The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-30
LABOR LEADERS IMPRISONED.
GOMPERS, MITCHELL AND NOR.
RISON DECLARED GUILTY
OF CONTEMPT.

~"Se, III HaSSlhS sentence, Declares
DEFENDANTS Actions Were Clearly
In Violation of Law and Deliberate
ly Illegal.
washington, Dec. 23.-T,ysIve
months in Jail for Samuel Gomners
president; nine months for John
Mitchell, one Of the vice presidents
and six months for Frank Morrison.
secretary, all of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor. was the sentence
imposed by Justice Wright Of the su-
preme court Of the District OF Co.
iumbia today for contempt of court
IN violating an order previously issued
enjoining them from placing on the
unfair" or I'VE don't patronixe'' list
the Buck Stove and Range company
OF st. Louis, Mo.
All three OF the defendants were In
court. Notice Of an appeal to the
court OF appeals Of the District OF
Coiumoia at once was fled, Gompers
being released on 5000 bond. Mitch.
oil on $4,000 and Morrison ON 81. 900
In addition to the wife and daush-
ter OF Mr.. Gompers. there were pres.
emit number OF local labor Ieadars
and others who were attracted BY tho
notice that q decision In the famous
case would be announced TODAY. Mr.
Gompers' family were visibly affected.
with tears coursing down his own
cheeks. President Gompers heard the
order OF the, court which condemned
him to prison for a year. Both Mitch
ell and Morrison seemed stunned by
the decision, although Mitchell an.
peared to be the least concerned. Ask
ed II he had anything to say why
sentence should not be passed, Presi-
ent Gompers declared that .e had
not consciously violated any law.
There was much he would like to saw.
ne said, but he could not do It at
that time. He added, however, that
this IL q struggle of the working peo-
pie of our country and 1t is a struggle
OF the working people for the right.
1t Is a struggle of the ages-a strug-
gle OF the men Of labor to throw on
some OF the burdens which have been
heaped upon them, to abolish some
OF the wrongs and to secure of the
rights too long denied"
Mitchell and Morrison confined
themselves to an endorsement Of what
Mr.. Gompers had said.
The decision Of Justice Wright.
which consumed two hours and 20
minutes in reading, was one of the
most scathing araignments that ever
came from the bench in this city. He
recited the conditions anteceding the
injunction and referred to the fact
that for Is years the Bucks plant had
operated as a 10-hour shop and al
ways had maintained an "open shop. I"
The court read extracts from num-
bers Of resolutions of labor organi-
zations bearing on the Bucks case as
tending to show the methods Of In
fiuencing members Of unions, 'and
their methods" the court remarked,
seem to be known as persuasion" Z
The customers of the stove com
pany, the court said, had been intimi.
dated, beaten and coerced out OF their
business relations with their customers
by direct interference with and boy
colt OF their {the consumers') trade
relations with their own customers
and the public generally"
Following an exhaustive discussion
Of conspiracy in restraint of trade,
Justice Wright said:
From the foregoing 1t ought to
seem apparent to thoughtful men that
the defendants to the bill, each and
all Of them have combined together
for tho purpose Of (1) bringing about
the breach OF plaintiffs existing con-
tracts with others; (2) depriving
plaintiff of property (the value OF the
good will OF its business without the
process Of law; (s) restraining trade
among the several States; 60 re-
strainins commerce among the sew
eral States
The ultimate purpose Of the defend
ants. the court said. in this connec-
ton was unlawful, their concerted
project an offense against the law
and. It added. they were guilty Of
crime.
Coming to the question Of the viola
ton OF the courts injunction, Justice
Wright said:
THAT Gompers and others had in
advance of the injunction determined
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