The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-12-30
BLOW At LABOR
Organizations in the United
States by the Courts.
LEADERS ARE jailed.
Gompers, Mitchell and Norris H.
President. Vice President and Sec
re:tary of the Labor Federation
Condemned TO Prison Because
They Advised Their Members Not
to Buy Certain Goods.

=
to Buy Certain Goods.
Washington. Dec. 23.-Twelv5
months in jail for Samuel Compers,
presiden-, nine months for John
Mitchell, ona Of the vice presidents,
and six months for Frank Morrison:
secretary, all of the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor. was the sentence
imposed by Justice Wright, Of 'tta
Supreme Court of the District or
Calu3. liza, today for contempt OF
Court by violating an order previous
ly issued enjoining them from plac-
ing on the unfair" or I'VE don
patwnize'' list the Bucks Storve and
Range Company, Of St. Louis, Mo.
All three Of the defendants were
in Court. Notice Of an al peal to the
Court Of Appeals, OF the District OF
C..lumhia, at once was filed, Com
pers being released on $4,000 bond,
Mitchell on $4,000, and Morrison
On $4,000.
In addition to tho wife and
daughter Of Gompers, there We're
present a plumber Of local labor
leaders and others who We're attract
I'd by the notice that a decision II
the famous case wo:lld be announced
today. Mr.. Gomper's family We're
visibly affected.
With tears coursing down his own
cheeks, 3rcsae ent Gompers heard the
order of the: Court, which condemn
ed him to prison for year. Both
Mitchell and Morrison seemed stnn-
ned by t! e sentence. althc ugh Mitch
ell appeared to be the least con-
cerced.
Asked il he had anything to say
why sentence should not be pro
nounced, President Gompers declar-
ed that he had not consciously vio-
Lated, an law. There was mrrh he
woulS like to say, he said, btt he
could not do it that time.
He added, however, that this Is
q struggle of the working p3pnle
Of cur country, and it IS struggle
Of the working people for right. II
is a struggle OF the sges--a struggle
CT the meu Of labor tc throw Oh
some Of the burdens which hare
bo,en heaped upon them; to abolish
some of the wrongs and to secure
some Of the rights too long ce-
MED
Mitchell and Morrison confined
themselvevs to an endorsement Of
what Mr.. GoupeCs had said.
History of the Case.
The Bucks Corapany's prosecution
OF the officials of the Federation be-
gan in August, 1907. The original
action was a test case wherein !;
was sought to enjoin the labor un
ions from using the "unfair" and
sEwe don't patronize' lists in their
fight against firms and individuals.
Justice Gould, Of the Supreme Court
Of the District Of Columbia, issued
en- Injunction which was later made
permanent forbidding the publication
of the company's name il thase
President Gompers in an editorial
in The Fe6erationist" of last jan
uary. claimed that the labor organ
izations had right to advise their
mem bers not to patronize certain
firms that was not friendly to laboi
organizations, and made known his
intention not to obey the Courts or
der. contending that the injunction
issued was in dercgation Of the
rights OF labor and thu press and an
abuse CT the injunctiye power Of the
Courts.
Gompers Mitchell end Morrison
subsequently were cited Tor 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
examiner and many arguments.