The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-12-25
AT LABOR
Organizations 10 the United
States by the Courts.
LEADERS ARE JAILED.

President. Vice President and Sec
retary of the Labor Federation,
Condemned to Prison Because
They Advised Their Members Not
to Buy Certain Goods.
Washington. Dec. 23.-Twelve
months in jail for Samuel Gompers,
president, nine months for John
Mitchell, one of the yica presidents,
and six months for Frank Morrison.
secretary, all of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, was the sentence
imposed by Justice Wright, of TIN
Supreme, Court of the District OF
Columbia, today for contempt OF
Court by violating an order previous
ly issued enjoining them from plac-
ing on the unfair" or I'VE don't
patronize" list the Bucks Storve and
Range Company, Of st. Louis, Mo.
All three Of the defendants were
in Court. Notice of an az peal to the
Court Of Appeals, Of the District Of
':.lumbia, at once was filed, Com
pers being released on $4,000 bond,
Mitchell ON $4,000, and Morrison
On $4,000.
In addition ITO the wife and
daughter of Gompers, there were
present a number of local labor
laaders' and others who were attract
I'd by the notice that decision In
the famous case would be announced
today. Mr.. Gomper's family We're
visihly affected.
With tears coursing dewn his own
cheeks, President Gompers' beard the
order of the Court. which condemn
ed him to prison for year. Both
Mitchell and Morrison seemed stun
ned by tie sentence, althc ugh Mitch
e,ll appeared to be the least con-
cerEed.
Asked if he had anything to say
why sentence should not be pro-
nounced, President Gompers declar-
ed that he had not consciously vio-
lated any law. There was much he
would like to say, he said, but he
could not do ft'that time.
He added, however, that this is
struggle Of the wording pslonle
of our country, and it is struggle
of the working people for right. II
is a struggle OF the ages--a struggle
Of the men Of labor ito throw off
some of the burdens which ha re
blen heaped upon them; to abolish
some of the wrongs and to secure
some of the rights too long Ge-
MED"
Mitchell and Morrison confined
themselyevs to an endorsement of
what Mr.. Gompsrs had said.
History of the Case.
The Bucks Company's prosecution
of the officials Of the Federation be-
gan in August, 1907. The original
action was /. test case wherein +;
was sought to enjoin the labor un
ions from using the unfair" and
I'VE don't patronize" lists in their
fight against firms and individuals.
Justice Gould, of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia, issued
an injunction which was later made
permanent forbidding the publication
of the company's name in these
President Gompers in an editorial
in 1.-THE Federationist" of last jan
uary, claimed that the labor organ
izations had a right to advise their
members not to patroniZe certain
firms that was not friendly to labor
organizations, and made known his
intention not to obey the Courts Or
der, contending that the injunction
issued was in derogation Of the
rights of labor and thla press and an
abuse Of the injunctive power of the
Courts
Gompers. Mitchell and Morrison
subsequently were cited for contempt
and this phase Of the case has been
before the Court for many months
the proceedings taking the form OF
hearing of testimony before an
oXon,;por ond rnnnv arpumIentS