The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-24
PRESIDENT GOMPERS
MAKES BRIEF REPLY
Says He Has Not Conscious
ly Violated Any Law and
That He Viii Continue to
Fight For Rights of Labor.
Mitchell and Morrison Are
Stunned by the Courts De-
cision.
sy Associates Press.


Washington. ID. c.. Dec. 23.-Twelye
months in jail for Samuel Gompers,
president; nine months for john
Mitchell, one of the Independents;
and six months for Frank Morrison,
secretary of the American Federation
of Labor, was the sentence imposed
by Justice Wright. OF the supreme
court OF the District OF Columbia. to-
day for contempt OF court in violating
the order previously issued enjoining
Them from placing on the unfair" or.
we don't patronize list the Bucks
Stove and Range Company, of st.
Louis. All three defendants were in
court. Notice of an appeal to the
court OF appeals of the District of Co
1uinbia WAS at once filed, Gompers
being released on $1,000 bond. Mitchell
on $4,000 and Morrison on $4,000.
The wife and daughter of Mr. Com
pers were in court and were visfbly
affected. With tears coursing down
his checks. President Gompers heard
the order of the court which condemn
cd him TO prison. Both Mitchell and
Morrison seemed stunned, although
Mitchell appeared the least concerned
Asked II he had anything to say
why sentence should not be pro-
nounced, President Gompers declared
he had not consciously violated any
law. There was much he would like
to Say, he said. but could not at this
tinio. He added. however, that this
streeeie OF the working people of our
country Is a struggle OF the working
Qec9le for right. IL is d struggle of
ges--a struggle of the me1i who labor
no throw on some of the burdens
which have been heaped upon them:
TO abolish some OF the wrongs and Sc
cure come OF the nights too long de-
niesl." Mitchell and Morrison con.
fined themselves TO endorsing what
Gonlpefs said.
A scatiiine Arrangement.
Judge wrieht's decision was a
scathing jeaunciation of the defend
ants. He recited the condition ante
cedins the Injunction and referred to
the fact that for twenty-five years the
Bi.>k's plant had been operated as a
ten-hour shop and had always main
tanned an ~cpen SHOP
He also spoke OF the numerical
strength OF the American Fedora ton !
OF labor with its 5000. 900 members
AMI of its repeated endorsement OF
the boycott OF the Bucks Stove and
Range Company. through the Ameri-
can Federationist. the Federation's Of
fetal organ. speeches By the defend
ants. letters, circulars. etc. The court
I
patronize" list and unfair" list Of the
labor organization and said that mem
bers Of labor unions were forced AMI
cOerced into supporting il. whether
individually. willing or unwilling. af)-
proving or disappearing" by various
methods. The court read extracts
from numbers of resolutions of labor
organizations bearing on the Buck
case as tending 70 show the methods
of influencing members of unions .and
these methods. the court remarked.
"seem to be known as persuasion
Direct Interference.
The customers of the stove COM
bpany. the court said. had been intimi-
dated. browbeaten and coerced out OF
their business relations with their Gus
toners by direct interference with
AMI boycott OF their 1.-THE cJrstomers)
trade relations with their own custom
ers and the public generally
Following an exhaustive discussion
of conspiracies 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 the purpose of:
Infringing about the breach OF |
plaintiffs existing contracts with |
others.
"2-Depriying plaintiff of property |
tthe value Of the good will OF its bust |
ness1 without due process OF law.
"s-Restraining trade among the |
several states.
"4-Ressrainins commerce among |
THE several states"
The ultimate purpose of the defend |