The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-06-25
GOMPERS GUILTY OF
CONTEMPT OF COURT
Sentences on Labor Leaders
Again Imposed
GOMPERS GETS / YEAR
Charge Violation of Injunction in the
Famous Buck Stove Case.
Court vitriolic in Passing
Sentence

Washington. June 24.-Samuel Gompers,
Frank Morrison and John Mitchell, labor
leaders, were today held guilty of con-
tempt of court by the supreme court of
the District of Columbia, in connection
with the courts Injunction in the Buck
Stove and Range boycott case.
Justice Wright sentenced Gompers to
one year, the same as upon his previous
conviction. and sentenced Morrison to
nine months. Morrison's sentence, under
the first conviction. was nine months.
John Mitchell was not present and sem
tence upon him was deferred. His first
sentence was six months.
Will Take an Appeal
Bondsmen were on hand and attorneys
for the labor men gave notice of an
intention to file an appeal to have the
supreme court review the judgment. In
Its prvelous review of the case tse SUI
preme court reversed the conviction on
the ground the contempt proceedings had
been improperly instituted New pro-
ceedngs were at once begun.
The sentences under the first convic-
ton were Gompers one year; Morrison
nine months; Mitchell six months. The
charge was that the three men as Of
ficers of the American Federation of La
Dor, through the Organizations official
publication, had disregarded Justice
Gould's injunction against the publication
of the Buck Stove and Range company S
name in its boycott list
After Gompers had been sentenced he
attacked the decision, declaring that while
Justice Wright lives in seclusion, his
decision shows mental concept of more
than two centuries when the working
man was a serf Information just came
to me that the decision was completed
more than month ago. but withheld
until the close of the Chicago national
convention. If true the inference is obvi-
Gus, he said.
The Courts Sentence
In passing sentence on President Com
pers, the court said:
For the ringleader and chief Of
fender the duty of the court, IL to be
ascertained by it's obligations to admins
ter the justice of the land without re-
spect to persons requires it in determin-
ing a penalty appropriate for this, the
most dangerous and destructive of con-
tempts, at least to parallel the extreme
pelanty which is fixed by good preced-,
ents."
After lengthy recital of the func-
tons of the law and judicial power the
opinion concludes;
The evidence shows for these respond
ents an assiduous and persistent effort to
undermine the supremacy of the law. by
undertaking insiduously to destroy the
confidence of the people In the integrity
of the tribunals which maintain it, by
inoculating the minds of their follow
ers and the people with a virus of mis-
chievous fasehoods and misrepresenta-
ton concerning the court and judges.
seeking and hopeful that the support of
the people might be withdrawn from'these
tribunals and by this means their power
undone their judgment rendered value
less and forceless,
1.-THE defendants are here at the court
bar to answer; they have been afforded
full opportunity to hear the evidence
against them and to say what. If any,
reasons can exist against their punish
ment. Every part of their punishment:
every part of their response, for they
offer no defense, is measured by the
words OF their leader, Gompers: The
things ] am charged with. do. Go to
- with your injunctions.