The Washington herald., 1911-05-17

guilty of contempt of court in wilfully
violating the Injunction granted by the
court on the petition of the Bucks Stove
and Range Company. of st. Louis.
Appeared as Counsel.
The members of the committee ap-
peared as counsel for the Bucks stove
and Range Company. 1t is expected they
will shortly submit their report to the
court, and that an order will be issued
to the three labor leaders. citing them
to appear and show cause why they
should not be punished for criminal con-
tempt.
The action taken, in the opinion OF
leading lawyers here, makes 1t almost
certain that the labor leaders Will be
punished for contempt. The order en-
tered by Justice Wright is now conceded
to be the proceeding he should have
taken at the time Gompers and his as
sociates were adjudged to be in contempt
The court has simply retraced Its steps,
in accordance with the suggestion in
the opinion of the Supreme Court OF the
United States, handed down by Justice
Lamar, and reported exclusively in this
city in The Washington Herald
The committee appointed by the court
is empowered and directed forthwith to
prepare. file, present. and prosecute
charges against Gompers, Mitchell, and
Morrison. Of contempt OF the order. and
decree of the court, to the end that II
authority of that tribunal shall be estab-
lished, vindicated, and sustained. 1t Is
expected that the three lawyers who
were named on the committee will pre-
pare their charges at an early day an
that action thereon will be taken by the
N
tice Wright should find that the defend
ants \were guilty of contempt, following
complaint by the committee. he will
have the option of imposing upon them
either jail sentences or fines.
A hearing upon the charge of contempt,
il one should be lodged against the de-
PENDANTS by the three members of the
committee appointed. can hardly be had
before fall. as the vacation term of the
Supreme Court of the District of Column
bia Is almost at hand, and it has been
the rule or practice i'll the court not to
take up contested matters in the summer
vacation.
Proceedings Are Name.
The proceeding is a novel one in the
Supreme Court of the District. The
promptness with which the court acted
upon the suggestion in the opinion Of
the Supreme Court of the United States
was rather stan Ting. not only to the
friends of the defendants. but to the
public generally The mandate of the
court had not been issued. The official
opinion Of the court has not yet been
published. few proofsheets Of the opin-
ion were given out on Monday, but II
is not likely any of these came formally
to the attention of the Supreme Court
of the District. The proofsheets were
prepared for the use of the press in
reporting the opinion. The official opinion
will not be printed and available before
to-day at the earliest, and II looks as
il the Supreme Court of the District. in
its vigilance to protect its own order
and DEGREES from contempt. had taken
judicial notice Of what occurred in the
Supreme Court on Monday and acted
promptly in defense of its authority
The three members of the committee
named by Justice Wright to report on
the alleged contempt were counsel for
the Bucks Stove and Range Company Of
st. Louis. in the equity proceeding to
enjoin the officers Of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor from practicing a boy
fishing the FIRMS name in the official
organ Of the federation, under the head
ing, I'VE don't patronize" and in what
has come to be known as labor's I'm
fair list" 1t was upon the petition Of
these attorneys that the three defend
ants were cited to appear in the Su-
preme Court and show cause why they
should not be adjudged in contempt OF the