The times., 1897-07-25
PLEAsEs THE LABOR MEN.
Leaders Rejoice at the Side
tracking of Powderly.
SOME EXPRESSIONS OF VIEWS
Emphatic Assertions That He Is
Not Loyal to Their Cause Nav
Re Renominated, But His Rejee-
tion by the Senate Considered u
Foregone Conclusion.

The action of the Immigration Committee
yesterday In postponing further considera-
ton or the nomination of Mr.. Terence V
PowdeTly as Commissioner general of i'm
mlgration until the next session of Con-
grcss was very pleasing news to the labor
Leaders, especially those located at the
National Capital who had been active in
opposing his confirmation. Whether the
local Factions of labor can get together on
any other question or not is very doubt
rui, but that they are all agreed that Mr.
| Powderiy would not be an acceptable Of
ficeT TO the rank and file of the wage
earners OF the United States is very evi-
dent
From what has been said of Mr.. Pow
derry by those who have been Intimately
connected with him for years there seems
| to be hardly any doubt that the opposition
TO him is well founded The principal OBJ
| JectIons raised against him is that he has
been untrue to the workmen of the coun-
try, and there is no reason, they ghink
that he would not be untrue To them now
Some of the leaders lave no objection to
Mr.. Powderiy personally, and In Stain G
Their opposition to him for commissioner of
| Immigration have admitted that no obJee-
ton would be made to his appointment to
| any other office
MIR. Samuel Gompers, president OF the
American Federation OF Labor, said yes
terday that he was much pleased with tue
action OF the committee, and is OF the
opinion that 1t means the end of Mr. Pow
| derry as Commissioner OF Immigration.
The committee, he thought too X this plan
| to get rid OF a very disag greea BILE job, as it
relieves it CT all the responsibility in the
matter Mr. Gonipers does not think that
| President Mckinley viii renomnate Mr.
Powderly for the same position during the
recess Of Congress, for il is too plain that
he is not true representative OF the labor
ing classes OF the country
IN the latter part of June, after having
a long interview with President Mckinley
on the subject of tie nomination of Mr.
! Powderly, Mr. Gompers wrote Mr. Mckinley
letter strongly opposing the nomination.
| saying that IL would be Ii grave mista ke
| Spea king for the American Federation of
Labor, Mr.. Gompers wrote:
We have not a word TO say should you
deem IL advisable to appoint Mr.. Powderly
10 any other position Within your gift, but
| we respectfully submit that his appoint
| mont TO the position of superintendent Of
| Immigration would not be regarded as
/ either compliment to or recognition Of,
/ uut rather as an affront to- labor
! Permit me to assure you that this is not
| written In any captious spirit. On the con
| LTary, l am prompted to do SO by my
| uesHe that grievous mistake may be
| prevented.
the Knights of Labor, through their gen
eral officers, have persistentiy opposed
| the confirmation of Mr. Powderly for the
| position or commissioner general of immi-
| grafton, and there was alove feast at
| headquarters on street when it was
| learned That the nomination had been side
| tracted by the committee
Mr. Thomas Mcclure. member OF the
general executive board of the order. said
| that Mr.. Powderly' S nomination would not
! only be an insult to the honest laboring
men OF the country but a menace 10 their
| interests The nominee, he said. h al broken
| every obligation he had made to he nigh
| ana there is no reason why a man Ike
| hin would not prove unfaithf,l To the
Government. Powderly was suspended
| from the order of which he was the head
for twelve years, for Withholding the books
! of the order, which he no doubt, intends
to appropriate for his own personal. finan-
| cial benefits. Mr.. Mcclure, however. is
| the opinion that the President win nonii-
| nate Mr. Powderly as soon as Congress
| adjourns. This, Mr.. MCGUIRE THINKS. viii
make no difference, as he is satisfied that
! he will never be confirmed by the Senate
| Powderly's character, be saws, both as
| n Knight of Labor and a lawyer, is too
well known TO the members OF the Senate
| for them 10 commit such a foolhardy act
| as voting for his confirmation. The part
be took in the campaign OF 1888 IN Penn
| sylvania in support Of Pattison for gov
ernor is not forgotten. Then ne condemned
| the Republican party on the stump So far
| as his views on finance are concerned. Mr..
| Mcclure said they are too well known
| In many newspaper articles, in his Thirty
| Years of Labor and in the Journal of the
| knights OF Labor he favored free silver,
but in the last campaign he went into the
| Republican column. He was untrue to his
| is nothing to prevent him from selling out
| the Republicans for a higher price.
| That the silver Republican Senators will
| oppose his confirmation is almost a GER
| tainty, Mr.. Mcclure thinks. The Popu-
!
| the Democrats, with possibly the exception
| of few gold Senator's, will oppose him.
| Since being expelled from the Knights
] of Labor, Mr.. Mcclure says, Powderly has
| publicly admitted in Philadelphia that he
| accepted money from the order, while a
| member, 10 do things which he now con.
| denns. In fact, since he has been out
| of the order on every opportunity be has
| sbamefully betrayed it and It's members
| At present Mr.. Powderly is member of
| law firm at Scranton, Pa, which is the
| legal adviser OF several corporations
| Mr. William Silver, president of the
| Building Trades Council, is also strongly
| opposed to Mr.. Powderly, whom he char
acterizes as a only a eonniving trickster
| lawyer" Mr.. Powderly, he said repre-
sents no one but himself; at least, one
| thing is certain, be does not represent
| thewage-earners Of the country.
| Mr. Silver is of the opinion that Mr. Nc
Kinley will appoint Mr. Powderly as COM
| missioner Of immigration during the re-
| cess of Congress, but feels sure that he will
| not he confirmed by the Senate next De-
cember.
Mr.. Milford Spohn, president of the Cen
| tral Labor Union, has already expressed
| his opposition to Mr.. PowderIy, in The
| Times, and is as strongly as ever opposed
| to his confirmation.
The Minister Got Even.
"Yardsey donated castor worth 97
| cents to the minister, and put On it tag
| marked S16."