Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-12-31
GOMPERS SENTENCED
TO one Year IN JAIL
IN CONTEMPT CASE
While John Mitchell Draws
Nine Months and Secretary
Morrison Six Months.

Washington, Dec. 25.-The
famous contempt case of the Buck
Stove and Range company against
President Gompers, Vice President
Mitchell and Secretary Morrison,
OF the American Federation of La
Dor, was decided today by Justice
Wright of the supreme court of
the District of Columbia, adverse
ly to the federation officials.
Mr.. Gompers was sentenced to
~ months Imprisonment, Mr..
Mitchell to nine months and Mr..
Morrison to six months.
The case grew out Of the alleged
boycott of the company's products
and the putting of that company
on the unfair list. The fedora
tons alleged violation of Judge
Gould's recent mandamus has at
tracted wide attention.
History Of Case.
The Buck company's prosecution OF
the officials of the federation began in
August. 1907. The original action was
a test case wherein it was sought to
enjoin the labor unions from using
unfair" and I'VE don't patronize" lists
in their fight against firms and indi-.
viduals.
Justice Gould issued a permanent
injunction forbidding the publication
of the company's name in these lists
Mr.. Gompers, in an editorial in the
Federationist of January last, made
known his intention not to obey the
courts order, contending the Injunction
issued was in derogarlon of the rights
OF labor and to abuse the injunctive
power of the courts. Messrs. Gompers,
Mitchell and Morrison subsequently
We're cited for contempt This phase
OF the case has been before the court
for many months.
Denounees Defendants.
Judge Wrights decision was scath-
Ing denunciation of the defendants
He recited the conditions anteceding
the injunction and referred to the fact
that for % years the Bucks plant had
been operated as a 10-hour shop and
always had maintained an 'open shop"
He also spoke of the numerical
strength of the American Federation
OF Labor with it's 100000 members, of
Its repeated Endorsement of the boycott
American Federationist Speeches by
the defendants, letters and circulars
etc.
The court referred to the use of
we don't patroniZe" list and unfair"
list of labor organizations. He said
the members of the union We're forced
and coerced into supporting it "wheth-
err individually willing or unwilling,
approving or disappearing" by various
methods. The court read extracts from
a number of resolutions of labor Or
CARNATIONS bearing on the Bucks case
as tending to show the methods of in
Nuential members of unions land these
methods" the court remarked seem
TO be known as persuasion
Had Been Browbeaten.
Customers of the stove company, thu.
court said, had been intimidated. brow
beaten and coerced out of their bust
ness relations with their customers "by
direct interference with and boycott Of
their customers trade relations with
their own customers and the public
generally
Following an exhaustive discussion
of the conspiracies in restraint of trade,
Justice Wright said: .E'rom the fore
going, 1t ought to seem apparent to
thoughtful man that the defendants to
the bill, each and all of them. have
combined together for the purpose OF
T.
ttff's existing contracts with Others"
Z "depriving the plaintiff of property,
i(Nalue of good will of it's business)
without due process of law" RESTRAIN
ing trade and commerce among sever
9al states The ultimate purpose OF the
defendants, the court said, in this con-
ncction. was unlawful. Their concert
ed project an offense against law, and,
1T added, they were guilty of crime
Coming to the question of violation
lof the courts injunction, Justice
Wright said: THAT Mr.. Gompers and
the others had in advance of the in
junction determined to violate it if is
sued, aud had in advance of the injunc-
ton counselled all members of labor
unions and the American Federation
OF Labor and the public generally to
violate it in case it should be issued.
appears from the following. which ref
ferences point out also a general plan
and mutual understanding of organiza-
tons and their various MEMBERS"
The court here read a mass of ex
tracts from reports of the proceedings
of the conventions of the federation.
reports and editorials from columns of
the American Federationist and the
labor press generally, in support of his
statement that there was predetermined
ton to violate
"contemptuous Violation"
lit JuhSc b'plHLGi Oul wherein edCn
defendant had persisted in "contemp-
,uous violation" of the injunction,
which infringed the constitutional
guaranty of freedom of press and
speech" He says this defense doesn't
fill the measure of the case, that the
injunction interferred with no legiti-
mate right of criticism or comment
that the law has ever sanctioned and
the respondents intimation that it
does so Is mockery and pretense"
The court added that the constitu-
ton nowhere conferred the right to
speak, print or publish.
Pending appeal to the United States
court of appeals for the District Of
Columbia. all three defendants We're
released on bail, Gompers on $4,000;
Mitchell on $4,000, and Morrison on
$4,000. local surety company fur
nished the bonds.
$4,000 FOR IS CARTONS.
Manchester, England. Dec. 25.--A
Manchester paper states that J. Pier