Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-24
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF
AT. OF |. TO TAKE ACTION

feet that the Judgment of the court is
and an mwarranted attack on the con
constitutional guarantees of free
speech and a free press.
Appeal Taken.
In the court proceedings pressed by
the National Association of Manufac-
turers Samuel Gompers, president;
John Mitchell, vice president, and
Frank Morrison, secretary of the
American Federation of Labor, We're
sentenced by Justice Daniel Thew
Wright, federal Judge in the District
lof Columbia. An appeal was taken
and the labor leaders released under
bond.
In a Roosevelt Appointee.
Justice Wright is from Ohio, an ap-
| pointee of President Roosevelt
The alleged contempt was against
an order of Justice Gould, an associate
on the supreme bench of the district
court, granting a temporary injunction
against the publication by the labor
organization of the name of the Buck
Stove & Range company of ST Louis
| in the 1--WE Don't Patronize" list in the
American Federationist, the labor pa
per
Mr.. Gompers edits the paper. Mr..
Mitchell is vice president of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, which sup
ports the publication, and Mr.. Morri-
son is its secretary.
Twelve Months for Gompers.
Under the sentence rendered by JUS
tice Wright Mr.. Gompers is to spend
II months in Jail, Mr.. Mitchell nine
months and Mr. Morrison six months.
The appeal entered carries the case to
the district court of appeals. From
the decision of this court appeal lies
to the supreme court of the United
States. Before Gompers and his asso-
ciates go to Jail the supreme court will
pass upon what constitutes contempt
of court when published in bona fide
newspaper publications.
Justice Wright went outside his case
to condemn the spirit of opposition to
court rulings which is prevalent.
''It is necessary to choose between
the supremacy of the law over the
rabble or it's prostration under the
feet of the disordered throng," he says
Sentenced Negro Same Way.
! Justice Wright, taking the same
view. sent a negro lawyer-te~jaii about
1.-TWO years ago because he refused to
lanswer questions by the court. The
lawyer was freed by a decision over
Irulmg Justice Wright, but the lawyer
i spent several months in Jail and he
has no redress.
President Roosevelt has been ap
|, pealed to by the miners association
of which John Mitchell was for year.
1.-THE honored head, to avert the blow
on him. Only last spring Mitchell wa:
the big labor man at the great gather
, ings of governors and scientists called
by the president to, consider nationa
conservation.
President Considering.
The president is considering wha
. step he can take. He believes Mitchell
+. guilty by construction, it is said. Com
!. lpers issued the offending publication
j.. Mitchell did not know of its contents
n Back of it all is the unwillingness O
the president that labor men over tn
o country should be permitted to thin
G Gompers and Mitchell martyrs and pei
o secuted by federal authorities for a
@ unfortunate political stand. This woul
p be q greater burden than is desired t
unload upon Mr. Taft, whose hope i
n to cut labor organizations free froI
d political intrigue.
f. Justice Wright's arraignment of tn
labor leaders and others who CRITICS
the decisions of federal courts was 81
we're in the extreme. Among othe
things he said:
There is studied, determined, d.
fiant conflict precipitated in the ligl
of open day between the DEGREES of
tribunal ordained by the governmel
and of the tribunals of another fede
Il alton grown up in the land.
l Calls Them Public Enemies.
Zone or the other must succumb, fl
those who would unlaw the land al
y public enemies
" "Yet everywhere, all over, with
- the court and out, utter, rampant, ins
:, lent defiance is heralded and proclair
:, ed; unrefined insult, coarse affror
:. vulgar indignity measures the Ii
= gants' conception of the tribunals d.
- wherein his cause still pends.
= "Are DEGREES of court to look
-. their execution to the supremacy
=, the law, or tumble in the wake of U
- (Continued on Page Two.l