New-York tribune., 1909-01-05
MITCHELL ON BOYCOTT
Cheered by Women Unionists as ne
Discusses Sentence.

John Mitchell who with President Gornpers anu
Secretary Morrison of the American Federauon
OF Labor. has been sentenced to imprisonment "
Judge Wright for contempt Of court was reeeissu
enthusiastically last night when he spoke AT the
meeting Of the women's Trade Union League IN
the Manhattan Trade School The hail ana sai,
leres were packed before tie meeting opened ano
many were outside clamoring for admission VINO
could not get in.
Miss Leonora oReTy WAS speaking when Mr
Mitchell arrived The audience cheered for three
minutes.
Since I became associated with the Civic Fed
Grafton and before that time believe In strikes
| as a last resort" said Mr.. Mitchell in his speech
"Rut If persuasion is useless I say that the work.
ers should strike, and strike hard II It is neces-
sary.'
| And boycott" shouted a from the body OF
the hall. There were Kisses and cheering. "heh
the cheering subsided, Mr. Mitchell said:
have the right to spend my money as ! please please
and for what please No man has any pp1 propeTcy
in America can compel me to buy from an unfair
rm advise ali 70 stand By their rights Pro Or
that hpgs s3c d within t the S eeH o
me. Some of us may have to go to jail "a
! yoice-"You won't go > -
good deal to 90 with strikes and handled the great
sr b But hf want he Working to
that although as salaried officer Of the IRA fpaae
! try bring about peace would be the last man
to advise & you to surrender d gonr u H f0
/
essary. though. as a weapon it should be the last
| to be used.
Then after referring free speech and the free
dom of the press. Mr. Mitchell said:
! These are rights for which Samuel Gompers
/ Frank Morrison and John Mitchell may go to jail
| for assertng-the right to critcise. This is not
| the time TO discuss the matter, but labor VIII
/ the unions. which have always been the most
loyal agencies in supporting the laws and the
Constitution. We will discuss the matter before
/ a larger audience than even this one-the great
audience of the citizens of this country:
| These liberties which inherited will not be
lightly yielded. The Incarceration OF few men
will not stife the labor movement, law-a abiding and
! digntfled as 1t has always been. There are 100
many other to carry it along, some Of them
probably better than Samuel Gompers, Frank Nor
| rison and John Mitchell.
| He was repeatedly interrupted by cheering. When
| he took up the organization of women workers
he referred briefly to woman suffrage and again
| brought forth loud applause. d.
| Resolutions of sympathy with Gompers, Mitchell
and Morrison passed. They condemned gov
ernment by injunction.
| The preamble read:
Judge Wright, of the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia. has rendered a decision In tho
! case of the Buck Stove and Range Company
against the American Federation of Labor, where
Secretary Morrison of the American Federation of
| Labor have been declared in contempt of court
and have been sentenced to prison for alleged vio-
latiOn an Injunction which prohibited them from
decision means that men and women in the indus
| trial struggle will be deprived of the right TO aT-
peal to the conscience of the American public tpr
its support In maintaining decent conditions, short
| er hours and living wages, which essential to
| the American standard OF living and essential to
the perpetuating of true democracy.