Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-10
LEADERS
TO TAKE APPEAL
TRADE UNIONS TO SUPPORT
A. F. OF L. OFFICERS
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison, To-
eether. with Others in Official
Position, Will Be Reelected
at Convention in Toronto
tBy Associated Press.l

LBy Associated Press.1
TORONTO. Nov.i 9.-If President
Samuel Gompers, Vice President John
Mitchell and Secretary Frank Morrison
of the American Federation of Labor
eventually have to serve jail sentences
for contempt of court 1t will not be due
to lack Of support from trades
unionism.
The executive council of the fedora
ton recommended to the annual con-
vention today an appeal be taken 10
the United States supreme court, both
in the Buck Stove and Range COM
pany's injunction case and in the con-
tempt proceedings growing out or II.
That the convention will ratify the
recommendation seems certain ana that
the three labor leaders and their fellow
officers will be reelected for another
year is predicted.
A vigorous denunciation of the use of
labor injunctions and of the denial or
the trial by jury was embodied in the
councils report today. The report said:
I'VE again enter our protest against
applying the writ of injunction In labor
disputes (unless where an injunction
would lie if there were no labor dis
putes). We hold the ordinary use OF
the Injunction writ in contentious be-
tween workers and employers is an un-
warranted interference with the rights
and liberties of the workers, and is in
tended and its influence used to intlml-
date workers especially when they are
engaged in a struggle for improved
working conditions.
Did Not Have Trial by Jury
'It should be borne in mind that in
these proceedings Messrs. Gompers,
Mitchell and Morrison did not have the
constitutional right of trial by jury.
A II Al. ,s,.a Tor in n
prove that conviction would not have
followed if the case had been sub
mitted on it's merits to a jury of their
peers. We hold that, excepting where
contempt is in the presence of the
court, the liberty of no citizen should
be committed to the keeping of any one
man, regardless of who he may be or
what position he may hold; on the con-
trary we hold a citizen charged with
the violation of an injunction, the
penalty for which involves imprison-
nent, should have the same legal right
to a trial by jury that is always ac-
corded to a person charged with viola
tion of the criminal law. To deny the
right of trial by jury is to take from
the people the protection and priceless
heritages which were secured by them
after centuries of perseverance, strug-
gle, sacrifice, exile and even martyr
dom. ....
Whatever difference of opinion may
exist among men as to any controversy
between labor and capital, no good
citizen of our country who treasures
freedom can rest secure until trial by
Jury becomes so we'll recognized and so
firmly established in our legal 1urts-
prudence that no man will ever again
attempt to deny this essential and his
torical right"
To Recommend Men for Bench
The council also recommended that
organized labor take up action looking
toward the naming of suitable citizens
to fill vacancies which may occur in
the supreme court of the United States
and in the lesser federal courts.
On the subject of old age pensions
the council reported bill providing for
the organization of "Old Age Home
Guard" to be composed of persons
more than 65 years of age who do not
own property worth more than $500,
or whose incomes do not exceed $240
per year. If this bill is passed by
congress these persons may make ap-
pication to the secretary of war for
"pension enlistment" and shall receive
from the government $120 per year in
quarterly installments.
The report recommends that every
effort be made to assist in the work of
conservation of natural resources. A
continuation of work among organized
labor is urged and each affiliated or
-ganization is asked more thoroughly
to advertise the names of firms which
employ union labor and conduct their
establishments under sanitary condi-
tions."
The executive council announced the
revocation of a nur1ber of charters for
failure to comply with the constitution,
among them being those at Ogden,
Utah, and Everett, Wash,