Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-10-02
CHALLENGE SHAFFER.
Samuel GOmpers and John Mitchell
Demand Proof of Accusations
of Recent Strike Leader.

New York, Sept. 26.-1n an open let
ter issued at the Ashland house,
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor and
vice president of the Cigar Makers In
ternational union, and John Mitchell,
president of the United Mine Workers
of America and second vice president
of the federation, challenged Theo-
dore J. Shaffer, president of the
Amalgamated Association of Iron,
Steel and Tin Workers, to prove his
statements recently made against
them. The letter is addressed to Mr..
Shaffer and is in part as follows:
''There was published In the New York
papers a statement purporting to emanate
from you, in which grave charges and IN
| situations are made by you against the
undersigned. Inasmuch as the accounts
published differ in phraseology only, but
in all essentials agree, there is no doubt
in our minds that the matter contained In
the publications emanates from you. For
your information you will find herein en-
closed the clippings referred to from the
New York papers of Tuesday, September a.
I'VE have already said that there is no
doubt In our minds that the statements
referred to were made by you, and assum-
ing this to be so, we believe that you should
be afforded amplest opportunity of dem
onstrating the truth of your charges and
insinuations; so that If they are founded
| on fact the world, and particularly the
world of organized labor, may know it,
We believe that you should be afforded the
fullest latitude in justifying your course
| and your charges and at the same time
plllory us if we deserve 1t. On the other
hand you will realize the impossibility of
our allowing your charges and insinuations
| to go broadcast and stand unanswered and
unchallenged.
! Having due regard for our duty toward
| the labor movement and the interests COM
| mftted to our cares, We have no desire to
| enter into controversy through the news
| papers, and have therefore, declined to say
| anything about the matter to the repre-
| sentatives of the press who have impor-
| tuned us to answer But repeating that We
! believe it be necessary that your charges
and insinuations should be substantiated or
| refuted, to that end we submit the follow
| ing proposition to you:
| First, That committee of three shall
meet either in Pittsburg, Washington, D.
c., or the city of New York. for the pur-
pose of hearing and determining the
| charges and insinuatons you have made
against us.
Second That if the committee finds US
guilty of your charges and insinuations we
| will resign from the presidency of the
| American Federation of Labor, and the
vice president of the Cigar Makers Inter-
national union; from the presidency of the
United Mine Workers of America, and from
| the second vice presidency of the American
Federation of Labor.
Third. That the committee shall con-
sist of three members of organized labor, to
be selected by you from lists herein SUBJ
mitted."
The writer's here name list of 10 men
prominently connected with the labor
lv~o~ S4I
committee of three may be selected. The
letter continues:
IF you prefer that the committee should
consist Of men active in labor movements
| whose organizations are unaf1iliated with
the American Federation of Labor, you
may select the of either of the fol-
lowing gentlemen to compose the commit
tee in whole or In part: P. H. Morrissey,
grand master Order of Railway Trainmen of
America; E. E. Clark, grand conductor Or
der of Railway Conductors: Mr. Moffitt,
president of Bricklayers' and Masons' In
ternational union. We should have sub
mitted the names Of the officers of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, and
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
but inasmuch as Mr.. Sargent, of the for
mer, has been associated with US in Our
efforts in the steel strike, and because of
Mr.. Arthur's policy of isolation towardst the
kgeneral labor movement we have omitted
their names.
I'VE cannot imagine that you would make
grave accusations against US without pre-
meditation as to their consequences; we
therefore insist that in common justice to
US and with due regard to the interests
which both you and we represent, you will
ADVISE US at the headquarters of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, 1885 street, N.
w. Washington D. c., within three days
OF your acceptance of our proposition"