New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-10
NELL STOPS G0MPERS
Latter Resents Action OF Science
Meeting Chairman.
INJUNCTION DISCUSSION
G. E.. Littlefield and j. H. Ralston
Clash-Samuel Untermyer
Would Curtail Press.

philadelpbia. April s.--An animated dis
cussion Of the old question OF the ISSUING
Of injunctions against labor ORGANIZATIONS
which stirred I'D considerable feeling among
the speakers: severe criticism OF the HAN
nor I'm which newspapers report criminal
court proceedings. and declarations that the
criminal insane should be treated the same
a. sane Offenders. were among the features
Of the closing sessions OF the anuu7l meet
ing Of the American Academy Of Political
and Social Science here to-day. Nicc-fTesi-
dent Sherman presided tonight.
The morning session was cnlivcned by an
acrimonious debate between J. II. Ralston.
of Washington. who spoke against injune-
tions in certsin cases. and eX-Consressaan
e. T. TLttIcheld, Of New York. who took
the opposite view At the close OF the same
session Samuel Gompers president OF the
American Federation Of Labor. VIII" vas
also speaking on the injunction question
was cut short By the adjournment OF the
meeting which had already ovSrrun us
time Mr. Gompers vas inCensed that he
had not received the same time rs other
speakers and charged that ne had not Dccn
fairly treated.
After Commissioner Of Labor Charles r.
NELL. who presided this morning. had ez-
planned the use OF injunctiOns, Mr.. Ralston'
who was one of the attorneys FOR GOmpers'
Mitchell and Morrison in the Buck stove
boycott case. denounced the misuse OF IN
functions and was followed I'm an address
by Mr.. Littlefeld who upheld the right OF
courts TO issue iniunctions in al eases
where the court is convinced that irrepara-
BILE damage is about TO i've done.
Challenges Ra!ston.
lie challenged every point in Mr.. Raj
ston's speech which opposed the issuing OF
iniunctions in certain cases and deficd him
to show one case IN which am injunction
was granted where the act charged would
not have been a crime Mr.. Littleheid
charged Mr. RalstOH with suppressins
much Of the English law which Mr.. Raj
ston quoted in defending the peaceful BOY
colt Mr. Ralstou denied the charge, and
the two were rapidly getting into Personal-
ties when Commissioner NELL ended the
debate by stating that he felt sure that
when the two speeches were printed the
members Of the academy would be able 20
decide for themselves the question under
discussion.
The interruption of Mr.. Gompers came at
the end Of the morning session, which ran
well into the afternoon. Mr.. Gompers had
SDOhtn against tilt " Siit VI tthiNH W iSTeA'
iniunctions In certain cases. and had cccu-
pied the platform about half an hour when
Chairman NELL arose and touched him on
the shoulder. informing him that his time
was up.
Mr. Gompers gathered I'D his notes in oo-
vious disgust and turned 90 resume his
chair
We'll" ne said. you allowed IittleheId
an hour and twenty minutes. but that's al
ways the way
Mr. Gompefs in opening his speech de-
MED that labor assailed the judges OF the
courts on the ground Of corruption.
To-day" he said, I've continue the old
conception Of master and servant in our
view Of the relations between employer
and emplOye. but this conception has come
to be that Of master and slave Our
Judges are men who, by training and envi-
ronment, are influenced TO a conception Of
the employers relations as that of mas
ter over servant.
When a court denies me the right %
speak TO a fellow man peaceably and with
his consent ] propose to speak with him
Notwithstanding. So far as an injunction
undertakes to restrain men from assault.
arson and the destruction of property, even
that / hold does not and can not lie in in
junction proceedings, Tor the DONG OF these
things is a crime for which the laws spe-
cifcally provide punishment. ] do not
speak as a lawyer, but layman. but
have the law rubbed so thoroughly against
my fur the wrong way on this subject
think know something Of the PROPOSE
ton"
Gompers "Sdetracked."
II was at this point that Mr.. Gompers's
speech was interrupted and he was practi-
caIIy 'sidetracked."
There Was an aftermath Of the breezy
morning session at the afternoon meeting.
when John Brooks Lcsvitt. chairman Of the
committee on criminal procedure Of the
New York State Bar Association, arose to
read his paper on TO what extent should
the insane be made amenablo to the crimi-
nal law" He said that ne wished 10 refer
to Mr. IitUe1eld and the latter's charge
that NJ. Ralston in his address had mis-
stated the law.
Il have been a member of the bar Of
New York city" he said. much longer
than Mr.. LittIefeld. aud | am counsel not
only for one Of the most hated corporations
I'm the United States but also for two large
labor unions, so that my position is abso-
lutely impartial. and I say to you that Ar
Littlcfield mjsstated the law.
1T is fortunate ror Mr.. Littlefeld that
he was admitted to- the bar of New York
-