Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-01-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 26.-The
most interesting event that has occur
red since the adjournment of Congress
has been the conviction of labor lead
ers for contempt of an injunction SEN
tence. President Gompers was sentenc-
ed to serve twelve months; vice presi-
dent Mitchell, nine months and Secre-
tary Morrison, six months. This SEN
tence was imposed by Judge Wright
who was appointed judge of the Sup
RENE Court of the District of Columbia
by President Roosevelt, on the recon-
mendation of Senator Foraker about |
three years ago. Judge Wright's deci-
sion was one of unusual length, oc-
cupying seventy typewriter pages and
| requiring over two hours in the delive-
ry Its language was remarkable in
its strong and positive arraignment and
what he called the vulgar and arrog-
ant attitude of the defendants and
their defiance of the court in which |
their cause had been pending" The |
decision of the court is discussed every
where and it will doubtless have a
decided effect upon the future relations
of organized labor. Many kilograms
and letters are pouring in upon the
President from labor leaders through
out the country, who appear to think
that he can interfere peremptorily with
hn Ontt Of Ian IF ,aI,
ence on the part of the executive is, of
course, out of the question. He can,
if he desires to do SO, exercise his par
doning power, but not until the sent
ence has matured and the condemned
are behind the bars. Inasmuch as
| Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison hav e
taken an appeal and will probably
carry their case to the Supreme Court of
the United States, President Roosevelt
will have no opportunity to act on the
case, but it may come before President
Taft on petition for pardon. 1t cannot
be predicted, ofcourse, what Judge Taft |
will do after he becomes President |
Taft, but those who have been looking |
up the decisions of Judge Taft while on |
the United States Bench, have found |
that he sentenced labor leader to Jail |
for contempt and that the man served |
his sentence If Messrs. Gompers,
Mitchell and Morrison carry our their
expressed discrimination to refuse to
ask for pardon, it is believed that
President Taft will act consistently and
in a line with the decision of Judge
Taft.
While 1t is pretty well und erstood
that Congress will do nothing more
during the short two months remain
ing of this session, than pass the ap-
preparation bills and that the tariff
question will be put off until the spe-
cial session for its consideration is con-
vened, it is nevertheless a fact that this
question is so important that other
questions are minified in comparison.
During the recent tariff discussion be-
fore the Ways and Means Committee,
the President of the Harvester Trust
testified that so far as he was concern
ed, all duties on agricultural nipple
ments might be removed. This trust,
it appears, produces more than half
the total supply of agricultural nipple
ments made in the United States and
has also large export trade. 1t has
no need of protection and notwith-
standing the high prices paid to its
employees, it can make and sell cheap {
er than any of it's competitors, here or
abroad. The president Of the trust adj
vises duty of 20 per cent. on imports !
from any country which did not give
the United States the lowest tariff ac-
corded to other countries. 1t is a curl
Gus fact that this great trust, the steel
trust, as.represented in Mr.. Carnegie's
testimony, and other great trusts, ap-
pear to be Indifferent to protection,
while it is the small manufacturers who
are solicitous for continued or greater
protection. The tariff Investigations
have developed an interesting situation
in this respect. Representatives of the
trusts avow that they can get along
protective tariff but that the
smaller manufacturers would not fare .
so well. One automobile manufact-
urer asked that the tariff on automo-
biles should be reduced one-half Mr..
Payn and Mr.. Dalzell tried for long
time to get his reasons for such a
unique request, but the nearest they
could get was his answer that it would !
to better feeling all around
TO have lower tariff. 1t is evident I
that the state of tariff opinion in the
is very different now from r
what it was when the Dingley Bill was j
passed. II
The President and his friends in the r
Army and the Navy.are working might e
md mainfor improved conditions in b
he military and naval services of the
United States. The President will not t.
De able to persuade much in the way fl
If legislation during the esss yo '
Yoptbc ron, h r,,