In re Debs
| In re Debs | |
|---|---|
| Argued March 25–26, 1895 Decided May 27, 1895 | |
| Full case name | In re Eugene V. Debs, Petitioner |
| Citations | 158 U.S. 564 (more) 15 S. Ct. 900; 39 L. Ed. 1092; 1895 U.S. LEXIS 2279 |
| Holding | |
| The court ruled that the government had a right to regulate interstate commerce and ensure the operations of the Post Office Department, along with a responsibility to "ensure the general welfare of the public." | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Brewer, joined by unanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| Commerce Clause; Postal Clause | |
Superseded by | |
| Lauf v. E. G. Shinner Co., 303 U.S. 323 (1938) | |
Abrogated by | |
| Norris–La Guardia Act of 1932 | |
In re Debs, 158 U.S. 564 (1895), was a labor law case of the United States Supreme Court, which upheld a contempt of court conviction against Eugene V. Debs. Debs had the American Railway Union continue its 1894 Pullman Strike in violation of a federal injunction ordering labor unions back to work. The Supreme Court held that the federal government's Postal and Commerce Clause authority includes the ability to regulate the labor conditions of railways.