IN RE DEBS 158 U.S 564 1895 IN RE DEBS U.S CONSTITUTION U.S GOV'T JUDICIAL LABOR/LABOR UNIONS U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION ECONOMY AND LABOR SIGNIFICANCE IN THIS CASE THE SUPREME COURT RULED THAT INJUNCTIONS WERE LEGAL TO USE AGAINST STRIKING WORKERS THIS RULING LIMITED THE ABILITY OF UNIONS AND WORKERS TO STRIKE THE COURT SUPPORTED THE RIGHTS OF BUSINESS OVER THOSE OF LABORERS UNTIL THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW DEAL BACKGROUND DURING THE DEPRESSION OF THE 1890S THE PULLMAN PALACE CAR COMPANY DRASTICALLY REDUCED WORKERS PAY IN 1894 THE WORKERS WENT ON STRIKE DEMANDING A RETURN TO THEIR PREVIOUS WAGES THE AMERICAN RAILWAY UNION ORGANIZED THE STRIKE INTO A NATIONAL BOYCOTT OF THE RAILROADS THAT USED PULLMAN CARS THE GENERAL MANAGERS ASSOCIATION A GROUP OF RAILROAD OWNERS APPEALED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR SUPPORT THE MANAGERS ARGUED THAT THE STRIKERS WERE INTERFERING WITH INTERSTATE COMMERCE AND THE DELIVERY OF THE MAIL THE GOVERNMENT GRANTED AN INJUNCTION UNDER THE SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT AGAINST THE UNION LEADERS THE INJUNCTION REQUIRED THE LEADERS TO STOP THE STRIKE EUGENE DEBS PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN RAILWAY UNION WAS CITED FOR CONTEMPT IN VIOLATING THE INJUNCTION AND JAILED DEBS SUED ARGUING THAT THE CONTEMPT CHARGE VIOLATED HIS RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY AS PROTECTED BY THE FOURTH AMENDMENT DECISION THIS CASE WAS ARGUED ON MARCH 25 26 1895 AND DECIDED ON MAY 27 1895 BY A VOTE OF 9 TO 0 JUSTICE DAVID BREWER SPOKE FOR THE COURT WHICH REJECTED DEBS'S PETITION THE COURT ARGUED THAT THE COURT HAD THE AUTHORITY TO INTERVENE WHEN INTERSTATE COMMERCE AND THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE MAIL WERE THREATENED EXCERPT FROM THE OPINION OF THE COURT SO IN THE CASE BEFORE US IT IS MORE TO THE PRAISE THAN TO THE BLAME OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT INSTEAD OF DETERMINING FOR ITSELF QUESTIONS OF RIGHT AND WRONG ON THE PART OF THESE PETITIONERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATES AND ENFORCING THAT DETERMINATION BY THE CLUB OF THE POLICEMAN AND THE BAYONET OF THE SOLDIER IT SUBMITTED ALL THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE PEACEFUL DETERMINATION OF JUDICIAL TRIBUNALS AND INVOKED THEIR CONSIDERATION AND JUDGMENT AS TO THE MEASURE OF ITS RIGHTS AND POWERS AND THE OBLIGATIONS OF THOSE AGAINST WHOM IT MADE COMPLAINT AND IT IS EQUALLY TO THE CREDIT OF THE LATTER THAT THE JUDGMENT OF THOSE TRIBUNALS WAS BY THE GREAT BODY OF THEM RESPECTED AND THE TROUBLES WHICH THREATENED SO MUCH DISASTER TERMINATED
