Pierce Butler

“ Lewis: 'I move that that answer be stricken out as immaterial, irrelevant, and incompetent, not within the definition of sabotage as laid down in the statute, or the criminal syndicalism law.
'The Court: I cannot see it. As I said before, I cannot see but what any deliberate act, the purpose of which is to reduce the profits of the physical thing, is not equally an injury. Motion denied.
'Mr. Lewis: No note an exception.'
The exception to the charge is insisted on, although the objection to the admission of the evidence is not urged here. The charge was clearly erroneous. ”

“ Slow work is also said to be at the basis of the words, the idea being that wooden shoes are clumsy and so prevent quick action on the part of the workers. The third idea is that sabotage is coined from the slang term that means 'putting the boots' to the employers by striking directly at their profits without leaving the job. ”

“ Any person who * * * organizes or assists in organizing, or is or knowingly becomes a member of, any organization, society, group or assemblage of persons organized or assembled to advocate, teach, or aid and abet criminal syndicalism, * * * is guilty of a felony. * * *'
Plaintiff in error here contends that, as applied in the district court, these provisions are repugnant to the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. ”

“ An Act of Congress of June 2, 1920, § 4, c. 218, 41 Stat. 731 (Comp. St. § 5207d) , provides that, if any offense shall be committed in the Yosemite National Park which is not prohibited by a law of the United States, the offender shall be subject to the same punishment as the laws of California prescribe for a like offense. ”

“ Injuring machinery when employed to use it, putting emery dust in lubricating oil, damaging materials when using them in manufacture or otherwise, scattering foul seed in fields, driving tacks and nails in grape vines and fruit trees to kill them, using acid to destroy guy wires holding up the poles provided to support growing vines, putting pieces of wire and the like among vines to destroy machines used to gather crops, scattering matches and using chemicals to start fires to destroy property of employers. ”