The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-29
SPECTACULAR LEGAL FIGHT BE
TWEEN ORGANIZED LABOR
AND CAPITAL IN FINAL STAGE
SUPREME COURT ARGUMENT
Famous Boycott Case Of Bucks
Stove G. Range Company Against
the American Federation OF
abor.

Washington, D. c.. an. 27.-One
OF the most spectacular legal bat
Ties ever waged between capital and
orzanized labor reached its final
stages today when the supreme
court Of the United States took up
for oral argument the famous It'll
CATION 5y the Bucks Stove and
Range Company OF st. Louis, Mo"
AGAINST the American Federation Of
Labor.
The contending forces started
their fight to determine the legality
OF the boycott" That was in the
supreme court OF the District OF
Columbia. But today when the con
test was renewed before the su-
preme court Of the United States,
the main issue had been crowded
out of the limelight by an incident
al one. Now, the burning issue is
whether the principal officials OF
the American Federation Of Labor
are to 90 TO jail on charges OF
contempt of court.
Because they failed to obey the
Injunction issued by the district su-
preme court in the original case,
Samuel Gompers, president OF the
Federation, Is under sentence to
serve twelve months in jail; John
Mitchell, vice president of the Fed.
Grafton, to serve nine months; and
Frank Morrison, its secretary, to
serve six months.
Fighting for the American FEEDER
alton of Labor and its officials are
Alton b. Parker, former democratic
presidential candidate; Jackson IL
Ralston, Frederick l.. Siddons, VII
liam Il Richardson and John T
Walker. Opposed to them as the
representatives of the Bucks stove
and Range Company are Daniel Dav
cnport and j. J. Darlington.
The Bucks Stove and Range Com
pany was selling stoves and range!
throughout the United States at tn,
time the suit began. II was doing ;
business OF Sl,250,OOO a year.
complained that the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor and its member
were conspiring TO ruin its business
by means of boycott. The cour
was asked to grant an injunction
against continuation OF the eff
forts and particularly TO restrain
the American Federation of Labol
from printing in its official organ
/ the American Federationist, tn,
name of the company as being or
/ the "We-don't patronizo-list." The
/ opposition of the Federation was al
/ legged to be due to a strike of meta
/ polishers in the shops of the com
/ pany
The supreme court OF the Distric
Of Columbia issued the injunction
The court of appeals of the district
modified the decree in several ways
the principal modification being
based on the holding that the in
junction against the publication OF
the companys name on the We
don't patronizc-list' should be eff
fectiye only when the publication
was in furtherance of such a boy
colt" In so doing. il is contended
that the lower court made a dis
tinction between boycott Of the
company by the members of organ
lied labor and boycott of the
members against the company's Gus.
toners who refused to stop dealing
with the company. 1t is urged that
only the second kind OF boycott was
held Illegal.
Both sides appealed from this de.
cision. The manufacturing company
believed that it did not 20 far
enough, and the defendant took the
position that it went too far.
The attorneys for the American
Federation of Labor contend that
each one OF the defendants had a
right 10 refuse to patronize those
who dealt with the stove and range
company and therefore could COM
bine in refusing. II is said that what