Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-31
BIG CONTEMPT CASE.
How Labor Leaders Regard Judge
Wrisht's Decision.

virgins Decision.
The sentence of Imprisonment for |
contempt in disregarding the injunc-
tion of the court in the boycott of the |
Bucks Stove and Range company I'M |
posed by Judge Daniel II. Z. Wright !
of the supreme court of the District of
Columbia ON Samuel Gompers, the
president of the American Federation
of Labor; on Frank Morrison, secreta-
~ of that body, and on John Mitchell,
former head of the Miners federation,
has brought out number of opinions
by labor leaders. Here are a few:
THE sentencing of GomperS, Mitch
ell and Morrison to terms of imprison-
ment in the Bucks injunction case
will, in my opinion, be Of benefit rath-
er than harmful to the trades union
movement In America says Joseph
Il. Buchanan, well known labor lead
er and writer on labor questions.
ut will draw together and Solidify
the elements which have been antago-
nistic. These antagonisms have grown
out of disagreements upon questions of
policy, particularly with relation to
trade and intertrade matters. These
disagreements have defeated the COM
plete solidarity of the trades unions.
But attacks upon the men in high Off
cial positions by forces entirely out
side of the movement invariably oblit-
crate the recollection of grievances on
the inside, and all divisions of the
army of organized labor rally to the
support o. those attacked.
"A recent Illustration of this truth
was furnished at the Norfolk conven-
ton of the American Federation Of
Labor in November, 1907. Until that
convention Mr.. Gompers had never
been elected president without opposi-
ton, and the Socialist element was
| sometimes bitter in its fight upon him.
Because of the attacks made upon Mr.
Gompcrs by the National Association
of Manufacturers the Socialists took
the lead in a unity movement which
resulted in his unanimous reelection
| at Norfolk I could cite many in
| stances similar to this one, all of
which convince me that the trades un-
| ion movement will not suffer because
| Of the verdict of the supreme court"
Charles H. Meyer OF Denver presi-
| dent Of the Western Federation Of
| Miners, in speaking of the punishment
Of Gompers and others said:
The decision of the supreme court
! Of the District Of Columbia against
! Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison fur
= ther bears out what l have for long
| -
the working class to legislate without
having the courts first reformed"
Henry Abrahams. secretary of the
Boston Central Labor union, said: "It
seems as though the judges have gone
mad. Slowly and insidiously our peo-
pie have been deprived of their iber-
ties. This sentence is blow at the
freedom of the press"
| W. D. Ryan of Indianapolis, national
secretary treasurer of the United Mine
! Workers, of which John Mitchell was
! president when the alleged boycott res
olutfon was acted ON at the miners
convention year ago, sent the follow
Ing telegram to President Roosevelt
'As an official representative Of the
United Mine Workers of America en-
phatically protest against the court de-
cision sending Gompers, Mitchell and
Morrison to Jail. / know of no law
)! that has been violated by Gompers or
Morrison in connection with the case
in question, and i am positive that
Mitchell is absolutely innocent"
George W. Perkins Of Chicago, pres
ident of the Cigarmakers' Irternation-
al union, Mr.. Gompers' own organiza-
ton, said:
II hold that the decision was unjust
and uncalled for and not in keeping
, with the ethics Of even handed justice.
The judge appeared to be spiteful and
bitter in imposing the sentence. |
hold that Mr.. Gompers and his com
+, panions committed no crime in the
sense in which that term is applied
and used. Mr. Gompers believed he
had constitutional inherent right as
citizen to do the things which he
openly and in broad daylight had done
p. II. Morrissey Of Cleveland, O., un-
til recently grand master of the Broth
crhood of Railway Trainmen, discuss.
ing the decision q Judge Wright. said:
I'm the light of this decision and 9th.
ers that have been rendered against
labor in Injunction cases it is not
strange that labor organizations should
demand the passage of laws guarantee
IL
This decision will surely emphasize the
need of such law and in that respect
will serve useful purpose"
Walter Macarthur of San Francisco
editor of the Coast Seaman's Journal
said: