Evening star., 1898-10-25
BABCOCK AND LABOR
Withdrawal of the Charges Recently
Preferred Against Him.
REsULTOF EIHAUSnVrlNVESTlGAHI0N
Central Labor UnionsSpeciaI Com
mittee Submits It's Report.
ADOPTED BY THE UNION

ADOPTED BY THE UNION
The Central Labor Union at it's regular
meeting last night, received and adopted the
report made by the special committee ap-
pointed several weeks ago to investigate the
charge that Representative Babcock of
Wisconsin, chairman of the House commit
tee on the District of Columbia, was not
favorable to organized labor in the District
The report was favorable to Mr.. Babcock
and was as follows:
'We, your committee appointed to inves-
ugate certain charges against Representa-
tive Babcock as being an enemy to labor
and opposed to the eight-hour law made by
a delegate of this honorable body in open
meeting in defense Of protest produced by
him condeInning the said Representative
Babcock for opposing suffrage in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and also to obtain full
particulars regarding the production of the
said protest in this body and the facts re-
latng to the printing, ETC., of the same, beg
leave to submit the following report:
AT a regular meeting of the Central La
Dor Union September 10, 1898, the protest
in question was presented by Delegate
Spohn and passed: Accompanying this re-
port is copy of what purports to be the
protest passed by this body, but which can
not be found on the secretarys minutes
The secretary, on being asked the question
why the protest was not spread on the min-
utes, said that the matter was brought up
at & very late hour in the night and he was
very busy writing up the proceedings of the
meeting and overlooked the matter. PreSi-
dent Szegedy, on being asked why he had
rot required the delegate to hand the protest
over to the secretary. stated that Delegate
Spohn made the r, mark that it was SO poorly
written that he was afraid it could not be
read but that he would rewrite it and send
it to the secretary for the signatures of the
officers and the seal Of the union, which
was received by the secretary just two
weeks after it's introduction and passage,
according to his statement.
The Proof Submitted.
"In proof of this Secretary Feeney read
letter from Mr.. Spohn which stated that the
circular was inclosed for the signatures of
the officers and the seal of the union. This
letter was dated September 80 1898. The
protest passed September 49, 1898.
president Szegedy says that he permitted
this as courtesy to Delegate Spohn, be-
cause he hadn't the remoteSt idea that the
protest would not be sent at once to the
secretary, as was represented it would be.
We find from the evidence that the pro-
test was printed at the Office of the Trades
Unionist. Mr.. Phillips, the proprietor.
Delegate Spohh end contained the sigma
lures of the president and secretary, and
that he delivered them to the democratic
campaign committee, as Mr.. Spohn directed
him to do, when the order for the printing
was given. MIR. Phillips says Mr.. Spohn
told him that Mr.. Kerr, the chairman OF
the democratic committee, would pay for the
printing. Mr.. Kerr, en- being asked about
the circular by your committee, stated that
Mr.. H. ]. Schulties accompanied Mr.. Spetn
to headquarters and dntroduced him as an
ex-president of the Central Labor Union.
We asked Mr. Kerr If he had known that
the Central Labor Union had not author
lied Mr.. Spohn to make arrangements for
the printing of these circulars would he
have agreed to pay for them, and he said
he most certainly would not, and as 1t was
he only agreed to pay part of the bill, and
understood that the Central Labor Union
would pay the balance. He says Mr.. Phil
lips presented bill to him for the full
amount. and. rather than have any trouble
over the matter, gave his personal check
for $40
Forwarded to Mr.. BabcOck's District.
He says they were Immediately for
warded to Mr.. Babcock's district for dis
tribution. Mr.. James l.. Norris, treasurer
Of the democratic committee stated that
the first intimaton he had OF the circular
was that some one put a copy on his desk,
and after reading it he tore it up. He says
no bill was presented to him for the print
ing of the protest. Mr.. Spohn. in the first
examination, was asked how the demo-
cratic committee knew anything about @ that nat
protest. His answer was that the day
after the passage of the protest by our
body he met a man on 7th street, re-
publican, who said he could tell him now
he could get the protest circulated, and
directed him to go to the democratic head
quarters.
Mr.. Spohn objected to giving the gen
tIeman's name without his consent, be-
cause he was in the employ OF the govern
ment. He said he offered the protest at
democratic headquarters as campaign
document. because he thought this would
be the most effective way OF 1n1urlng MI.
Babcock. The second time Mr.. Spohn ap-
peared before the committee he was asked
if this gentleman he had met on 7th
street accompanied him to the democratic
headquarters, and he answered ne nau,
and that it was through his influence tnat
the protests were printed.
Mr.. Herman Schulties appeared before
the committee and stated that shortly
after he had seen something In the news
papers about an action In the Central Id
Dor Union against Mr.. Babcock on the sur
frage question he was approached on 7th
street by Mr.. Spohn, who stated 10 MN
that Mr.. James L. Norris had directed MN
to Mr.. Kerr to get tha protest printed. put
that he was not acquainted with Mr.. Kerr
and would like for hirp to go with him to
the democratic headquarters and intro 1uce
him. Mr.. Schulties says he is very entnu-
siastic on the subject Of suffrage IN me
District, but If he had been aware OF the
fact that the Central Labor Union had not
instructed Mr.. Spohn to go to the demo-
Gratis with this matter, and that the presl-
dent and the secretary had not signed the
protest, he would have refused to take
any part in the affair. He says ne feels
he has been made tool OF by Mr.. Soohn.
Your committee asked Mr.. Kerr II he was
satisfied with the result Of the issuing OF
the circular, and he said not, as the pub
lcatiOn of the matter In the newspapers
before the circular reached its destination
destroyed its effect
1--WE find from the evidence that the
names of President Szegedy and Secretary
Feeney were used without their knowledge,
and that the protest was delivered to the
democratic campaign committee as cam
paign document without the authority or
sanction of the Central Labor Union.
Mr.. SpOhn's Charges.
''The following charges were made by
Delegate Spohn against Cor gresham Bah
cock:
'Firat that ho u,ou nnr.oso6 m the eight