, lie feared to imprison
Mother" Jones, and his talk about "pos-
ing as a martyr" was the basest of
hypocracy, and the laboring people every
where will recognize it as such.
Secretary w. r. Wilson, of the United
Mine workers, is also to be arrested for
violating the injunction, because he
talked in violation of Judge Jackson's
order.
The case will be taken to the higher
courts, and up to the Supreme court.
Moreover, it will be laid before president
Roosevelt, and he will be urged to in
tervene. 1t is quite safe to predict that
President Roosevelt will mot see his
way clear to interfere with the judicial
branch of the government" And there
you are!
Habeas corpus proceedings have al
ready been begun for the release of the
imprisoned men, and it is hoped that
they will be successful. But meanwhile
they will be in JAIL and all the restitu-
ton which can ever be made to them,
if Judge Jackson is finally overruled by
the Court of Appeals, can never wipe
out the injustice under which they have
suffered.
In rendering his opinion Judge Jack
son gave this refreshing epitome of his
opinion Of labor organizations and their
"While 1 recognize the right of all
laborers to combine for the purpose of
protecting all their lawful rights, do
not recognize the right Of laborers to
eonspire together to compel employees.
who are not dissatisfied with their work
in the mines to lay down their picks and
to quit their work without a just or
-