Evening journal., 1908-12-24
LABOR RALLIES
TO GOMPERS
Protest Against the Prison
Sentence PiIe-up at
Washington
|EXPECT ROOSEVELT OR
TAFT TO INTERFERE


x By United Press Leased Special Wire.
a WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. 24.-The
Il desk of President Gompers, Of the
American Federation of Labor today
! was heaped high with kilograms from /
n labor leaders and organizations in all 1
n parts of the county. Mr.. Gompers was
q seen at his Office this morning.
s. All denounced the decision Of Justice
Wright of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia, in sentencing
Gomepers, Mitchell and Morrison 70
Jail, and all offered encouragement and
Il support. Some were even congratula- !
b tory in character, expressing the be-
u lief that If these leaders should spend
q at term in jail, that fact alone would
4 serve TO advance the cause of organized
& labor nothing else could.
The White House, too. was flooded
with messages of protest. the first of
4 which came late yesterday from the
4 executive officers of the United Mine
4 Workers OF America, Of which John
i Mitchell, until recently, was President
Gompers. Mitchell and Morrison spent
some time last night going over the
decision carefully, in company with
their counsel. 1t was announced this
morning that the case would be car
ried up to the Supreme Court of the
United States, If necessary. Mr.. Com
pers expressed the confident belief that
the Court Of Appeals would reverse
Justice Wright. He claims that JUS
tice Wrights opinion. especially in his
limitation Of the right of free speech
and free press, is revolutionary.
If the Court of Appeals should re-
verse yesterdays decision, counsel for
tho Bucks Stove and Range Company,
viii lcarry the case up to the highest
tribunal Of the land. President Taft
himself may be the arbiter of last re-
sort If Gompers and his colleagues
should lose in the Supreme Court of
the United States they will undoubt-
edly ask the incoming chief executive
for a pardon. Owing TO the slow NOV
ing machinery of the Federal Courts
II is likely that many months will pass
before the case can be finally adjudi
Gated. It is quite doubtful whether the
Supreme Court of the United States,
will have the opportunity of passing
upon it, before the end Of the present
term of court which will come In
June.
Decision Not Surprise.
An attorney. formerly connected
with the American Federation Of Labor,
said today that Justice Wrights decis-
ion that the injunction of Justice Gould
had been dsobeyed. was no surprise
to the labor leaders Tho severity Of
the sentence however. astonished
everyone II was expected that a fine
would be imposed. in lieu Of the pay
ment Of which the three respondents
would he committed to Jail.
a monster mass meeting of Union
men will be held here on Sunday night
20 protest against the decision. and II
is planned 10 have similar demonstra-
tions IN all the large cities Of the coun-
try. Labor leaders in Washington are
unanimous in the opinion that the
cause of organized labor will be ad-
vanced. rather than retarded. as a re-
suit Of the decision. one of them said
today:
THE American Federation will be in
creased i'm strength fully so per cent.
If Yesterdays decision is ever put into
effect. President Gompers and his as
sociates will come out of this. more
influential than they eyre were"
Look I oRoosevelt to Interfere.
Labor men here believe that Presi
dent Roosevelt or President-elect Taft
will take hand in the case before the
end OF it is reached.
The prediction made SO emphaticalls
yesterday by Commissioner-Genera o
Immigration Daniel j. keete, 10 tn'
erect that he was certain they will
never serve their terms is believed e
have been inspired by inside informa
ton possessed by the man who spok'
the words.
"If the Court of Apeals upholds tn
decision against the federation chiefs
said a wen-known labor leader 10
day. "I believe the President will tax
hand and pardon the defendants"
president Roosevelt is too good
politician TO let such an opportunit
pass him by. as he will have shoul
the higher court order the labor lead
ers sent to prison. BY pardonin
them. the President will effect lastin
gratitude OF 'all the workingmen /
the country. Mr.. Taft, If he is in tn
White House when final decision
reached, viii undoubtedly take th
same action. for he. too. recognize
the value Of the labor support in hi
administration. No one will be IN
jurcd II they arc pardoned. TIL
courts will be vindicated. the labo
men will have posed as martyrs [
their cause-which viii only increas
their popularity among their followers
and Messrs. Gompers. Mitchell an
Morrison viii have been spared an IN
pleasant experience.