The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-13
THE GOMPERS
SENSATION
Walker Writes About the Anti
Boycott Finding of Judge
Wright.
By Ernest G.. Walker.


tive and legislative branches of gov
eminent had kept the country stirred
during the early weeks of December
No sooner had the legislative branch
adjourned, however, and the executive
assumed calmer aspect than the Judi
ciary, the sole remaining branch of the
Federal government, proceeded to the
center of the national stage.
Just before the Christmas quiet was
descending upon the great official and
governmental center, Judge Daniel
Thew Wright, of the Supreme Court of
the District Of Columbia, rendered a
decision declaring President Samuel
Gompers, Vice President John Mitchell
and Secretary Frank Morrison, all of
the American Federation OF labor. in
contempt. This was for violating
former order of the same court in what
IS known as the Bucks Stove and Range
Company case, forbidding the prosecu-
ton Of boycott. Gompers, after max,
ing dramatic speech in the court
room, was sentenced to jail for year:
Mitchell for nine months and Morrison
for six months. They were released
on bond, Gompers for $1,000; Mitchell.
for $4,000 and Morrison for $4,000 and
are still at large. But the decision Of
the court has aroused Washington and
the country. The case has become cele-
brated
The great volume of mail and tele-
grams always coming Washingtonward
increased tremendously. President
Roosevelt was overwhelmed with wire
messages and other requests to pardon
the condemned men, Mr.. Gompers
probably had as many messages of SYM
pathy and encouragement from all over
the country, but chiefly, of course, from
labor bodies and their sympathizers.
Too Early for Pardon.
As matter of fact President Roose.
welt could not pardon the three men
| at present if he would, for they have
carried their case to the Court of APP
peals of the District Columbia, where
| IN the course of a few months three
| justices will decide whether the labor
| leaders We're really in contempt and
| really did violate the injunction against
! boycotting the Bucks Stove and Range
| Company. Perhaps the Court of APP
peals will get around to decide the case
| by. early summer and some time next
winter, a year from now, it will prob
ably come up for another decision from
/ the Supreme Court of the United States.
In the meantime Mr. Taft will be
President and If the labor men lose all
along the line and it is finally decided
| they must 60 to jail. it will be for Mr..
| Taft to decide whether he cares to par
don the men or to mitigate their SEN
| tences.
| Of the legal merits of the case. prob
ably few but lawyers are qualified to
pass intelligent judgment Apart from
such considerations, however. are polit-
zeal considerations and so it has hap.
pened that Washington, political city,
has been moved profoundly
Frequent statements have been heard
that Judge Wright imposed too severe
penalties and that thereby he eontribut.
ed to a condition where the condemned
men could better pose as martyrs. He
asserted, however, that Gompers, Nit
chell. and Morrison had shown 'sutter,
rampant insolent defiance. unrefned in
suit, coarse affront and vulgar indig-
nity' toward the court A yerv large
portion of the population, apparently
believes Judge Wright was entirely
fcorrect in his conclusions. On the other
hand the boycott raises the controversy
/ between labor and capital under the
| modern conditions of industry in this
country.
No Magnate Yet Jailed.
| Some men We're quick to observe
| that the government, while fighting the
| corporations for a numbers Of years,
had been strangely unable to get any
corporation magnates into jail but had
| been agile in clapping sentence up
on the first labor leaders that came
within court s jurisdiction. This and
| like argument made an impression with
President Roosevelt who, after a day
| or two of agitation, intimated that he
| would be glad to consider the mitiga-
| ton of the sentences We're it not that
the men had appealed and there was
| nothing for him to do in the ease as
| long as appeal was pending. He also
| made it known that he had instructed
the Department of Justice to follow
! the proceedings closely and to keep him
| fully informed
President Gompers frought the Re-
| publicans earnestly in the last cam
paign, as did Secretary Morrison, al
| though Mr.. Mitchell was in the main.
non committal. President Roosevelt
| discharged his heaviest ammunition
| against Mr. Gompers, whenever it fitted
| the political exigencies of the campaign,
| hut there are indications now that.
having witnessed the humiliation of
Mr.. Gompers before the courts he would
| be glad to show him some marked favor.
such as pardon would imply But,
! as already pointed out, it may remain
for Mr.. Taft, as President. to do that
| Then again the head of the Bucks
| Stove and Range COMPANY is Mr.. Van
| Cleave, head of the National Assocla-
| tion of Manufacturers He is reckon
ed as labor s implacable foe He was
prominent in fighting their leaders dur
ing the late presidential campaign. The
decision was a striking victory for him
and made the defeat all the more BIT
| ter for Gompers and his associates.
Publication of Unfair Lists.
The right of organized labor to pub
lish an "Unfajr List or .Don t
| Patronize List which amounts to a
a hpyeof+ * tho