Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-24
LABOR MEMS PLIGHT
|. PUT UP TOPRES|DENT
Will Decide Whether to Act in
Contempt Case.
| FINDINGS TO BE REVIEWED
Federation Will Determine on Course
to Sustain Leaders.
FINDINGS TO BE REVIEWED
MEETING ON JANUARY II
Limit Of Punishment Provided by
| States Statutes Compared With
Judge Wright's Sentences.

The White House has received since
yesterday many kilograms from labor
leaders in all parts Of the country pro
testing against the sentence for contempt
of court imposed upon Samuel Gompers.
Frank Morrison and John Mitchell by
Judge Wright Of the Supreme Court OF
the District Of Columbia.
The President has turned these tele-
grams over to Attorney General Bona
parte. 1t is expected that the Presidents
mail on this subject will be heavy in the
next few days.
The President. with the Attorney Gen.
eral, will carefully go over the testimony
and the finding of the court, and decide
what action. If any. should be taken In
respect to the kilograms
Federation to Determine Course.
The whole question OF he sentence for
contempt of court will be threshed over
at meeting Of the executive council OF
the federation to be held in this c ~
January II next. This meeting. while
regularly scheduled. will be notable un-
doubtedly because of the vial issues af-
fecting labor involved in the action of the
court.
Resolutions sustaining the attitude OF
the leaders of the big organization. with
its thirty thousand odd councils and two
millions of members, will be submitted for
action. The policy of the federation. in
view Of the courts action and scathing ar
raignment carried In the decision, will bo
outlined.
Whether a protest meeting shall be
he'd will be determined at the meeting OF
the Central Labor Union at its regular
meeting next Monday night, local labor
leaders say. No definite plans have been
determined. Individual trades unionists
favor a monster meeting under the au-
spices OF the central body.
A decision adverse to the labor leaders
was not unexpected. Few members OF
| the, bar. however. anticipated such long
terms Of Imprisonment
1t was suggested today that while there
is no limit to the punishment which q
court in this District may impose on per-
sons guilty of violating its mandates. the
shortest term given any OF the three
men-six months in jail-is said to be the
limitation fixed by states Of the Union
which have statutory enactments regulat-
ing pun shment for contempt.
Legislatures in several states have
abridged the courts power In this regard.
One state has gone to the extent of nam
ing five days Imprisonment as the high
est punishment court may infiict for
contempt.
Wni.c Justice Wright declined to dis
cuss The question of the term of i'm
prisonment imposed as compared to the
, limitations provided in the statutory en-
actmeTt in some states, 1t is known that
he considers that he was governed only
/ by the local law in regard to contempt
punishment. and by a desire to impose
| such sentence as would prove deter
rent example to others inclined to set at
naught orders of judicial tribunals.
The sentence of six months imprison-
ment given Eugene V. Debs did not have
| the effect of stopping alleged contempt
| of court 1t was suggested today that
probably Justice Wright had this in mind
| when he determined to intlict sentences
| OF greater length on the two men whom
he considered most culpable in the pres
ent case.
Morrison Talks Of Case.
President Gompers was not at his office
today. and no information was given out
there as to where he could be found.
Secretary Morrison. who was aven the
iightest sentence of the trio of leaders
six months-was at the federation head
quarters, however, busy with his routine
duties.
| Active steps in tie framing of the fight
against the carrying ont of the sentences
are not likely until next week. Secretary
Morrison sand today the plan, so far as
the officials of the federation themselves
! foresec is 10 do nothing about il until
after the holidays.
/ 1T seems said Mr.. Morrison, that in
| the InStrlct OF COlu0lDla tieTe Is Tedily no
+! limit to the sentence that can be imposed
! for contempt o. court. In a great many
! states there is u limit. In New York. Tor
| instance. six months is the maximum
We purpose" he added, Ito exhaust
every effort to sustain our right to a free
press and free speech. / believe. and
am confident. that the position taken by
| the federation Is right and that the citl-
zens of this country Will ratify the atti-
/ tude of the federation in this matter.
/ Il believe that they will give to the
| trade union.sts the same rights and priv
! ieges that ara being accord d to trades
unionists In Great Britain. as provided Tor
/ by the trades dispute act adopted there
| two years ago. MIR. Gompers referred 10
| that act in his speech to the court steT-
day. Under that act union cannot De
| mulcted III damages on account cf
strike.
| Hearing in March, Maybe.
| II is no; likely that arguments on the
| anpeal will be heard i'll the Court OF APP
peals of the District Of Coolumbia until
March. and perhaps not then. The dc-
PENDANTS have forty days In when TO per-
! feet their appeal. and upon proper
showing the court in its discretion may
extend the time. IT is mandatory, now
ever. that the appeal bond must be MED
within twenty days.
In view OF the great importance OF ire
case and the widespread interest 1t has
provoked throughout the country, II Is
the general feeling here that the hear
ing before the Court OF Appeals will be a
long one, bringing together Holeu couhsei
on both sides.
Should the upper court sustain the rui-
ing of Justice Wright and further ap-
neal TO the Supreme Court OF the United
States be granted the case necessarily
would not come up for d cision lin the
highest tribunal in the land urtil the fall
t,rm. which begins next October.
4 question which might have proved
III Ninb mig
effect of nullifying the Jail sentence i'm
posad by Justice Wright came near being
interiected into the case by the wording
of the formal order adjudging the men
in contempt and fixing the penalty.
Flaw in Papers.
When the order was presented for his
signature Justice Wright noticed that