Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-23
Judge Wright's Decision
Scathing in Denunciation

Judge Wrights decision was a scathing
denunciation of the defendants. He re-
cited the conditions anteceding the in
junction and referred to the fact that for
twenty-five years the Bucks plant had
operated as a ten-hour shop and always
had maintained an open shop
He also spoke of the numerical strength
of the American Federation of Labor
with its 2.0OO,OoO members, and Of its re-
peated Endorsement of the boycott of the
Bucks Stove and Range Company
through the American Federationist the
federationS official organ. speeches by the
defendants. letters, circulars etc. The court
referred to the use of the we don't pa
tronize' list and unfair list of the labor
organiza ton. and said that members of
labor unions were forced and coerced into
supporting 1t whether individually will
ing or unwilling, approving or disap prov-
ing by various methods.
The court read extracts from numbers
of resolutions of labor organizations bear
ing on the Bucks as tending to
show the methods of influencing members
OF unions, land these Methods the court
remarked. seemed to he known as per
SuaSiOn. >
Interference and Boycott
The customers Of the stove company, the
court said, had been inundated, brow
beaten and coerced out of their business
relations with their customers 'by direct
interference with and boycott of their the
customer's) trade relations with their
own customers and the public generally"
Following an exhaustive discussion of
conspiracies in restraint of trade, Justice
Wright said:
From the foregoing it ought to seem
apparent to thoughtful men that the de-
PENDANTS to the bill. each and all of them,
have combined together for the pur-
pose of:
Il. Bringing about the breach Of plain
tiff's existing contracts with others.
''2. Depriving plaintiff of property fhe
value of the good will of it's business)
without due process of law.
%. Restraining trade among the sew
eral states
a. Restraining commerce among the
several states
Guilty of Crime.
The ultimate purpose of the defendants.
the court said i'm this connection. was UNI
lawful their concerted project an offense
against the law and, it added, they were
guilty of crime.
Coming to the question of the violation
of the courts injunction, Justice Wright
said:
That Gompers and others had III ad-
vance of the injunction determined to vio-
late II if issued and had, in advance of
the Injunction, counseled all members of
la Dor unions and of the American Fedora
ton of Labor and the public generally to
violate 1t i'm case it should be issued. ape
pears from the following. which references
point out also the general plan and mutual
understanding of the organizations ana
their various members.
The court here read mass of extracts
from reports of proceedings of conven-
lions OF the federation. reports OF Presl-
dent Gompers. editorials from the col
the labor press generally. in support of
his statement that there was predeter-
mination to violate.
Course Since Injunction.
Discussing the actions of the defendants
since the issuance of the injunction, JUS
tice Wright said:
Having in mind what may be in the
foregoing delineation. which indicates that
either OF the three respondents did. before
the issuance of the injunction deliberate
IN determine to Willfully violate it, and
did counsel others to do the same, let me
now turn to their sayings and dolngs
since the decision of Mr.. Justice Gould
was formally announced and the order OF
injunction itself put into technical opera
ton by the giving Of the injunction bond.
December II. 1907, the op n on of the
court was filed in the case: the order of
| injunction was entered December IS; the
giving of the undertaking required by i
was consunmated December ~. and am
disposed now to look at the separate con-
duet of each respondent with view of
recording his individual responsibility in
sufficient detail.
''Willful Disobedience