The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-18
GOMPERS' COURSE
FULLY SUSTAINED
Insinuations That Led to
Investigation and tx
0nerati0n.
Conferences With Political Lead
ers During the Recent
Campaign.
Secretary McCraith of the Labor
Federation Will Not Be a Can.
didate for Reelection.

snecial attention 10 organizing the sta
tlonary engineers in all cities and towns
and hamlets, and whenever expedient to
form National union, to be affiliated
with the American Federation of Labor,
was passed by large majority.
Several resolutions TO furnish assistance
in organizing crafts were concurred in or
referred to the executive council. The re-
Quest for the organization of the wood
workers of the Middle West was referred
to special committee. A resolution re-
garding the boycott against the Armour
Packing Company was referred to the
special committee.
Woodward offered a resolution for the
organization to adopt monogram label
for all branches under the National body,
and after much discussion 1t was &C.
guessed in.
A resolution indorsing the boycott on
the goods of the American Tobacco Com
pany was passed.
The Amalgamated Association secured
the floor and asked to have a committee
of three appointed to investigate rumors
and charges being freely circulated in
hotel Hobbies and streets rejecting on the
Labor. Delegate Warner of the Machin-
lists International Association moved
that Mahon be ordered to be present at
the afternoons session.
On the opening of the afternoon session
the committee on resolutions presented a
set from ]. P. Mcclure, recommending
that local unions affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, so change their
laws that dues of members shall not be
less than so cents month, preferably %
cents week, that on failure to comply
with this request within six months the
charters of unions so failing shall be re-
voked, and that no charters be hereafter
granted to organizations unless their by
laws provide for monthly dues of at least
so cents The committee recommended
their adoption. A lively discussion fol-
lowed lasting for more than two hours.
Several amendments were submitted and
lost.
by a decided majority.
Delegate OSuilivan of the Massachu-
sets State Federation moved that the con-
yention go into executive session for the
consideration OF charges against officers
which w. d. Mahon had been ordered at
the morning session by resolution to re-
port in writing, to the afternoon session
for investigation in open meeting. Dele
gates Ashe and Warner, Machinists' Inter
national Association; Johnson Engineers,
Kreyling, ST. Louis Trades and Labor
Council; Sermon, Journeymen Tailors'
Union; Luce, Earriage-workers; Yarneli,
Carpen ters and Joiners. and q mum Der oil
others IN eloquent addresses urged the
convention not to commit this great blum
4 r.
been first preached in open Il Meeting, the
convention had by resolution ordered the
investigation to be made in open
session and to go behind closed doors
with it now could not fail to cause sus-
picion of whiteweshing and comment
that would be an injury to the organiZa-
tion which it would be extremely difficult
to rectifiy. if indeed such result could
ever be accom- plished.
Delegates Thomas I. Kidd, Wood
workers International Union, p. III.
Penna of the United Mine-workers of
America and one or two others spoke in
favor of the secret session, holding that
the matter was one which concerned only
the organization, and that if there was
any dirty linen to be washed it should be
done in the back kitchen with all the d oors
locked.
The original motion was put to vote
and carried, about two-thirds of the dele
gates voting for it. On motion it was
decided to remain in session to carry on
the investigation without adjourning at
the regular time for supper.
After the reporters and others not dele
gates had lett the convention hall Dele
gate Mahon submitted a written state
ment Of the rumors, to which he called
the attention of the convention. The i'm
port of them was that President Gompers
had taken action or negotiated with
Chairman Jones and other prominent men
of the Democratic party in the late cam
paign as president of the American Fede-
ration of Labor. 1t was stated that Secre-
tary McCraith was aware of this CORE
spondence. and feeling that Mr.. Com pers
had exceeded his prerogatives as president
in the matter, the secretary had spoken to
mem bers of the executive council a bout it.
Out of this sprang all the rumors alleged,
but Delegate Mahon could give the names
of but three persons whom he had heard
mention the matter.
All of the letters forming the correspond
ence of allie led political negotiations were
read bafore the secret session. Some of
them referred to the free coinage of silver
at 16 to /. which the federation had in
dorsed ct each of its three last conventions,
and one requested President Gompers to
meet Chairman Jones and other Demo
cratic leaders and talk the matter over.
Mr.. Gompers reply to this was that he
was too busy to call upon the gentlemen,
but if they would meet him al Indianapolis
he would gladly grant an interview on the
subject, and it is stated that one man did
meet Gompers at Indianapolis. None of
the letters had been treated as private by
the president, but all had been marked
political and pigeonho!ed in his secretary,
where they were at all times available 10
the members of the executive council.
Another rumor was that Mr.. Gompers
had gone to Chicago to confer with Chair
man Jones, but the Executive Council
knew that trip was made with chair
man OF a National labor union and that
Jones was not met by Mr.. Gompers.
Delegate renna of the Miners Union
offered the following, which was carried.
three delegates voting against it, alter ex-
planning that they did so only because of
fear that voting for it might be construed
as Endorsement of free-silver coinage:
WHEREAS, Having heard the charges OF al
legged wrongdoing by President Gompers in
the recent poll tical campaign;
RESOLVED. That we indorse the Presidents
position, dismiss the charges aud exonerate
him from blame.
The following offered by Delegate Nc
Neil of Boston was adopted unanimously:
Rescued, That the delegates to the sixteenth
q 90 tfpy1n f tha