The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-30
LABOR ! UNION / PUNlsl
A Chicago Judge Fines Press &
ers $1,000.
GUILTY OF CONTEMPT OF -coUa

Judge Holoom In Hm Dechsion HoAus -
!: Union Responsible For Violating q
Injunction by Acts Of violence - IN
Decision is the First Of Its Kind Eer
dered in This Country.
Chicago.-For illegal acts as co
porate body $1,000 fine was impes
upon Franklin Union No. a, Pre-
Feeders, by Judge HoIdom. The COT
found the union guilty Of conten
of court for violating an injunche
restraining it7as, an .organizat lion fro1
interfering with the business Of em
ployes Of ten printing firms, members
Of the Chicago Typothetae. an imme
'diate appeal was taken from the ac
tion. y
. Judge HoIdom,s action creates a pret
edent, 1t being the first time in the hisfN
tory OF trades unionism In this eoun-
try that court has fpPed q union as g
corporation. 4, =, .-.-> x
Judge Holdom in his decision saffx,
@There is no reported case that have
been able to find Of q fine. having been
imposed upon labor union Probably
this is the reason that few Of them
are incorporated. !. It appearing that
Franklin Union MOI, as. a corporation
is liable to fine for violation Of the
Injunction In this case, 1T but remainsJ
for the determination as to- what theI
amount Of that fine shall be. Punish
ment.is meted out in accordance with
the gravity Of the ofense committed:
"The consequences of;yi0lation ofthe|
Injunction by the. union have been
many assaults ON innocent persona
seeking to work under contracts salts
factory to themselves and their eWj
pIoyers. a /. q IS. ~: :.i,p
"There has been no discriminatio}
between the sexes. Women have beej
assaulted and terrorized and followed
to their homes and their families Id
timidated. & Murder has even resulte
from the unlawfuf acts of the unie
and its striking members.
/ From affldayits in, evidence In tn
case it appears that more than 6fs9
people have been, since the inceptony
|. of the difficulties set forth in tie, bill,
assaulted, intimidatG, called oppros
bious epithets, and threatened with
harm simply because they worked I'M
place voluntarily vacated BY mem
bers of Franklin Union No. a, all tt
alleged aggressors, with the excepdo
| Of John Mucher, being members OF th
union. 8
"John Mucher, condemned twice ID
assault and unla wfuT pickeung In co,
pany with members Of the union.
violation Of the Injunction. has bee
defended by the lawyer for the union.
1T would seem from the eVidend
| facts that the action Of the. union
the establishing of strike headquarte4
the payment Of strike benefits at I
| strike headquarters by the union Trea
urer with the union money, and
| fact that no discrimination was ma
| against the members of the uni61
known to be guilty Of acts in theml
selves criminal, establish the union as
co-conspirator with it's offending mem.
bers, party and privy to the violations
of the injunction Of which some OF its3
/ members stand convicted. and there's
| fore guilty Of violation Of the fnjuncrI
| ton and amenable to- discipline forI
l:such violation providing it can be dis,
ciplined under the law. -
"Such warfare cannot, and win MOI
be tolerated by the courts ina land o.
peace, where people are governed gS
the law, and the law would be 'faexins.
in one Of it's most necessary attributed
If it was impotent to punish for snc4
violation. ;, ltass
"The court is impressed with th
utter impossibiiity in this particula
case Of attaining the ends Of iustics
by the imposition Of nominal fine
and that the duty resting upon the
court impels fine somewhat measured
by the gravity Of the offenses COM.
/ mittndn Ef. H.. :, :! - .