The Washington times., 1912-06-24
LABOR FEDERATION
LEADERSSENTENCED
TO PRISON TERMS
Gompers, Mitchell, and Nor
/ rison Are Guilty Of
Contempt.
CONTINUED. From First Page.)

CONTINUED From First Page.)
before now does history show an in
stance where the power of established
sovereignty was rendered forceless and
the law for a case was mads~to fail in
its efforts to secure to an outraged
citizen, the establishment and vindica-
ton of it's rights
Gompers Flayed As Ringleader.
In passing sentence on President
Gompers, the court said:
For the ringleader and chief offender,
the duty Of the court If to be ascer-
tained by it's obligations to administer
the justice of the land without respect
penalty appropriate for this, the most
dangerous and destructive of contempts,
lat least to parallel the extreme penalty
which Is f1xed by good precedents."
Strong Words Used.
After a lengthy recital of the func-
lions of the law and judicial power, the
opinion concludes:
THE evidence shows for these re-
spondents an assiduous and persistent
effort to undermine the supremacy Of
the law by undertaking insidiously to
the integrity of the tribunals which
maintain 1t by inoculating the minds of
their followers, and the people with a
virus of mischievous falsehoods and
MISREPRESENTATION concerning the court
and judges, seeking and hopeful that
the support of the people might be with
drawn from these tribunals, and by this
means their power undone, their judg-
Compare the veil involved In the
open and consummated effort to over
throw the judicial power of the peo-
piles government with the secret and
hrnN,Npnocf,tI hrn OF n q hrih1
o single witness In the course of a
criminal trial.
"The defendants are her at the court
bar 70 answer; they have been afford
against them and to say what, II any,
reasons can exist against their punish
ment. Every part Of their response. for
Ehey offer no defense, is measuredd by
things I am charged with, did. Go
10 - with your inJunctions.
History of Case.
The proceedings are the outgrowth
of an alleged violation Of an injunc-
tion issued by Justice Ashley M
Gould on December 1S, 1907, and be-
coming effective December 23. follow
ling, restraining the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor and its officers from
carrying on boycott against the
Bucks Stove and Range Company, ol
st. Louis. It was charged that the
three respondents ignored the court
decree in public utterances, circulars
and editorials in the American FEEDER
zionist, the official organ of the fed
Ieration.
In the original proceedings in 1908
States Supreme Court, the three labor
leaders were found guilty, Of contempt
and TAIL sentences OF twelve months
nine months. and six months; respec.
Gompers, Vice President Mitchell, and
Secretary Morrison.
An Appeal Taken.
An appeal was taken by the fedora.
tion officials to the District Court OF
Appeals and the judgment of the low
er court was sustained. Then the
case was carried to the United State.
Supreme Court, which found that the
injunction was too broad in its pro
visions, and the proceedings were re
ferred back to the District Supreme
Court with the option of renewing
the M
court of last resort handed down 1t!
decision, Justice Wright, on May 16
named committee of prosecutors to in
vestigate the case with view OF de
termining whether new charges should
j. j. Darlington. Of Washington: Jame
NJ. Beck. of New York, and DAME
Davenport, Of Bridgeport, Conn.,. th'
three attorneys who appeared for th'
Bucks Company in the original case.
Report of Committee.
The committee of prosecutors" re
ported on June 26, 1911. declaring tina
there was reasonable cause for anothe
charge of contempt against Messrs
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison. o.
July 81. ustice Wright issued the con
tempt order and COVE the three labo
leaders until August 23 to answer
suggestion that the three respond
ents apologize to the court was mad
by the committee of prosecutors" ant
Gompers characterized the suggestion
as IAN insult intended to break dow
my spirit" Vice President Mitchell
was subsequently given supposed op
portunity to apologize to the court, bu
elected to stand on the evidence rathe
than accept immunity through al
apology, although Justice Wright neve
definitely offered leniency to the labo
head.
Oral testimony was taken before Jus
tice Wright, and the three labor leader
testified in their own behalf, the cross
examination in each case consumin
several days. Several thousand page
Of testimony was taken and later argu
ments were heard before the full bench
Justice Wright taking the case unde
advisement in March and reserving hi
decision until today.
Before the hearing began Unite
States Attorney Clarence r. Wilson wa
appointed to help prosecute as an In
dividual "a friend of the court" JudS
Alton r. Parker. of New York, an
Jackson H. Ralston, of the firm RAJ