The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-10
GOMPERS RETTRES IN A huff
BITTER WORDS Ar 4 SOtItE
GIENCE DsSCI SSION.
AntI-tn Junction Debate IN Phtladelplsla
Turns Int Ciaah- tsN-C SagTessGan
LIttIesleld and I.abSr Leader halstsn
Become Exettrd- G0lRpers's TlmeCUt

PHILADELPHIA. April a-This morn
/ ing's session of the conference OF the
American Academy Of Social and Political
I Science in Mitherspoon Hall resolved
itself into a heated encounter between
corporation lawyers and representative
Of organized labor The subject under
discussion was The Scope and Limits
OF the Injunction.
Ex-ConGressman Charles \. LittIetisld
Of Maine. who was opposed in politics
by the Federation % Labor. made direct
attack upon J. n. Ralston Of Washington.
one OF the foremost defenders OF the
labor party. When taken to task for
the alleged unfairneas OF his assault MIR
Littleheld refused to retract. hut reiter-
ated his statements.
samuel Gompers. president OF the
American Federation OF Labor. retired
from the platform in a hun because Mr..
IittIefeld had consumed more than an
hour with his anti-labor arguments and
Gompcrs was cut OF after fifteen minutes
given On outlining the attitude OF labor
toward the injunction.
The feeling shown by the speakers
was the effect. Il 10 said. of their personal
interest in the matter they discussed.
In IpD2 RAlston appeared before q Con-
grsss committee Of which Iittletield was
a member and denounced the use Of in
functions and the appeal to court in equity
The meeting to-day was presided over
10y Charles p. Neill. Commissioner Of labor
Of the United States. who gave q brief
eSpO~i ION Of the position OF both sides
on the matter Of the injunction.
nasHa-
reAentaiive Littlefield's attack. Mr. Raj
ston Said that by no possible legal con
struction can the court he invested with
the right to prohibit q group Of men from
reGraininG and getting their friends to re-
frain from doing business with a certain
firm. nor has It the right to interfere with
personal liberty. He defined the juris-
dictIOn OF the Injunction a. extending
rights Ia defend property only and not
to protect business. He scored the I'm
conscious has Of Judges which places
their sympathy with the established order
to which thew by birth belong
In his address Mr. Ralston quoted
from the English Law Of 1904. and !, was
this quotation which aroused Mr.. Little
field . ire on the ground that u was in
complete. detached. bias~ed and calcu-
lated to deceive the audience.
The injunction as defined by MIR Little
field " "A preventive measure. Tn do
away with the possible .nhtcston
of irreparable injury. AZ such ne de-
Tended it- usage IN preventing loss OF
business in strikes.
Mr. IAttlefield in the heat of his argu-
meut said that the Legislature has no
power a. limit the issuance or duration
of injunctions He declared the court
Of equity - supreSue. not subject. to the
dictates Of politicians who form the
legislative body. and he scored the ball
now before Congress TO dissolve the
temporary restraining order int seven
days The plank in the Republican plat
form regarding the injunction he destR-
anted a. a tub thrown TO a whale. the
whale being the labor party
After the orAtory 81 Mr. Attlefietd
Andrew Fur,lseth the Washington labor
leader. who acknowledged himself 20 be
a free workman with a limited education,
spoke on the injustice Of the injunction
lssued in times Of boycott and strike.
Gompar- maintained the right u the
injunction To prohibit assaults. arson or
destruction ~ property, or any act which
can be specifically punished 10y law. but
he denied emthat!ually ia right to give
the employer property rights over the
employee
The other SIDE OF the controversy was
taken by James A Emery general counsel
- the National Council for Industrial
defence az Washington. who decta red the
courts are not pre- iudiced or corrupted
bv capital interest in labor disputes