The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-05-16

uenC ana secretary, respectively, OF
the American Federation of labor,
We're enormously sentenced to Jail
IN the charge of contempt of the local
court.
-gaRa.ayss
Decision Unanimous.
The court unanimously held that
the only sentences that could be i'm
posed on the labor leaders were fines.
In so holding the supreme court
found that the court of appeals of
tie District of Columbia and the su-
preme court of the District of Co.
lumbia erred in treating the contempt
proceedings as criminal case and
not civil one. One effect of holding
the proceeding tc be civil case was
to make jail sentences impossible
Hence the Jail sentence had to be
set aside. To correct the error the
case was sent back to the local courts
with the direction that it be dismiss
ed.
The court expressly made it possi-
Die for civil proceedings to be insti-
tuted against lator men by the Buck
Stove and Range company, at whose
instance%th original contempt case
was brought.
TIE 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 tc force persons to do acts
commanded. In the present case the
court took the view that the labor
E2en were teing sent to Jail. not to
make them do something the court or
dered, but because of something they
had done.
lnasmuch as all differences btween
the labor men and the Buck Stove
and Range company have been adjust
ed including the boycott case out
OF which contempt proceedings arose.
today's decision is probably the last
to be heard of this famous action.
Ihe charges Of contempt against
President Gompers, Vice President
Mitchell and Secretary Morrison arose
out of a bitter labor war between cr-
ganized labor and the Bucks Stove
and Range company, of st. Louis. Mo.
The st. Louis concern had come
into tie supreme court of the District
OF Columbia to prevent, by Injunction,
TIE American Endn ~,
and its officials from boycotting it's
own products or the business of those
who dealt with it. The question involv-
ed and the parties concerned attract
ed widespread attention. The COM
pany claimed that the federation was
trying to unionize the company's
shops. The labor leaders urged the
company was unfair" tc labor. The
head of the company was j. w. Van
Cleave, president of the National
Manufacturers association, which
had often come into conflict with the
federation. He was charged with
:avlng been opposed tc organized la
Dor, and with having sought tc put
his nickel plate workers on ten
hour instead of a nine-hour basis.
Bucks Company Defeated.
Justice Gould, of the District su.
preme court, issued the injunction
prayed for by the company. An ap.
peal was taken to the court of appeals
of the District of Columbia, but be-
fore that court could pass upon the
validity of the Injunction the Bucks
Stove and Range company again came
into the district supreme court, this
time with charges of contempt against
President Gcmpers, Vice President
Mitchell and Secretary Morrison.
These men were accused of having
violated the injunction decree.
Length Of Sentence. q
Justice Wright found them guilty
ands entenced President Gompers to
one year in jail; Vice Presiden,
Mitchell to nine months, and Secre.
tary Morrison to six months An ap.
peal was taken from this sentence
first to the court of appeals, which
affirmed 1t, and finally to the supreme
court of the United States, where II
is now pending.