In re Debs

US Supreme Court decision of 1895 dealing with the right of the federal government to suppress labor movements. Eugene Debs, a well-known labor leader, was imprisoned for refusing to comply with a federal injunction against a boycott. Debs had helped organize the boycott of all Pullman carriers in support of the Pullman strike against pay cuts. The government arrested him under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Debs's lawyers petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that the matter was outside of federal jurisdiction. The Court denied the writ, ruling that the government's actions were legal under its right to regulate interstate commerce and mail transportation.