The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-02-23


Labor.
He was the first Judge in tn
country TO decide that contemp
of court might be committed on
of the presence of the court
This decision affected strikers ar
rested for contempt for allegct
violation of an injunction issuet
by the court In favor of a corpora
ton. r.
Mahlon Pitney was born a
Morristown, N. j., 81 years ago
graduated from Princeton in 1879
His first public office was corpor.
alton counsel of Dover. There ht
secured the friendship of Geo
Richards. the richest man In Do.
YER, and acted as his legal ad.
visor.
WAS RICHARDS HEIR
There was great surprise when
Richards died that he left To
his only son, a cripple, the income
of 100000, distributed about as
much more among other relatives
and left the residue of his million
dollar estate to Miss Mary Greer,
a friend; Mrs. Heather, a dis
tant cousin of his wife: Albert
Richards, his half-brother, and to
Pitney.
Pitney was called strenuous
campaigner when. he sought Of
flee. He made friends with the
farmers and carried normally
democratic district as q republi-
can several terms. He was elect
ed to congress in 1894 and re-
elected in 1896.
Then happened strange thing.
He resigned as congressman to
become a state senator, then re-
publican leader of the New Jersey
senate, then chancellor.
WAS INTERESTS MAN
For several years every politi-
clan In New Jersey has known
that Pitney was closely allied to
the Big interests, represented in
the senate, until recently by John
Kean, the stalwart defender of
trusts.
When Pitney rose to the chan
cellorship he displayed some of
the characteristics of his father,
especially an antagonism to labor
unions. Some of his decisions are
remarkable in this respect, nota-
bly, the case of the George Jonas
Glass Co., which during a strike
secured injunctions restraining
the union men from almost every
right except breathing.
The case came up on appeal be
fore Pitney, who wrote the deci-
sion which affirmed that of the
lower court, April 8. 1902.
Some of the sentiments con-
tanned in that decision we're:
"That II was proper 20 restrain
the union men from persuasion
for the purpose of terminating the
contract of service.
cit is unlawful to use force on
annoyance TO prevent persons will
ing TO work from keeping eni-
ployment.
''It is unlawful to picket for
the purpose of annoying those
willing to work.
'It is unlawful to conduct q
boycott"
Under New Jersey law which
provides that those who bring
about strike or a boycott may
be prosecuted for conspiracy, Pit
Iney has held that while under this
the boycotters may not be subject
to prosecution under the criminal
law, yet civil action can be begun
against the men.
Judge Rebukes Pitney.
In this glass blowers case
Judge Minturn, an associate or
the bench with Pitney, handed
down dissenting opinion In
which he delivered severe re.
buke to the majority opinion. He
said:
at is difficult to discern in
all jurisdiction outside those Eng.
tIish cases which bear the distinct
impress of feudal law, any legal
authority which can support ths
principle upon which this iniunc.
ton rests. A decision founded up.
on the feudal conception of ser.
vice at will in an age of enlight.
ened citizenship is utterly repug
nant."
He asserted that the Pitney de-
cision violated the constitutional
guarantees of citizenship and free
speech.
Pitney has been involved in
many trust cases. He Is a close
personal friend Of President Taft
He has twice been an unsuceess
full candidate for governor of New
Jersey.
Pitney is married and his sons
are now in college. He is known
| rs tireless worker with o quiet
lunassuming personality.
His friends assert that his pri-
lvate life Is above reproach.
BANK CLEARINGS.