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Show LABOR LEADERS WILL NOT ASK FOR CLEMENCY Washington, Jan. 22. "We have not asked and will not ask for1 clemency, arid we hope our friends will not urge us to pursue such a course. To ask pardon would render uscleus all the tiials and sacrifices which our men ot labor and our friends In all walks ol life have endured that the rights and liberties of our people might be restored. re-stored. Such a pardon would only luave the whole case In conTuslon, and It would have to be fought over again I from the beginning." This Is the language used in a state-! state-! ment signed by Messrs. Gompers, Mlt-l Mlt-l chell and Morrison in the current ! number of the American Federationist, in formal protests against the action of Justice Wright in sentencing them to Imprisonment for contempt of court in the Bucks Stove and Kange case December 23. Samuel Gompers heads the statement: state-ment: ".Tadge Wright's Denial ot , Free Speech and Free Press," and he declares "we will not "bate' a single word or tako a letter back " Mr. Compere refers to the "Intemperate "Intem-perate and vindictive spirit displayed by the justice," and to "this tirade or judicial abusi and misrepresentation " j in a separate statement, but he Joins with Messrs. Mitchell and Morrison In declaring that they would not "enter lato competition with the honorable J court tn the use of invective, rancor or scathing denunciation," and that they should protest "against the court's unprecedented and unwarranted unwarrant-ed flagillatlon of tho cause and the people we have the honor to repre sent." , That the trio of labor leaders fully understand the responsibility they assume as-sume in making their statements, is Lhown by their declaration that even j though they may be held in additional contempt, "we are willing to accept I the consequences." |