The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-28
SupremeCourt Stops Ar
guments in Famous
Labor Litigation.
DISPUTES HAD
BEEN SETTLED
Justices Decline to Decide Who
Shall Pay Costs-Contempt
Case Against Gompers,
Mitchell and Morrison Now
Being Heard-.Their
Liberty at Stake.

. y /
Washington, u. c.. January az
Reaching the conclusion that the
Bucks Stove and Range Company, OF
ST. Louis, Mo-. and the American s'ede-
ration of Labor had settled their dis
putes before the court. the Supreme
Court OF the United States to-day
stopped the oral argument of the So
called boycott" case Of the former
against the latter On the theory that no
Issue l.. 1t remained for the court TO
pass upon.
Following that action the court
listened to oral argument on the con
tempt case" embracing the charges of
the Bucn Stove and Range Company
that Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation of Labor; John
Mitchell, its vice resident, and Frank
Morrison. its secretary, had violated the
Injunction Of the Supreme Court OF the
District Of Columbia in the ''boyco..
case. Each was held to be guilty and
sentenced to Jail. To-day they sat aide
by side within the bar OF the court
listening to the arg UNI ents as to
whether or not they should serve their
sentences.
Case is Dead.
1T is commonly stated that this case
is dead. said Judge Lurton, interrupt
ing argument of the boycott case. II
Wa. you would tell us if we are trying
moot case?"
Daniel Davenport, addressing the
court in behalf OF the company, said
that mis- client had informed him. after
two appeals, that neither the contro-
versies at the base of the case nor the
case itself had been settled, although
friendly relationship existed between
the company and the federation. MIR.
Davenport added that he suspected that
the disputes between the company and
the federation had been so adjusted
that there was nothing left for the
court 10 say. except who should pay the
costs. re then produced q copy OF N
agreement. which he said, his client
had sent aim very recently providing
for the adjus tnient Of disputes and for
the publication by the American Fede-
ration of Labor that the latter was
on friendly relations with the company.
Chief Justice White asked Judge AL
ton B. Parker, one Of the counsel for
the American Federation Of Labor
what he had to say. MI Parker re-
spondcd that there was no doubt that
1t was moot.
Thereupon the Chief Justice an
nounced that the court would not con-
time to hear the arguments. when the
only question was TO determine who
SHOdid pay tiS GOStS. y
Contempt Case Begun.
Judge Parker then began in argu-
ment Of the contempt case. The prin-
cipal charges against his clients were
summarized as being that they had is
sued publications in violation nf the in
junction against the boycctting of the
Bucks Stove and Range Company. Ac-
cording to Judge Parker. the Court OF
Appeals. passing on the validity OF
the Injunction, had held that the lower
court was wrong in enjoinirg publica-
ton against the Bucks Stove and
customers. He contended that the Court
had power to enjoin only publications
in furtherance of a dirsce boycott
against the 81. Louis concern. Hence.
he argued, that the other portion or
the Injunction. was void from the time
1t was Issued Since the acts of his
clients were only prohibited by the
void portion of the decree, he urged
that the District Supreme Court could
not punish them for contempt, under
the statutes of the United States He
declared that a portion OF the inJunc-
ton decree being void, the entire de-
cree was void, and even ii the acts
of his clients We're not as he claimed
they were. that the court could NOT
punish them for violating a void de-
cree.
The acta OF his clients were de-
scribed as the exercise OF the consti-
tutional right OF freedom Of speech and
Of the press.
The argument Of the case will be
concluded Monday
b K / # q