Opinion ID: 1547000
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jurisdiction over Publications.

Text: It is contended that there was no jurisdiction to prevent the publications in the Co-operative Farmer & Manager for three reasons: That it would be an interference with the liberty of the press; that it would be enjoining a libel; that such publication is not interstate commerce. The liberty of the press is not an unrestricted license and the abuse of that right is subject to criminal prosecution and to civil liability. It is true that there was no jurisdiction in equity to enjoin publication of a libel (Francis v. Flinn, 118 U. S. 385, 6 S. Ct. 1148, 30 L. Ed. 165), but this was not because of constitutional reasons and such jurisdiction might be conferred by statute (Am. Malting Co. v. Keitel, 209 F. 351, 126 C. C. A. 277, where the federal cases are cited and discussed). Also, publications might be restrained where they were instruments in carrying out a boycott or a conspiracy. Gompers v. Buck's Stove & Range Co., 221 U. S. 418, 437, 31 S. Ct. 492, 55 L. Ed. 797, 34 L. R. A. (N. S.) 874; Loewe v. Lawlor, 208 U. S. 274, 28 S. Ct. 301, 52 L. Ed. 488, 13 Ann. Cas. 815. As said in Aikens v. Wisconsin, 195 U. S. 194, 206, 25 S. Ct. 3, 49 L. Ed. 154, the most innocent and constitutionally protected of acts or omissions may be made a step in a criminal plot, and if it is a step in a plot neither its innocence nor the Constitution is sufficient to prevent the punishment of the plot by law. Here the elements of boycott and of conspiracy are present. Also the act creating the Commission provides that its orders shall be enforced by the Courts of Appeals and it is clear that such enforcement must be in the nature of an injunction. The contention that such publications are not interstate commerce is answered by the situation that these publications are found by the Commission to have circulated in interstate commerce and the objectionable statements therein to have been part of a conspiracy to restrain competition in interstate commerce. Loewe v. Lawlor, supra. Therefore, the necessary jurisdiction exists in the Commission and to effectively enforce the valid orders of the Commission is conferred upon this court by the act.