The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-27
Supreme Court of United
States Hears the Case In
volving Gompers, Mitchell,
Morrison.
LABOR LEADERS ARE
MAKING HARD FIGHT
Are Now Under Sentences
Imposed by District of Co
lumbia Supreme Court
Sketch of Case.
(American News Service)

(American News Service)
were begun today in the supreme
court on the most famous labor case
in the history of the country-that in
volving Samuel Gompers, John
Mitchell. and Frank Morrison, presi-
dent. former vice-president and sec
retary respectively of the American
Federation of Labor. Attorney Darl-
ington made the opening argument
The arguments were on the appeal
from the decision of the supreme
court of the District of Columbia
which on December %, 1908, sent
enced the three men to prison. The
litigation which resulted in the sent
ences begun in August, 1907, when the
Bucks Stove and Range company of
st. Louis. brought suit in the supreme
court of the District of Columbia to
restrain the American Federation OF
Labor from boycotting it's goods.
To Stop Boycotting.
The company sought to stop the
boycotting by an Injunction on the
ground that it was illegal under the
common law and combination in re
straint of trade
The suit was filed by the company
through James vanCleave, its pres
ident. who is now dead.
The bill told of the strike of the
companE's metal poliaharars and of the
boycott which was declared by the
Metal Polishers' Union when the
company refused to grant its de
mands.
Subsequently the American Fedora
ton of Labor made the boycott gen
eral against the company's good.
throughout the United States
| Mr.. VanCleave was also president
of the National Association of Manu-
facturers, which backed the Buck.
company in the fight.
! The suit was brought in the Distric
of Columbia because the headquar
ters of the American Federation o.
! Labor is in this city.
The application for an injunction
was argued in November, 1907 Or
December II, 1907, Justice Ashley NJ
Gould granted temporary injunction
restraining the federation from con
tinuing its boycott against the stove
company.
Made Il Permanent.
Chief Justice Harry NJ. Claybougl
of the supreme court of the District O
Columbia, after full hearing made
the temporary Injunction permanent
on March 25, 1905 The final decree
including the American Federation O
Labor, Samuel Gompers, Frank Nor
rison, John Mitchell and other mem
bers of the legislative council of tn.
the name of the Bucks company ii
the Federationist I'VE don't patron
ize" list. The defendants were als<
enjoined from conspiring, agreeing o.
combining in any manner to restrain
obstruct or destroy the business o
the complainant and from publishing
or distributing through the mails an.
matter referring to the business O
the complainant as unfair or attempt
ing to coerce others from patroniz
ing the frm."
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison
appealed to the court of appeals O
the District of Columbia They filet
bond, but took no legal action to oh
tain stay pending the determination
of the appeal In the January mum
ber of the Federationist, published af
ter the Injunction, the unfair" lis
appeared as usual. containing tn,
name of the Bucks company.
| On January 20. 1908, petition wa
filed by the Bucks Stove and Rang,
company in the supreme court of tn.
District of Columbia, asking tina
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison b,
required to show cause why the.
should not be punished for contemp
of court in violating the injunction.
Found Them Guilty.
/ Justice Daniel T. Wright, the pre-
siding judge, found the defendant.
guilty, and sentenced Gompers t.
serve one year, Mitchell nine months
and Morrison six months in the Tn
tied States Jail here. The decision
was sustained by the court of appeals
of the District Of Columbia March II
last.
/ An appeal in the case was takeI
then to the supreme court OF the Un
lited States.
A decision in the case is expected
soon after the verdicts In the Tobac
CO Trust, Standard Oil and Corpora
ton tax cases are handed down, prob
ably in April
Peace was declared several months
ago between the Bucks Stove an,
Range company and the American
Federation of Labor in an agreemen
by which the boycott was withdrawn