New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-12-30
|B|G CONTEMPT CASE.
How Labor Leaders Regard
Judge Wright's Decision.
MAY RESULT IN JURY TRIAL.
San Francisco Man Believes sentene-
ing of Gompers, Morrison and
Mitchell to imprisonment Will Arouse
the People,. R. Buchanan Says De-
cision Will Tend to soIidify Labor.

Mitchell to imprisonment Will Arouse
the People,. r. Buchanan Says De-
cision Will Tend to SoIidify Labor.
The sentence Of Imprisonment for
contempt in disregarding the injunc-
ton Of the court in the boycott Of the
Bucks Stove and Range company im-
posed by Judge Daniel II. +. 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 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
r. Buchanan, a well known labor lead
er and writer on labor questions.
''It will draw together and solidify
the elements which have been antago-
n1stic. These antagonists have grown
out of disagreements upon questions of
policy, particularly with relation to
trade and intertrade matters. These
d1sagreements 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 of those attacked.
"A recent Illustration of this truth
was furnished at the Norfolk conyen-
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 it's fight upon him
Because Of the attacks made upon MI.
Gompers. 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 I'M
ion movement will not suffer because
of the verdict Of the supreme court"
Charles Fl. Meyer Of Denver, presi-
dent Of the Western Federation of
Miners, in speaking Of the punishment
of Gompers and others said:
1.-The decision Of the supreme court
OF the District Of Columbia against
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison fur
Their bears out what have for a long
time preached-that it is no use for
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 liber-
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
olution was acted on at the miners
convention year ago, sent the follow
ing telegram to President Roosevelt.
las an official representative Of the
United Mine Workers of America I en-
phatically protest against the court de
cision sending Gompers, Mitchell and
Morrison. to jail. I 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' Internation-
al union, Mr.. Gompers' own organiza-
ton, said:
Il 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 a constitutional Inherent right as
a citizen to do the things which he
openly and in broad daylight had DONE
T. IL. Morrissey Of Cleveland, o., I'M
lii recently grand master of the Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen discuss
ing the decision of Judge Wright, said:
In 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
Ing trial by jury in contempt cases.
This decision will surely emphasize the
need Of sucn law and in that respect
will serve useful purpose"
Walter Macarthur Of San Francisco.
editor Of the Coast Seamans Journal.
said:
II regard that sentence as an epoch