The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-12-18
GOMPERS INDICATED
CHARGES AGAINST HIM DISMISSED
BY THE FEDERATION OF LABOR.
Yesterdays Proceedings of the Con-
vention Marked by n Sensational
Incident aud Much Talk.
POLITICS AND FREE SILVER
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT.
Letters Read by Secretary McCraith,
the Accuser, to Show Mr.. Gompers
Dickered with Chairman Jones.
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED
ONLY THREE DISSENTING VOTES
AGAINST THEIR DISMISSAL.
! Rejection So Nearly Unanimous that
| the Secretary Announced He
Would Retire from Office.
Letters Read by Secretary McCraith,
the Accuser, to show MIR. Gompers
Dickered with Chairman Jones.
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED
ONLY THREE DISSENTING VOTES
AGAINST THEIR DISMISSAL.
Rejection So Nearly Unanimous tha,
the Secretary Announced He
Would Retire from Office.

CINCINNATI, Dec. >17.-The proceedings
of the American Federation of Labor to-
day were marked by a sensational incident
I'm which politics played a leading part.
Charges were made against President
Gompers, and the convention discussed the
matter with great spirit in open session
most of the afternoon and in executive ses-
sion from o'clock till this evening. The
discussion resulted in the vindication of
President Gompers and the retirement of
Secretary McCraith. whose term expires
next month While the rumors of charges
surprised President Gompers and all 9TH
ers, except a select few of the delegates,
there seems to have been much agitation
during last night i'm the consultation rooms
| over the sensation that was to be sprung
to-day. Ex-Secretary A. G. Wines and
| Secretary August McCraith were separated
| by friends while quarrelng in a room at
| the Denison House, in the early morning
| hours and revolvers are said to have been
| drawn.
The trouble was between President Com
| pers and Secretary McCraith, and dated
| back TO the last campaign. In the alb
sence of President Gompers, il is said, Sec
| retary McCraith edited The Federationist
| McCraith is considered a Socialist and was
| afterward a silver man, but when President
| Gompers was absent he kept out articles on
| the silver question that had been previ-
ously appearing in the organ of the fedora
| ton. At subsequent meeting of the ex-
| ecutive council this matter with other diff
| ferenceS between the president and secre-
| tary were considered and Secretary Nc
| Craith was compelled to apologize to Presi-
! dent Gompers. 1t is charged that after this
action of the executive council Secretary
NJ
| pers and tried to make a case against the
| president on the correspondence of the lat
ter with certain prominent political leaders
| in the silver movement Secretary Nc
Craith held that in replying to the letters
| of silver leaders President Gompers went
beyond the power of the president of the
| federation While Secretary McCraith is
| called radical by many delegates he is rec
| ogniZed by all as a consistent trade-union-
| list and being averse even to any sort
| of affiliation with political parties. 1t is
| claimed that President Gompers does not
affiliate with any party, but that his corre-
| spendence with the advocates Of free silver
was in accordance with resolutions adopted
| at the last three national conventions of
| the federation. 1t was out of this corre-
| spondence that sprang the rumors about
President Gompers being closely associated
| with National Chairman Jones and others.
| In the executive session this evening Del
| egate Malone, who sprang the question on
| the rumors OF charges earlier in the day,
| read paper setting forth the rumors that
\ President Gompers had acted with politi-
| clans and even negotiated with them dur
| ing the recent campaign. Mr.. Malone said
| he would present it charge, and that
there was rumor Of only one offense. and
| that was that President Gompers had par
| ticipated in politics.
| MCRAITH'S STATEMENT.
| Secretary McCraith, 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 President Gompers had written
| and had received from political leaders dur
ing the recent campaign. These persons
wanted President Gompers to meet Chair
| man Jones in Chicago This proposition
| was declined Then it was proposed to
have President Gompers meet with other
silver advocates in Chicago. President
| Gompers replied that he too busy to
| leave his office, but would talk the matter
| over if the parties would come to Indian
| apois. 1t swas admitted that at least one
| representative of the silver cause did come
| TO Indianapolis and see President Gompers.
| None of the letters had been filed away
| with the private papers of President Com
| pers but all were filed with the official cor
| respondence of the president and labeled
| Politics" Secretary McCrath and any
| others could get the letters and read them,
| and the secretary produced all of them in
| evidence. Secretary McCraith said he felt
| President Gompers had done wrong. and
| called the attention of the executive coun-
| ell to the matter. Mr.. McCraith also stated
| that President Gompers had been at Chi
| cago at least once during the campaign. On
| investigation the executive council reported
| that il knew where President Gompers was
! while I'm Chicago; that he did not meet
| Chairman Jones any other politician
there. but that ne went there TO confer with
"A president of international union.
Some of the delegates, especially those
| from the West stated that they were sur
prised that there was not more in the case,
as the rumors that had reached them
greatly magnified the charges.
President Gompers was invited TO make
| a statement, but he said only few words,
| and announced that all his correspondence
| and his actions in the official capacity of
! president OF the federation were as open TO
the delegates and the world as the CORE
| spondence Whlch secretary McSralth hau
| seen fit to bring to the convention.
After considerable discussion. which re-
flected 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
wrong doing by President Gompers during
the recent political campaign. We indorse
| the presidents position. dismiss the charges
| and exonerate him from all blame"
During the Informal hearing OF the ca Sc
there was an exciting discussion Of the sill