The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-06-28
LABOR LEADERS HELD GUILTY
GoMPERs, MORRISON. m,rcHe,,
CONVICTED OF CONTEMPT,
arrows Out of Courts Injunction in
SUCK Stove and Range Boycott
Case-May Serve Sentences.

NJ, hAuNl HOul peTB,
FRANK Morrison and John Mitchell
INC RAZOR leaders, We're Monday held
guilty OF contempt OF court by the 81.
preme court of the District of CO.
iumbla in connection with the court's
injunction in the Buck Stove and
Range Company boycott case. Thev
Will attempt TO appeal again 10 the
supreme court OF the United States
winch reversed their former conyic.
ton.
bondsmen were on hand and attor.
heys for the labor men gave notice of
an intention to file an appeal to have
the supreme court review the iudg-
ment. In its previous review the SUI
preme court reversed the convictions
on the ground that contempt proceed.
lnSs had been improperly instituted
New proceedings We're at once begun
me sentences under the first cODvic-
ton were: Gompers, one year: Nor.
rlSon, nine months; Mitchell, six
months
The charge was that the three mon
as officers Of the American Federa-
ton OF Labor, through the organiza.
| TONS official publication. had disre.
garded Justice Gould's injunction
against the publication of the Buck
Stove and Range Company's name in
its boycott list.
Justice Wright sentenced GOmpers
to one year, the same as upon his
previous conviction, but sentenced
Morrison to six months. Morrison's
! sentence under first conviction was
nine months. John Mitchell was not
( present and the sentence upon him
was deferred, His first sentence was
six months.
After Gompers had been sentenced
he attacked the decision, declaring
! that while Justice Wright lives in
our times, his decision and sentences
disclose a mental conception OF more
than two centuries ago, when the
workman was either slave or a serf
information just came TO me that
! the decision was completed more
than a month ago, but withheld until
after the close of the Chicago Repub
! lican National Convention, If true
the inference is obvious"
In passing sentence ON President
| Gompers, the court said:
For the ringleader and chief Of
fender the duty of the court, if to be
aScertained by its obligations to ad
minister the justice of the land with
out respect to persons requires it in
determining a penalty appropriate fol-
this, the most dangerous and destruc
tive of contempts, at least to parable
the extreme penalty which is fixed BY
good presidents"
After a. lengthy recital of the func
! tons 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 tt
destroy the confidence of the people
in the integrity of the tribunals which
maintain it by inoculating the minds
of their followers and the people witt
q virus of mischievous falsehoods anC
Misrepresentation concerning the
court and judges, seeking and hope
full that the support OF the people
might be withdrawn from these trib
unals and by this means their power
undone, their Judgment rendered
valueless and forceless.
1.-THE defendants are here at the
court bar to answer. They have beer
afforded full opportunity to hear the
evidence against them and to sd!
what, if any, reasons can exist against
! their punishment. Every part OF theil
punishment, every part OF their re
sponses, for they offer no defense, Is
made by the words of their leader
Gompers, the things I am charged
with, 20 to with your injunctions.