The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-18
GOMPERS STAYS IN
Continued from First Page)

tative OF the silver cause did come TO In
dianapolis 10 See President Gompers.
None OF the letters had been filed away
with the private papers OF President
Gompers, but all were filed with the Off
ciai correspondence and labeled, poll
tics"
Secretary McCraith and others got the
letters and read them and the secretary
did produce al of them in evidence Sec
retary McCraith said he felt that Pres
ident Gorpers had done wrong and call
ed the attention of the executive council
to the matter. Mr. McCraith also stat
ed that President Gompers had been al
Chicago at least once during the cam
paign. On investigation the executive
council reported that they knew where
President Gompers was while In Chi
cago. that he did not meet Chairman
Jones or any other politician there, but
that he went there to confer with pres
ident Of an international union-
GOMPERS INDORSED.
Some OF the delegates, especially those
from the west, stated that they were
surprised that there was not more in the
case, as the rumors that had reached
them greatly magnided the charges.
President Gompers was requested 10
make q statement, but he said only a
few words and announced that all his
correspondence and hiS actions in his OH
ciai capacity as president OF the Fed
era.ion were as open to the delegates
aud the world as the correspondence
which Secretary McCraith had seen fit
to bring to this convention
After considerable discussion. which
reflected more on those who had circu-
lated the rumors of serious charges than
on President Gompers. Delegate Penna
of the Miners union offered the follow
ing:
Having heard the charges of alleged
wrong-doing by President Gompers dur
ing the recent political campaign.
Resolved, That we endorse the presi-
dents position. dismiss the charges and
exonerate 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 dissenting votes, and the three vot-
ing in the negative announced that they
cid so on account Of their opposition 10
| the free coinage Of silver. which they
would not endorse in any form. although
| they desired to endorse President Com
pers.
The following was offered by George
w. McNeill and was then unanimously
| adopted:
Resolved. That the delegates to the
sixteenth annual convention of the
American Federation Of Labor do here
| by declare in unqualified language their
| confidence in President Samuel Gompers
as man worthy of the cause he has es-
| poused and for which ne has sacrificed
| his time health and ability.
| A similar resolution of confidence was
unanimously adopted endorsing the five
members of the executive council
| MCRAITH RETIRES.
| During the debate it was brought out
| that only two OF the five members OF
| the executive council knew anything
about the rumors circulated by Secre-
tary McCraith and others against Presi-
dent Gompers, until Delegate Mahone
called attention TO them in the conven-
ton hall today. After the action of the
! convention in executive session. Secre-
| tary McCreith announced that he would
retire and the friends of Delegate Nor
rison of the Chicago Typographical
| union are now confident of Morrison
| election tomorrow afternoon without op-
position. 1t is the general opinion thai
| all of the old officers will now be elected
except Secretary McCraith.
! Since the silver question was such a
feature of the executive session when
the charges against Gompers were being
| considered, it is now announced that a
| resolution will be Offered tomorrow tc
strike out the endorsement of the three
previous national conventions of free
coinage at the ratio of 16 to l. and a long
| and animated discussion is expected.