The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-12-28
1LApoa DECISION AenRovEp.


Seldom in the history OF the Alnert.
can Judiciary have the courts received
such universal support as has been a..
corded the action OF Judge Wright In
imposing jail sentences upon the labor
Ieaders :or their persistent and con.
temptnous violation of the Injunction
placed upon them, says the Baltimore
American. One Of the papers that
supported the canHoaty of William
Jennings Bry n. the Philadelphia Rec.
ord. has this to say OF the sentence
OF Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison:
III they were convinced of error in
the application of the law or injus.
ttce In ITS operation, they should have
sought their remedy in appeal to the
higher courts or to federal and state
Legislatures for corrective statutory
regulation That way Is open to all.
In putting tn, Federation OF I.ctar in
opposition to the judicial enforcement
Of the law they made tactical mis-
take. The Federation of Labor is not
a law unto itself. 1t IS wefl the Off
cfafs OF the Federation should be
made to understand that fact" The
New York Daily Tribune, in antfcfpa.
ton OF the outcry from. sympathizers
that thore Is one law for the poor and
another for the rich. remarks in nm
editorial WITH the caption, "No Dis.
elimination: "Ef the capitalists who
have been eujoined under the sher-
man act-those in the Northern secur.
tiles case. for example, or those in the.
more recent Tobacco Trust case-had
behaved, as Gompers has, had an
nouneed In advance that they would
not obey the court. had gone about
procaining 'hefr contempt and hal
deaantR I rotc1ded Just as If no in.
junction mad been issued, they too
would Doubt. SIS have met with Just
the same ire ltment that Gompcrs and
Mitchell have received.
There is absolutely no basis for the
claim of harsh treatment. The mem
2 made theirgown penalties by their de
ifbeate acts. The Judge Simply ap.
piled tho Law in the case with the I'm.
devtattng courage taat is shown by q
judge who sets aside consideration OF
the weight and influence of a culprit
in pro1louncing the sentence for his
nhsfofng. The attitude of Gompers,
II supported, would unleash and Ii.
ceuse the individual will. It would
make che cou: IS Of justice useless: it
would weaker the supports OF society:
1t would introduce anarchy in thought,
IN act and in word. Therefore, the
New York Press points out that VERY
Clear was the reSitssue-the issue on
which Gompers and his associates
were found guilty. It WIS. and must
ever be. that in laying down the law
the court cannot be ovcrruled by an
indiHduI. The private individual in
a community of Law an government
can never have the privilege of re-
faEtng to obfr the mandate of the
courts" The list of such expressions
might be Indefinitely conttnued. In.
GLIDING the New York Sun, that treats
the claims OF the labor leaders vita
whitening fr1ny, and the New York
Times. that "leaHy and calmly places
the position cf tie mel. in the light
OF the action OF the Judge and warns
labor that 1t cannot attord to set M
standards IN pposItson 10 the prevail
ing laws ana rights Of society.
The decision OF Judge Wright, there
fore, has the endorsement OF the So
Der sense OF. the country. the newspa-
perS that Ordinarily would give sup
port to labor being for the most part
undertaking on the side OF the decision.
There are lone vices like that of the
Commoner that hasten with expires
sions OF syn1nathy Ore OF the most
farsreachins Effects OF tie penalty i'm.
posed upon Eryan's labor associates
Will be the sitter reputation OF Bryan
BY the county forever. He coud not
CONF again before the people except
under the unfavorab1e light OF this de-
cision, for MIR. Bryan, in season AMI
out has advocated the very action that
has been rebuket as ulrAmerican and
full OF Perlls 10 society.
1t is to be hored that henceforth
vested interests will breathe more
freely. Tho tentaHles of the labor die.
tator have been SO wound around In
dustry as to threaten its strangulation.
Now the coils faye beer partially sew.
cred. The time Is coming when labor
win feel its responsibilities .and the
great mass ot;laboring men-the pride
OF the country win repudiate tiiraii.
dom as conyincingIy rs does the capi-
tal that labor leaders Of the GompeTs,