The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-02

Mitchell, of the Federation of Labor,
guilty OF contempt of court in the
Buck Stove and Range case. Chief
Justice Sheppard dissented from the
opinion of the court on constitutional
grounds.
Issue at Stake.
The court held that the fundamental
issue was whether the constitutional
agencies of the government should be
obeyed or defed. The mere fact that
the defendants were officers of organ
lied labor in America, said the court,
lent Importance to the cause and add
ed to the gravity of the situation, but
1t should not be permitted to influence
the result.
IF an organization of citizens, how
ever large" the court held, may dis
obey the mandates of the court, the
same reasoning would render them
subject to individual defiance. Both
are subject to the law and neither is
above it. If citizen. though he may
honestly believe his rights have been
invaded may elect when and to what
extent he will obey the mandates of
the court and the requirements of law
as interpreted by the court. instead OF
not only the courts but the government
itself would become powerless|and So
ciety would be reduced to a state of
anarchy"
Continue Boycott.
The action of the supreme court of
the District of Columbia in sentencing
Gompers. Mitchell and Morrison to II.
nine and six months Imprisonment I'm
Jail. respectively was the result of the
failure of these defendants to obey the
order of the court directing them TO
desist fromA placing the Bucks Stove
and Range company OF st. Louis, on
their unfair list" and in the prosecu-
ton of their boycott against the cor
poration.
The boycott placed by the Federation
against the Bucks Stove and Range
grew out of a fight made by
the metal poishers' union and sup
ported by the federation for an eight |
instead of n nine hour day. This was
resisted by the company and the Fed
erationist published the name of the |
under the caption I'VE Don't
j
Held for Contempt.
The proceedings against the officers |
IF the federation We're begun on Aug |
10, 1907, by the company. The injunc-
ion against the boycott was issued by |
Columbia. The case went to the court
II appeals of the District of Columbia.
references TO the company continuing
n the Federationist and on speeches
md writings OF the defendants, they
we're cited for contempt. They were
ound guilty and sentenced to impris-
'nment in the district Jail, but were
'eleased on bail. Last March, the
ourt of appeals modified the District
upreme courts injunction decree by
ddhg to the injunction the words ain
of said boycott" This
notification was looked upon by the
ttorneys for the defendants as mater
ally affecting the proceedings for con-
empt They claimed that had those
rords appeared in the orginial injunc-
ion the contempt proceedings never
ould have been decided against them.
The labor leaders probably will at
empt to appeal the case to the U. s.
upreme court. but in some quarters
here is a doubt as to the right of ap-
eal.
Dissenting Opinion.
Chief Justice Sheppard in his dis
enting opinion. held that the decree
hould be reversed because he was
onvinced that the lower court was
'ithout authority to make the only or
er which the defendants could be said
D have disobeyed