Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-25
CASE OF LABOR LENDERS.
Gofhpers, Mitchell and Morrison Sen
fenced for Contempt.

wrote his decision in the labor con
tempt cases more than a month agt
and then held it up until after thu
Chicago convention, Samuel Gonpers
president of the A. F. Of L. gave on
a statement bristling with luminosity
70 Wright shortly after the justice
had sentenced him to a year in jai
for contempt today.
John Mitchell was not in court
He is travelling in the west. 1t wa!
The second time Wright had passed
IDENTICAL sentences upon Gompers ano
Morrison for the same offense. The
inst sentences were set aside by the
supreme Court and the case remanded
tor second trial.
In his decision Wright said that the
A. T. Of L. "dcsignedly suppressed the
ruth" in its fight with the Buck Co.,
md published false statements about
he company. The justice declared
hat the unfair" and "we-don't- pat
onize" lists arc synonyms of boy
,ott''. Wright quoted Gompers' "To--
With your injunction" utterancc, and
declared that the labor mems hosti-
ity to the court and Revolutionary
determination" was plain in speech
Gompcrs made at the jamestown en-
position.
Among other things Gompers said:
"Thc Judge has heard the evidence.
lie himself determined the CREDIBLE
tty of witnesses. He then formuFat-
ID his decision and executed it by I'M
posing prison sentences. Facts and
the evidence in the case have been sup
pressed and perverted, and the pur-
POSES of myself and my colleagues
entirely misrcpresented.
There is not in the evidence, nor
an there be found therein or else
where, the single fact upon which to
,asc the statement Of Justice Wright
hat we have violated any law of the
;tate, nation or the District of Col
lmbia.
eve have contcndcd that a court
yas no right in advance to enjoin or
prevent publication; that any one who
;peakcs of publiscs anything which is
,ither seditious or libelous should be
made to answer before Il law and be-
ore Il jury, but the attempt in adj
,ancc to prevent expression of opinion
;ither orally or by publication is an
nwarranted invasion of constitution
rlly guaranteed rights.
"rhat for which my associates and
have been contending was for the
maintenance Of the right of free
;pccch and free press, and for these
We arc contcnding not alone for the
lights of the working people, but the
light Of every citizen of our country.
Justice Wright physically lives i'll
)ur time but his decision and senten-
.es disclose mental concept Of more
han two centuries ago, when the
vorkingman was either a slave or a
;erf.
ale docs not realize that the work
ncn of today, at least in the United
states, arc citizens with every guar
lntccd right Of the constitution, Of the
avs, and the normal activities of
qualities before the law.
"If Justice Wright imagincs that
~ imposing prison sentences upon
ny associates and myself, he can stop
human progress, he has missed his
point. Long after he is gone, long
after he may have attempted to sill
:nce us, others will speak, others will
&c heard, and the principles for which
We are now contcnding and perphaps
nay suffer, will be established be-
,ond pcradvcnturc. Information just
anne to me that the decision which
Justice Wright rendered this morn
ng was completed more than month
,go, but withheld after the close OF
he Chicago Republican National Con
vention. If true, the inference is OBJ
iious."
The following is the Courts view
If the case:
"Thc attitude of the court was dis
ortcd, their honor and integrity as
;aiIed; all with the evident purpose OF
% presenting as to in1amc the pub
ic mind against them; thus to with
RAW from them the support Of the
people, render the judicial power OF
he government forcelcss and ineffec'
.ual, and thereby 10 overthrow the
aw and impose upon the people anc
he country his heresics with an I'M
checked hand
"The assurance that he (Gompers)
wantonly violated the injunction, but
as we'll has no appreciation of the OBJ
|.