The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-05-15
DECISION RENDERED
BY THE COURT TODAY
This Is the Outcome Of the
Famous Bucks Stove and
Range Case in Which Com
pany Got a Boycott Injunc-
tiOn Against Leaders.

Washington, ID. VI, May 10 setting
aside the sentences OF Imprisonment,
which were imposed by the supreme
court of the District of Columbia for
alleged diobedience to the boycott in
junction, the supreme court Of the
United States held to-day that Samuel
Gompers, John Mitchell and Frnk Nor
rison, president, viee-president and
secretary, respectively, of the American
Federation of Labor, have been err
roneously sentenced to jail on the
charge of contempt OF local court.
The court unanimously held that the
only sentence that could be imposed
upon the labor leaders were fines. In
asmuch as all the differences between
the labor men and the Bucks Stove
and Range company have been adjudi-
Gated, including the boycott case, out
of which the contempt proceedings arose,
to-day's decision is probably the last to
be heard of this action.
The charges OF contempt against
President Gompers, Vice-P President Nit
chell and Secretary Morrison arose out
OF bitter labor war between organ
lied labor and the Bucks Stove and
Range company of st. Louis, Mo.
The ST. Louis concern had come into
the supreme court of the Dis
trict of Columbia to precent any
injunction, the American Federation Of
Labor and its officials from boycotting
its own products or the business of
those who dealt with it. The ques-
tions involved and the parties con-
cerned attracted widespread attention.
The company claimed that the fedeiu-
tion was trying to unionize the com
pany's shops The labor leaders urged
that the company was unfair" to
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
having been opposed TO organized labor,
and with having sought to put his
nickel-plate workers on ten-hour in
stead Of nine-hour basis
Justice Gould OF the District supreme
court issued the injunction, prayed for
by the company An appeal was taken
to the court OF appeals of the District
of Columbia but before that court could
pass upon the validity of the iniunc-
tion, the Bucks Stove and Range com
pany again came into the District SUI
preme court, this time with charges OF
contempt against President Gompers,
Vice. President Mitchell and Secretary
Morrison. These men were accused of
having violated the injunction decree
Justice Wright found them guilty
and sentenced President Gompers to one
year in jail; vice-president Mitchell to
nine months; and Secretary Morrison,
to six months An appeal was taken
from this sentence, first to the court
of appeals, which affirmed it, and finally
to the supreme court of the United
States.
The alleged violations consisted of
utterances and acts in furtherance of
the boycott. It was charged that Mr.
Gompers had rushed out the January
number of the American Federationist,
the official organ of the American
Federation of Labor so as to evade the
decree, which went into effect the day
after most Of the magazines were ont
OF his hands This magazine contained
the name of the company on the we
was also alleged that number of
copies of this magazine were sent out
after the decree became effective. In
defense, testimony was presented to show
that only thirty odd copies were mailed
to libraries and other similar institu-
tions The complainant claimed that
about one hundred We're sent out
II was further charged that in the
succeeding number of The Federation
ist, Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison
joined in an appeal to organized labor
for funds to carry the injunction case
to the higher court It was con-
tended that this appeal was used as
vehicle 10 continue the boycott. The
charges stated that the appeal referred
to an editorial in the same number of
the magazine as setting forth the atti-
tude of those making the appeal This
editorial was attributed to Mr.. Comp
ers.
Individuals as members of organized
labor" this publication said, evil still
exercise the right to buy OF not TO buy
the Bucks stoves and ranges. II Is
an examplifeation Of the saying that !
you can lead a horse to water, but |
you can't make him drink
Another charge was that in the
March Feder8tionixt, Mr. Gompers pub
lished an editorial, in which it was
said: 1T should be borne in mind that
there Is no law. aye, not even court
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