The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-29
Labor Leader Says Fight Must
 Continue for the Boycott
FIGHT FOR FREE SPEECH
Mitchell Declares That the Clause of the Consultation Guaranteeing Liberty of the Press and Frcs
 Speech Must Be Upheld.

New York, November 2s.-(specia1.)-- John Mitchell, labor leeder. and vice pres !.ie1c U ths Natjonal C.sfc Tedsratsufa, went to Washington today to be present on Monday when Alton B. Parker appears before the United States supreme court to ask reversal of the decision of the courts of the District of Columbia, com hitting Mitchell, Gompers and Morrison to jail for disobeying an injunction for bidding them to put the name of the Buck Stove and Range company of St. Louis upon their list marked We Don't Patronize."
 In his office at the headquarters of the Civic Federation, MT. Mitchell dis cussed the case with characteristic can dor and calmness. He pointed to 8 re- port made upon the whole subject recently by President Gompers. with his assist ance. and declared Gompers had con- servatively presented the issues.
 "The fight must continue to uphold the boycott asserted MT. Mitchell. and voicing President Gompers' sentiment, when asked if that were one of the ob- jects of the sturdy resistance of himself and associates to enforcement of the jail " -
 sentence.
 Mot because the laboring men have any particular love for the boycott" he added .Indeed, they have no more love for the boycott than for the strike. Both are extreme measures of defense forced upon the wage-earners by unjust condi- tions. The workers fully realize that the boycott and strike are means to be used to maintain their rights and promote their welfare when seriously threatened by hos tile, greedy and unfair employers when no other remedy seems available It Is not the strike nor the boycott itself which matters so much as the recognition of the lawful right to employ either or both when necessary.
 Lawful Right.
 with the boycott cleared of wrongful charges and misapprehension and recog- nized as a lawful right. we will find it's use diminishing It will be power held in reserve and used only when no other remedy is adequate
 Thus 1t is shown that the chief purpose in their resistance to the enforcement of the jail sentence by Gompers ana his associates is to win legal recognition of the boycott. In other ssnse' they are fighting for what they regard as the liberty of the press and free speech. They are also fighting against trial by injunction" as distinguished from trial by jury. They believe these Issues are broad enough to enlist the keenest In terest of the nation. It Is by decree of judges and not by conviction of a jury that they have been sentenced to Jail.
 "Even if we had been guilty of un- lawful conspiracy and coercion and tn- timidation-which we were not-surely there should be some more adequate pun ishment than by process or injunction In fact. existing laws do not provide greater punishment for these onenses and I submit that if we are guilty of them we should be tried by que process or law before jury of our peera. and If found guilty, punished as the law pro- vides rather than be subject to the ca price of a judge who solely determines inc sufriciency of the charges, the guilt of the defendant and who imposes pun ishment as his whim may prompt.
 History Full of Tyranny.
 .vr-ha history of the human race has hsan full of tyranny and the denial of tbe neople of the right of expressing freely. by speech or In the press, their oplnions. After our people established a government they recalled that they had omitted to safeguard this vital right in framing our constitution. Therefore, the f,rst amendment to that instrument was the guarantee of the right of free speech and free press.
 That means something. We do not need this right to please those intrusted with the authority of government. Free nress and free speech were guaranteed that men might feel free to say things that displeased. Demand for reform conn iug from the people is generally distAste-