The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-24
GOMPERS SENTENCE.
Will Be Taken Up by Federation Exc
cutiVe Council.

Washington, Dec. 24.-The whole
question of the sentencing for con-
tempt of court of President ,Gompers.
Vice President Mitchell and Secretary
! Morrison Of the American Federation
/ of Labor, by Justice Wright in the su-
preme court of the District of Column
! bia, yesterday, will be threshed over
! at a meeting of the executive council
of the federation to be held in this
! city on January IL, next.
| This meeting, which is not a regu-
| larly scheduled one, will be notable
undoubtedly because of the vital is
sues affecting labor involved in the
action of the court Resolutions sus-
| tanning the attitude of the leaders of
the big organization with its thirty
thousand odd councils and two million
mem berS will be submitted for action
and scathing arraignment carried in
the decision will be outlined.
President Gompers was not in his Of
flee today and no information was CIV
en- there as to where he could be found.
Secretary Morrison, who was given the
lighteSt sentence of the trio of leaders
six months-was at the federation
headquarters, however, busy with his
routine duties. Active steps in the franz
ing of the fight against the carrying
out of the sentences are not likely un-
til next week and Secretary Morrison
said today the plan so far as the off,
cials of the federation themselves fore
see is to do nothing about it until af-
ter the holidays.
TT SEEMS said Mr.. Morrison, that
in the District of Columbia there is
really no limit to the sentence that can
be imposed for contempt of court. In a
great many states there is a limit. In
New York, for instance, six months is
the maximum.
1--WE purpose he added. ito exhaust
every effort to sustain our right to a
free press and free speech. 1 believe
and I am confident, that the position ta-
ken by the federation is right and that
the citizens of this country will ratify
the attitude of the federation in this
matter I believe that they will give
to the trades unionists the same rights
and privileges that are being accorded
to trades unions in Great Britain as
provided for by the trades dispute act
adopted there two years ago. Mr..
Gonpers referred to that act in his
speech to the court yesterday. Under
that act a union can not be mulcted
in damages on account of a strike
1t is not likely that arguments on
the appeal will be heard in the court
of appeals of the District of Columbia
until March and perhaps not then. The
defendants have 40 days in which to
perfect their appeal and upon a pro-
per showing the court in it's discretion
may extend the time. 1t is mandatory,
however, that the appeal bond must be
filed within 20 days
In view of the great Importance of
the case and the widespread interest it
has provoked, throughout the country.
it is the general feeling here that the
hearing before the court of appeals
will be a lengthy one, bringing togeth-
er noted counsel on both sides. Should
the upper court sustain the ruling of
Justice Wright and a further appeal
to the supreme court of the United
States be granted, the case necessarily
would not come up for decision in the
highest tribunal in the land until the
fall term, which begins next October.
The ruling of Justice Wright was the
absorbing topic of conversation here to-