Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-18


amendment to strike out the compulsory
| clause for reyokng charters was lost; yeae
! 2S, nays A. The amendment to extend
! the time from six months to January. 1898,
| was lost; yeas is nays %. The resolution
| for Increasing the dues was then passed by
an almost unanimous vote
! The Ashe resolution, on jurisdiction Of
/ federal courts, was the special order for
a.30 p. M. but postponed to hear the
charges presented by Delegate Malone
| against the officers. long debate fol-
! lowed on a motion to 20 into executive
/ session
/ The decision on the motion to 90 into
! executive session was stopped by the pre-
yious question being sustained The mo-
/ tiun to 20 into executive session carried
/ Then the rules were amended so as not to
/ adjourn at $50, but to remain continuously
| In executive session for the consideration
of the charges against the officers
GOMPERs is INDICATED.
The executive session continued from
p. m. tin p. m. and resulted in the vim
I dication Of President Gompers and the re-
tirCmCnt of Secretary McGraith whose term
| expires next month while the rumors OF
charges surprised President Gompcrs and
all others except a select few of the dele
gates, there seems to have been much
agitation during last night in consultation
rooms over the sensation that was to be
sprung today. EN-SecrCtary a. G. Wines
ana Secretary August McGraith were sepa-
rated by friends while quarreling in
room at the DenisCp house in the early
morning hours, anl revOlverS are said to
have been drawn. The trouble was be
tween President GOmpers and Secretary Me
Graith and dated back to the last cam
paign. In the absence of President Gompers,
1t is said, Secretary McGraith edited the
FcdoratiOnist. McGraith IS considered a
socialist, and was afterwards a silver man,
but in the absence of President GOmpers
ba ont pIit or.i an no ei1V 81 inY,
that had been previously appearing in the
organ of the federation. At a subsequent
meeting of the executive council this mat
ter, with other differences between the
president and secretary, was considered,
and Secretary McGraith was compelled to
apologize to President Gompers 1t is
charged that after this action of the eXecu-
tive council, Secretary McGrath conspired
against President Gompers and tried to
make case against the president on the
correspondence of the latter with certain
prominent political silver leaders. Secretary
McGraith held that in replying to the let
ters of silver leaders. President Gompers
went beyond the power OF the president of
the federation. While Secretary McCraith
is called an anarchist by many delegates
he is recognized by all as a consistent trades
unionist, and being avcr3e even to any
sort OF afilliation with political parties
1t is claimed that President Gompers does
not affiliate with any party, but that his
correspondence with the advocates of free
silver was in accordance with resolutions
adopted at the last three national conven-
tions of the federation. 1t was out of
this correspondence that sprang the rumors
about Gompers being closely associated with
Chairman Jones and others.
MAHONE PRESENTS THE RUMORS.
In the executive session Delegate Ma
hone, who sprang the question of the
rumors of charges earlier in the day, read
tifngr t1. hat Dr.
dent GOmpers had acted with politicians
and even negotiated with them during the
recent campaign. Mr.. Malone said he would
not present it as a charge, and that there
was a rumor of only one offense, and that
was that President Gompers had partici-
pated in politics.
Secretary McGraith, who originated the
rumors on which the charge was based
then made a statement about keeping poll
tics out of the federation. and read all the
letters that Gompers had written and had
received from political leaders during the
recent campaign. These parties wanted
President Gompors to meet Chairman Jones
in Chicago. This proposition was declined.
Then it was proposed to have President
Gompers meet other silver advocates in
Chicago President Gompers replied that
he was too busy to leave his office, but
would talk the matter over IL the parties
would come to Indianapolis. 1t was ad-
mitted that at least one representative of
the silver cause did come to indianapolis
to President Gompers. None of the
letters had been fled away with the pri-
vate papers of President Gompers. but all
were filed with the official correspondence
of the president and labeled Politics"
Secretary McGraith and any others could
get the letters and read them and the
secretary did produce all of them in evil
dence Secretary McGraith said he felt
President Gompers had done wrong and
called the attention of the executive coun.
ell to the matter. McGraith also stated
that President Gompers had been at Chicago
at least once during the campaign
On investigation, the executive council re-
ported that they knew where President Com |
pers was while in Chicago; that he did not
meet Chairman Jones or any other politician
there but that he went there to confer with |
a president of an international union. Some
of the delegates. especially those from the |
west. stated that they were surprised that
there was not more in the case as the ru- |
mors that had reached them greatly mag
niied the charges.
GOMPERS MAKES NO DEFENSE
President Gompers was requested to make
a statement. but he said only a few words |
and announced that all his correspondence
and his actions in the official capacity of
president of the federation were open to the |
delegates and the world. as the correspond
ence which Secretary McGraith had seen At |
to bring to this convention
tAlttl CuuSlltEdble ulScUSSlOn. which re |
hected more on those who had circulated the |
rumors Of serious charges than on President
Gompers Delegate Penna of the Miners
union offered the following:
Having heard the charges of alleged |
wrongdoing by President Gompers during
the recent political campaign,
Resolved, That we endorse the presidents
position dismiss the charges and exon
crate him from all blame
During the Informal hearing of the case
there was an exciting discussion of the silver |
question, but there were only three dissent |
ing votes, and the three voting in the neg
ative announced that they did so on account |
OF their opposition to the free coinage of |
silver, which they would not endorse in any |
form, although they desired to endorse Pres
ident Gompers.
The following was offered by George w. |
Mcneil and was then unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the delegates to the six |
teenth annual convention of the American !
Federation of Labor do hereby declare !
in unqualified language their confidence i'm |
President Samuel Gompers as man |
worthy of the cause he has ospouscd and |
for which he has sacrificed his time, health l
and ability.
similar resolution of confidence was |
unanimously adopted in endorsing the five |
members of the executive council
During the debate 1t was brought out |
that only two of the five members of the |
executive council knew anything about |
these rumors circulated by Secretary Mo