The Washington herald., 1908-02-04

! Gloom pervaded the ranks of the lead
/ ers Of organized labor last night as tho
result of the decision yesterday of the
/ United States Supreme Court, under which
labor organizations are liable TO dam
/ ages for boycotts brought against manu-
/ facturcrs in interstate trade.
/ This decision is egarded as one OF the
most telling blows ever judicialy dealt
/ organized labor in this country The boy
/ colt has been one of the labor unions
/ chief weapons.
| Samuel Gompers, president OF the
American Federation Of Labor. was seen
at his residence hy a Washington Her
| aid reporter. He refused To- discuss the
decision beyond saying:
"There is nothing to say at present.
/ The Supreme Court has so decided, and
that is all there is to l- for the time
being"
Wasn't It a most severe blow 10
organized LAHORE" asked the reporter
'WeIl-but I really cannot discuss the
matter just now. said Nr Gompers.
Revcrses lower Court.
The decision reversed the holding Of
the United States Circuit Court of Ap-
peals for the Second district, before
which Le0We & co. had previously plead
/ ed their cause against the labor union.
/ In that court Leowe & Co. brought suit
/ for damages alleged 10 have been sus-
I tanned TO their trade as the result Of the
/ loyc0tt made on their hats because they
/ maintained an open shop. The mauufac-
/ turing house claimed that the hatters'
union and the American Federation of
/ Labor had c0nspired 10 restrain inter
state commerce trade. and We're there
I fore liable to punishment under the Sher-
man antitrust law.
The Court OF Appeals dismissed the De
titiOn The case was then brought into
/ the Supreme Court. II was the unani-
nous decision of the justices that the
manufacture had a claim for damages,
and that the petition fshoud not have
/ been dismissed. II ordered the lower
court TO proceed with a trial of the case.
| Attorneys of high standing who list
ened to Chief Justice Fuller announce
/ the opinion, express the belief that the
/ decision of the court viii end practically
/ the fight the American Manufacturers
! Association has been making on the
| American Federation Of Labor for the
/ prohibition of the publication Of its I'VE
/ don't patronize list" by which il boy
cotted nearly 100 manufacturers who had
offended labor organizations. Judge Al
/ ton B, Parker, former Presidential can
dldate, IS in Washington now looking
after the defense of the labor union I'm
! that case. The American Federation Of
Labor was made party in the case de
cided yesterday. and is therefore liable
| for damages.
Davenport Issues Statement.
Daniel Davenport Of Bridgeport, Conn,
associated with James N. Beck, Of New
York City, as counsel for the plaintiffs
/ in the case Of Locwe VS.. Lawlor, yester-
| day made the following statement:
The United States Supreme Court to-
day by it's decision in the case of Loewe
VS.. LaWloT. declared illegal and criminal
under the Sherman antitrust act all COM
| binatiOns of working men to boycott the
| interstate business of those manufactur-
! eTS who sell their goods in other States
than that of the manufacturer. So long
| as the American Federation Of Labor and
other labor unions resort 10 the boycott
as a weapon Of attack upon the inter
state business OF manufacturers, they
are Illegal and criminal combinations. and
| it is the duty of the Department of Jus
| ttce to proceed against them the same
as against Illegal and criminal combina-
tOns OF capitalists.
Antitrust Law Applies.
THE court holds that the Sherman
antitrust act applies to combinations of
working men and Of capitalists, and for
| the same reasons. All who love a square
deal ought to be gratified by this decision
for II puts an end 10 one of the worst
forms of restraint of interstate trade
which could possibly be devised.
This decision bears out the most i'm
portant claims I'm the case of the Bucks
Stove and Range Company, of st. Louis,
against the American Federation of La
Dor, in which a temporary injunction
was recently granted by Justice Gould
in the Supreme Court Of the District
Of Columbia"
The decision was received with a good
deal of bitterness in local organized labor
headquarters. At the meeting Of the
Central Labor Union a resolution was
adopted providing that the legislative
committee Of the union exert its influence
on Congress to have the antitrust bill so
amended as 10 leave out or change that
section which admitted Of the Supreme
Courts decision. 1t was announced that
Representatives AIcDermOtt. Of Chicago,
and Cary of Milwaukee. would appear
at the next meeting Of the labor union, to
discuss the decision, and the prospect of
bringing about legislation to help the
cause OF organized labor.