New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-27
GOMPERS DEF|ES COURTS
Declares That InjunCtionS Are
Without the Law.
BACKS UP B0YC0TTING
Twelve Thousand Workingmen
March in Protest Parade
Last Night.

Samuel Gompers stood up in meeting last
night at Cooper Union and breathed his
defiance Of the courts despite the fact
that he is In the shadow Of the jail for
contempt OF the courts injunctions in the
Bucks Stove and Range boycott case.
The meeting was a demonstration against
the Issuance of injunctions in labor strug-
giles, under the auspices Of the Building
Trades Council of Greater New York.
Mr.. Gompers, however. did not go any
further than to assail, In somewhat a
legal form of phraseology, the action of
courts in restraining labor from boycott
ing firms that incur its emnity. and to
assert that he himself would not allow
his rights as an American citizen, under
the Constitution of the United States, TO
be invaded by the courts. Mr. Gompers
said, in part:
In issuing injunctiOns no judge ever
quotes any law. They all quote other
judges. InjunctionS are ISSUED on the
theory that II you repeat falsehood often
enough people Will begin to believe In IT,.
There is not In all the law Of the nation
or Of the states one justification Of the
intunctions against which we protest.
j am not lawyer. but my fur has been
rubbed the wrong way by this Injunction
business, and ! am vain enough to believe
know something about injunctions.
know that 10 obtain an injunction q party
must come into court with clean hands,
that he must have property rights In
VOWED and that an Injunction can be is
sued only in case there is no other way.
on, yes, employers can say their business
Is property right and will be destroyed
by strikes and boycotts and thus prevent
us from breaking up the sweatshops. II
"a I'm GFVs
men. sweatshop labor for women and in
nocent children, why, then, the quicker II
Is broken up the better.
The courts lay stress on the right 10
work The right TO work carries with 1t
the right 10 quit work. That is the
difference between r free man and a
slave. Let me say 10 you, | would obey
the law. and ] propose TO obey the laws
OF my state and country, but I now re-
peat what ! said seventeen years ago
when a judge sought 10 prevent me from
expressing my opinion on an important
matter in Virginia: When an Injunction
Is Issued which invades my constitutional
rights ] propose TO exercise that right
Notwithstanding. No citizen is bound 10
obey an order In excess OF the power Of
the court 10 issue. II you defy n court
you do so at your peril, but there were
men at the time Of the American Revo-
luton and the Civil War; who dared to
exercise their rights and there are men
The immediate cause OF last nights
meeting vas the action OF carpenters
unions in boycottinE non-union mill prod
ucts. Gompers ended his speech by ii
specific cxhortation 10 the assembled
union carpenters to boycott all non-unlon
mill products.
After GOmpers's address resolutions
were passed condemning the actions OF
the American nt-Boycott Assocla ton
accusing II Of practising law contrary
TO the penal laws Of New York" II was
also declared that interruptions bosses
who have been holding wages down to
starvation rates have had TO seek cover
under judicial robes which have been too
free 20 protect them"
The meeting was preceded by a march
OF twelve thousand unionists and their
friends down Fifth avenue from seth
street 10 10Th, thence TO Fourth avenue.
and then TO Cooper Union. Carrying
cards on sticks bearing the legend, I'VE
Demand our Rights and Equality Of the
Law"