The Washington herald., 1911-07-09
SENATOR HALTS
GOMPERS' SPEECH
Propriety of Charges Against
Judge in Doubt.

President Samuel Gompers. of the
American Federation of Labor. yesterday
expressed the conviction before a Senate
committee that impeachment proceedings
should bo begun against Justice Daniel
Thew Wright, of the District of Column
hia, because of the sentences imposed
by the latter upon the three labor leaders.
ings, and declaring that the sentences
imposed were without parallel, President
Gompers said:
Il know the Senate has no power to
initiate Impeachment proceedings, but
that does not preclude a committee Of
the Senate investigating the matters
which have mentioned, as Impeachment
PROCEEDINGS may be begun some time
against this judge. He deserves it, I have
no doubt"
Senator Borah suggested that this
would be the proper remedy for Mr..
Gompers to attempt.
'If we had the recall Of judges in
Washington he would have been recalled
long ago. added Mr.. Gompers.
Il think impeachment proceedings is
your best method of relief, Mr.. Gompers.
The recall is quicker, but the lasting ef-
fects would not be so good" said Sena-
tor Borah.
President Gompers appeared before the
Senate special committee on the third
degree" of which Senator Brandegee, of
Connecticut, is president, to talk about
the Mcnamara case and the labor con-
tempt case, and urge consideration of a
urh he vii
shortly have introduced by request" in
the Senate.
He insisted there should be a national
statute clearly defining the terms and
conditions under which extradition pa
pers could be issued by the executive Of
one State upon the demand of another
State; and to stop the kidnapping of
alleged criminals without the formality
of an eXtradition.
Mcnamara Case Enters.
He said that John ]. Mcnamara had
been taken from Indianapolis to Los
Angeles, and John B. Mcnamara had
been taken from Detroit to Los Angeles,
without warrant of law and in violation
of their constitutional rights as citizens
of the United States.
Senator Brandegee asked: Has Con-
gress the power to pass such a law as
you state you would like to see passed?"
'I believe it has," replied Gompers.
Senator Borah added his conviction
that Congress should legislate upon the
subject of extraditions, and referred to
the confusion that results sometimes in
the administration of the criminal laws
of a State, as for instance, where
man stands on Idaho soil and shoots
another standing on the oregon side Of
the line. He thought a man wanted in
another State could not be extradited
until it was established before some
tribunal that he actually had some con-
nection with the crime in question.
There is no way to act now" he said,
except in a way that seems in violation
Of good morals and good law"
Gompers then proceeded to the dis
cussion of what he called the peculiar
administration of the law by a justice
of the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia" saying that the imprison-
ment sentences visited upon the three
labor leaders were unparalleled in the
history of Jurisprudence in this coun-
try"
He dwelt upon the fact that the Grim
inal sentences were imposed in connec-
ton with a civil proceeding. and said
that except in this case, no sentence to
Imprisonment for longer time than six
months had ever been imposed
In the case of the Tennessee sheriff
and his deputies. adjudged guilty of con-
tempt Of the Supreme Court Of the
United States because they permitted a
prisoner to be taken from their custody
and lynched, he said. prison sentences
Of thirty sixty, and ninety days were
Imposed. though IN that case life had
been sacrificed. He also referred to the
contempt case growing out Of the rail-
way strike OF 1894 when Mr.. Debs was
sentenced to six months Imprisonment
for contempt
Mr.. Gonpers told the COMMITTEES that