Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-09
GOMPERS ON M'NAMAR
President Of Labor Federation Ap-
pears Before Senate Committee.
PROCEEDING CALLED INFAMOUS
Says Mes Never would Have Deen
RaiIroaaed ts CAIifOrnia Had
They Not Been La-


WASHINGTON, July s-'Tnfamous''
and third degree methodg'' were terms
used by President Gcmpers of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor In denouncing the
arrest Of the men charged with dynamjtinE
the Los Angeles Times building at hear
ing today before the senate special COM
mittee for the investigation Of police meth
DDS Of ferreting crime.
Mr.. Gompers complained against the
manner OF arrests Of John ]. Mcnamara
at indianapolis and ]. B. Mcnamara At
Detroit
citizenship must be respected" said Mr..
Gompers. IT need not argue that to the
United States senators. for II is grounded
into our system OF government
He said the Indianapolis arrest was ap-
parently staged" one newspaper having
the story Of the arrest set up and the
edition held up until the arrests could
| be pulled off" He claimed McNamara
was taken before court which. instead of
| inauiring whether he was a fugitive from
| justice, merely investigated the personal
identity OF the prisoner. The witness said
| Mcnamara was denied counsel and re-
| moved to California over so many rail-
! roads that he could not be. released on
| habeas corpus
Impeachment OF Justice Daniel T. Wright
Of the supreme court of the District OF
/ Columbia was suggested by Mr. Gompers.
Mr.. Gompers' complaint was against JUS
tice wrights course in the Bucks Stove
and Range company contempt proceedings
against the American Federation OF Labor.
| Mr.. Oompers told the committee that ne
knew the senate could not begin inpesch-
meht proceedings.
/ Il do know that II we had the reeali In
the District OF Columbia" /" added Mr..
Gompers, that Justice Wright would have
been recalled before this '<.
! II do not think the recall Is as good as
Impeachment generally" suggested Senator
Borah."
! Discrimination Against Laborers.
There is not man in the United States
except a working man, against whom such
outrages would be committed" declared
Mr.. Gompers, comparing the McNamara
arrest procedure with the divorce proceed
ings of the rich. lie cited particularly the
case OF Millionaire Mellon. OF Pittsburs" ;"
In which procedure a two days hearing
was given a proposed witness In New York
before he extradited to ennsylvania-
Referring TO the kidnapping OF Haywood
Meyer and Pettioone from Colorado into
Idaho, Mr. Gompers said.
What we should have done then was to
have pursued the kidnapers.r
Senator Borah or Idaho, who was a spe-
eial prosecuting attorney at the trial OF the
labor men In Idaho. declared In that case
the law was at least technically followed
out and that whatever moral offenses were
committed in removing the men were In
order to bring to trial men against whom
there was a prima facie case.
Senator Borah added that I'm the Mo-
Namara case the question IN his mind was
! whether the court had Jurisdiction and
whether IL had been seen before the
, men were brought before Il.
Il would like to have the name OF the
judge that we may call him before us,"
} sdded Senator Borah.
SUGGESTION of Impeachment.
The impeachment suggestion came at the
close of q review OF the contempt pro-
ceedings waged In the local courts by the
Bucks company against President Com
, pers, Vice President John Mitchell and
Secretary Frank Morrison Of the FEEDER
alton Of Labor.
The sentences imposed by Justice
Wright in that proceeding are unparalleled
In the history OF the Jurisprudence Of this
country" declared Mr.. Gompers. There
: is no other case on record where there
was an imposition OF more than six months
Imprisonment upon any one found guilty
OF contempt OF court"
! In the Debs>case In which life was los,
he said the sentence was six months. In q
lynching case from Tennessee the chief OF.
fender was sentenced 70 ninety days n
jail That was contempt against the 81.
;. preEne court OF the United States
y AR. Gompers told OF the institution o.
= new proceedings by Justice Wright and
q added that as an alternative to answering
2 the charges an opportunity had been giver
Is the defendants TO apologize.
y Justice Wright viii b much older be
. fore ! apologize" declared Gompers. %
y am ready to apologize for trying 10 hell
: the poor. devils who are working and Civ
q ing their services to the country ana get
< ting 50 little for IL. / am not consclou
Is Of having violated any law or havin,
" harmed any man."
A protest was made against the burdei
OF the federation for having TO defen.
8 suits for alleged contempt. violation OF tn
q sherman antitrust law and other crimlna
q charges. Mr. Gompers said IL seemed {
% be part OF plan TO crush the federation
= He asked the COMMITTEES TO have a la,
,s passed 20 put a stop to kidnapping OF labor
10 ing men and their removal to other state
IS Tor trial
If congress can regulate the transports
y tion OF hogs" he said. ~it could preveu
3 the uniawful taking in Interstate commsre
= OF individuals."