The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-02-10
HAT TIERS
Will Fight Their Case to
the Last Ditch to
Secure Justice
Says Supreme
Court is Responsible
for Decision by Declar-
ing Unions Trusts.

Attorneys for the IIatters' Union, who
suffered defeat in the United States court
Saturday when the jury in the case of
D. E. Loewe & Co., of Danbury, against
Martin Lawlor and 200 others, alleging
conspiracy and restraint of trade under
the Sherman antitrust law, awarded the
plaintiffs 1925, 200, and preparing to con-
test the verdict to the highest court.
Unless the damages can be set aside
or at least greatly lessened, labor men
realize that boycotting manufacturers in
the United States must virtually be at
an end, and the defendants have instruct
ed their counsel to use the last appeal,
II necessary, to saTe to the cause of
union labor one of the most formidable
weapons it has welded against employ
ers.
Although Judge James p Platt has
set March as the date on which he will
entertain motion to set aside the ver-
rdiet, it is understood from the court 's
charge to the jury that no such motion
will be granted. AS lawyers now view
the case, the only chance for the Hatters
w 1SlIleNe lucISclNeS Will De TO nave
the verdict set aside by the Circuit Court
of Appeal.
Judge Robert E. De Forest, of coun-
sci for the defendants, in the Danbury
Hatters' case, announced etoday that q
motion is now pending the Circuit Court
to upset the verdict of the jury, upon
the ground that the damages awarded
EXCESSIVE and hot bn Jofo
take the case to the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals, and to the Supreme
Court if necessary.
Judge De Forest, in n statement made
today, devotes some time to the disap-
pointment Of the jury because the facts
were not left to the jury, and he said:
In the opinion of the defense the
charge of Judge Plat, though undoubt-
edly conscientious and entitled to great
respect, is erroneous.
1T is repungent to the very purposes
of the Sherman antitrust law
Such is the opinion of Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fedora
tion of Labor, upon the verdict of $222,-
600 rendered Saturday by the jury in
the United States Court at Hartford.
Conn.,, against the 200 Union hat makers
of Connecticut for losses alleged % have
been sustained by d. B. Loewe, of Dan
bury, Conn, during boycott of his
firm.
''There is the fact said Gompers in
statement today, "of the labor organ
izations brought under the Sherman anti
trust law by the Interpretation of the
United States Supreme Court, the volun-
tary organization of the workers govern
ing their personal rights. A labor or
ganization is not organized for profit
nor to deal in the products of labor, it
simply undertakes to aid the men in the
protection of their personal rights.
"The court has decided that such an
| association organized not for profit but
for the benefits of their personal rights
and interests, comes under the Sherman
! antitrust law. 1t is repungent to the
very purposes of the law. I hope and
| expect that an appeal will be taken but
| after all, the injury involved is in the
| decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States under which the labor or
carnations are brought and the Sher
| man anti-trus. law, and which will have
to be rectifed by an act of Congress.
THE thing for which the Hatters
Union is now mulcted in damages anG
| for which any labor organization may be
muleted, is distinctly legal in Germany
and SO decided by its highest judicia
courts, and by the trades dispute act
! passed by the British Parliament in 1906