The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-27
CHALLENGE PRESIDENT SHAF-
FER'S STATEMENT.
ASK HIM TO PROVE 1T
Samuel Gompers and John Mitchell
Address Letter to Head of
Amalgamated Association.

New York, Sept. 25.-In an official
letter issued today at the Ashland
house, Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation of Labor
and vice president of the Cigar Max
ers International union and John
Mitchell, president of the United
mine Workers of America and second
vice president Of the Federation of
Labor challenged Theodore M. Shat
fer, president of the Amalgamated AS
sociation Of Iron, Steel and Tin work
ers, to prove his statements recently
made against them, and propose the
selection of a committee from the
labor organizations to investigate the
same.
The Letter.
New York, Sept. 25, 1901.-Theo-
dore j. Shaffer, President Amalgamat-
ed Association LION, Steel Inc Tin
Workers, Pittsburg, P: lear Sir
There was sent out by the Associated
Press and published i" the New York
papers a statement purporting to
emanate from you in which grave
charges and insinuations are made by
you against the undersigned. mas
much as the accounts published differ
in ~Ihrezology, but in ell essentials
that the matter contained in the pub.
LEGATION emanates from you. For
your information you will find herein
enclosed clippings referred to from
the New York papers of Tuesday,
September "a.
1--WE have already said that there
is no doubt in our minds that the
statements referred to were made by
you and assuming this to be so we
believe that you should be afforded
the amplest opportunity of demon
stratipg the truth of your charges and
insinuations; SO that if they are
founded on fact the world, and par
ticularly the world of organized labor,
may know it. We believe you should
be accorded the fullest latitude in
justifying you course and your
charges and at the same time pillory
us if we deserve it. On the other hand
you will realize the imposs.bility of
our allowing your charges and in
situations to go broadcast and stand
unanswered and unchallenged.
Having due regard for our duty
toward the labor movement and the
interests committed to our cares, we
have no desire to enter into g. contro-
versy through the newspapers and
therefore declined to say anything
about the matter to representatives
of papers who have importuned us to
answer. But repeating that we be-
lieve it to be necessary that your
charges and insinuations should be
substantiated or refuted to that end
We submit the following proposition
to you:
First, That a committee of three
shall meet either in Pittsburg, Wash
ington, D. c., of the City of New York
for the purpose of hearing and de-
termining the charges and insinua-
tons you have made against. us.
Second, That if the committee finds
us guilty of your charges and insinua-
tions we will resign from the presi
dency of the American Federation of
Labor and the vice presidency of the
Cigar Makers International union;
and from the presidency of the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America and
from the second vice presidency OF
the American Federation Of Labor.
Third, That the committee shall
consist of three members of organic
ed labor to be selected by you from
lists herein submitted.
"You will observe that we have
carefully omitted to submit the name
OF, any member of the executive coun
Gil of the American Federation Of
Labor or of any representative of any
organization of which any member Of
IuS CAOCuIAtC COuACAA 4o q AOAAOC
OF course we have, not submitted the
names Of all the men conspicuous fol
their ability and honesty in the labor
movement; that would be impossible
under the circumstances; but the
men whose names we have included
We think you will readily agree, have
never had their ability, honesty o.
s~teadfastness Of purpose questioned
or impugned; they are all men whose
verdict when rendered would carr.
conviction in the minds of the genera
public, workers, and PARTICULAR!
those in whom we are all interested
the members Of organized labor.
IF you prefer that the committe,