The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-12-21
DOYCOTTING EEJOiNEO.
court Grants An Injunction Against
American Federation Of Labor.

American Federation Of Labor.
Washineron-In the case of the
Buck Stove 4 Range Company ut ST.
Louis against the American Fedora
tion of Labor involving the right Of
labor to boycott business houses which
labor organizations regarded as ''un
fair" to them. Justice Gould OF the
District of Columbia Equity Court
Tuesday granted a temporary injunc.
tion asked for by President Van
Cleave of the stove company 10 pro
hihit the federation from continuing
TO boycott the company. pending Il.
nal settlement OF the case.
The American Federation of Labor
is not only a defendant in this case,
but also President Gompers and Sec.
rotary Morrison, individually as well
as nine others of the executive coun-
Gil of the federation. and also The
ElectIotypers Molders' and Finish.
ers' Union No. II. together with Ger.
tain individuals comprising its officers
and executive board.
The Buck Stove & Range Company,
which runs an open shop, alleged that
the labor organization placed its name
on the unfair" and we don't patron
ize" lists in the labor publications.,
and that the boycott also was carried
on through thousands of circular let
ters to the companys customers and
the public generally. and by threaten
ing the company's customers with loss
of labor, patronage and usiness.
Mr.. Gompers Contendcd that the
unfair list had been in use almost
from the fedsration's organization;
/, .;r ,r,1,. inc l.,
discriminatiye treatment against or.
eanized labor. President Van Cleave
of the stove company, it was charged,
discharged as an emplove the presi-
dent Of St. Louis local union, and
threatened to discharge all other mem.
bers of the union committee of EN-.
ployes that sought to deal with him.
The court held that the contention
of the defense. that there cannot be
unlawful combination where each
member thereof might do individually
the thing contemplated without re.
spOnsibility to the law, has much of
plauSibility and seems to evade accu.
rate analysis" Justice Gould cited au,
thorities however to show that IA
combination of two or more persons
with such an intent and under such
circumstances that give them, when
SO combined, power to do an injury
they woulf not possess as individuals
acting Jointly, has always been recoG.
n!Zed as in itself wrongful aud ille.
gal
AS to the contention that to restrain
the publication Of a name on the Un.
fair list would infringe the constitu-
tional rights Of the defendants and b.
All assault upon the freedom of the
hat pla &
all. was by action for libel, and that
equity would not enjoin the publca,
ion of the libel, Justice Gould said
'All this would have merit, if the
ict of defendants in making such pub.
ication stood alone, unconnected with
other conduct both preceding and fol,
lowing it. But it is not an isolated
fact; it is an act of conspiracy to de
strOy plaintiffs business" etc.
The decision quotes from the rec.
ords in contravention of the fedora.
tion's claim that it is a federation OF
organizations and has no individual
membership This conspiracy orig
mated. the court said in the action
by the Metal Polishers local No Il
In St. Louis in the fall of 1906, a body
federated with the American Fedora
tion of Labor, through the Internl,
tional Polishers' union. When this
body acted it did not use the term
boycott" but the more cuphonistlC
terms of unfair and we don't pat.
ronize." But the court holds that what
ever the term used, the boycott was
the effect intended. and lin fact that
the terms means the same thing in
the procedure of the federation does
not seem doubtful"