Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-11-10
LEADERS lose
Gompers, Morrison and Mitch
ell Not Sustained in Appeal.
ONE APPEAL YET FOR THEM.
Penalty of imprisonment by Lower
Court, For Contempt to be Fought
to the End.

Washington, Special.AThe decree
of the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia adjudging President
Samuel Gompers, Secretary Frank
Morrison and Vice President John
Mitchell of the American Federation
of Labor guilty of contempt of court
in the Bucks Stove and Range CASE
! was affirmed Tuesday by the court of
appeals of the District Of Columbia.
The cast will now be taken to the SUI
preme Court Of the United States.
Chief Justice Sheppard dissented
from the opinion of the court on con-
stitutional grounds.
The court held that the fundament-
al issue was whether the constitution
al agencies of the government should
be obeyed or defed. The mere fact
that the defendants were the officers
of organized labor in America, said
the court, lent Importance to the
cause and added to the gravity Of the
situation, but it should not be per-
mitted to influence the result.
Courts Decision.
eff the organization of citizens,
however large" the court held, ''may
disobey 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 a citizen, though he may
honestly believe that his rights have
been invaded, may elect who and to
what extent he will obey the man
dates of the court and the require
ments Of the law as interpreted by
the court, instead Of pursuing the or
derby course of appeal, not only the
courts but government itself would
become powerless and surely would
be reduced to a state Of anarchy"
The action of the Supreme Court
of the District Of Columbia in sem
fencing Samuel Gompers, John Mitch
ell and Frank Morrison of the Anleri-
can Federation of Labor to II, 9 and
6 months Imprisonment in Jail re.
sepctively, was the result Of the fail.
ure of these three defendants to obey
the order of the court directing them
to desist from placing the Bucks
Stove & Range Company Of st.
Louis, Mo-, on their unfair list in the
prosecution of their boycott against
the corporation.
While the name of the corporation
was renewed from the unfair list Of
the federation, Messrs. Gompers and
Mitchell continued to keep alive the
boycott by frequent references to it
in The Federationist, the official or
gan of the federation. Mr.. Mitchell
was involved in the trouble by reason
of his membership On the executive
board Of the federation and because
it was alleged he had made no effort
to prevent the adoption Of a resolu-
ton at, the convention Of the United
Mine Workers Of America In antagg-
onism to the Bucks Stove s Range
Company. The result of the boycott
it was said was to cause a decline IN
the business of the stove and ranga
company Of SO per cent.
The boycott placed by the fedora
ton against the products of the
Bucks Stove & Range Company grew
out of a fight made by the metal poll
ishers' union and supported by the
federation for an eight instead of a
nine hour day. This was resisted by
the company and The Federationiss
published the name of Bucks Stove &
Range Company under the caption OF
owe Don't Patronize."
Gomper's Comment on Decision.
New York, Special.-President
Samuel Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor, issued a state
ment in regard tothe decision.
"With all due respect to the major
ity of the court l cannot surrender
constitutionally guaranteed rights be-
u q Judge will issue an injunction
invading and denying these rights.
Chief Justice Sheppard's dissenting
opinion is in defense of the constitu-
tional and inherent rights. Minority
opinions Of courts in the past in
which human rights have been invad-
ed have ultimately prevailed, become
the law of the land and the generally
accepted rule of life, and 1 have an
| abiding faith that the rule in this
case will prove no exception.
"If I must go to Jail | shall have
the consciousness Of the fact that
other men have il the past been co1a-
peeled to suffer in defense Of justice
and right in the cause of humanity
and for the maintenance Of human
liberty.
81 intend to stay over here We'd
nesday to finish my report for-the an
nual. convention at Toronto and also
to attend the wedding Of the daugh-
ter of a very dear friend Of mine,
but [ am going to change my plans
ard shall leave so l can get into
Washington as soon as I can. l
want to be within the jurisdiction of
the court whatever disposal is made
of the case"
MIR. Van Cleave's Comment.
St. Louis. Special. w. Van
W.. &c +bo R,oE' &c Stove