The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-05-18
GOMPERS FREED
BY HIGH COURT
Decided That Labor Leaders
Were Not il Contempt.
TRIO LIABLE TO FINE ONLY
Ruling in Famous Bucks Stove Boy
colt is That Proceedings Were
Civil and Not Grim.
inal.

washington, May 16.-The Supreme
court of the United States set aside
the sentences Of Imprisonment against
President Samuel Gompers, Vice-Pres-
ident John Mitchell and Secretary
Frank Morrison of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor. The sentences were
imposed by the district supreme court
for contempt in the Bucks boycott
case.
Declares Gompers Sentences Error.
The court decided that the fedora
ton officials had been enormously
sentenced to Jail on charge of con-
tempt of local court.
The justices unanimously held that
fines were the only sentences that
could be imposed on the labor lead
erS.
In SO holding, the Supreme court
of the United States found that the
court of appeals of the District of Co
lumbia and the supreme court of the
district erred in treating the contempt
proceedings as a criminal case and
not civil one The effect of hold
ing the proceedings civil one was to
make Jail sentences impossible.
Hence the Jail sentences had to be set
aside
Opens Way for Civil Suit.
To correct the error the case was
sent back to the local courts, with di,
rection that 1t be dismissed. At the
same time the court expressly made
1t possible for civil proceedings to be
instituted against the labor men.
The court was led to hold that the
contempt proceedings in this case
must be civil in nature because Grim
inal punishment is exercised by courts
to force persons to do acts command
ed. In the present case the court took
the view that the labor men were be.
ing sent to Jail not to make them do
something the court ordered but be-
cause of something they had done"
Inasmuch as all the differences be-
tween the labor men and the com
plainant have been adjusted, including
the boycott" case out of which the
contempt proceedings arose. the deci
sion is probably the last heard of this
famous action.
Litigation on Boycott" Issue.
The charges of contempt against
Messrs. Gompers, Mitchell and Nor
rison arose out of bitter labor wal
between organized labor and the
Bucks Stove & Range company of St
Louis.
The concern had come into the SUI
preme court of the District of Column
bia to prevent, by injunction, the
American Federation of Labor and its
Off cials from boycotting its own prod.
ucts or the business of those who
dealt with it.
The company claimed that the fed
Grafton was trying to unionize the
company's shops. The labor leaders
urged that the company was unfair"
to labor. The head of the company
was ]. W. Van Cleave, president of the
National Manufacturers association,
which had often come into conflict
with the federation. He was charged
with having been opposed to organ
lied labor.
"Unfair List" Causes Trouble.
Justice Gould of the district SUI
preme court issued the Injunction
prayed for by the company. and con-
tinued publication of the Bucks firms
name in the federation I'VE do not
patronize" list led to the contempt
charges.
Justice Wright found the union Off
| GERS guilty and sentenced President
Gompers to one year In Jail; Vice
President Mitchell to nine months,
and Secretary Morrison to six months.