Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-05
PRIEST. SAMUEL GOMPERS
REPLIES TO Mr.. SHAFFER.
SAYS THE AMALGAMATED AssOCIA-
TIoN NEVER ASKED
FOR AID.
sHAFFER's COMMON SENSE
CALLED IN QUESTION ny THE
FEDERATIoN's PRESl-
DENT.

WASHINGTON. ID. c.. October A.
President Gompers. of the American
Federation of Labor. publishes in the
October issue of the Federationist. the
official organ of that body, vigorous
and detailed statement in reply 10
charges made by President Shaffer. of
the Amalgamated Association of Iron
and Steel Workers, regarding the atti-
tude of MIR. Gompers and President
Mitchell, of the United Mine Workers
of America, during the recent steel
strike.
Mr.. Gompers says:
MIR. Shaffer says that he especially
relied upon the American Federation
of Labor for financial assistance. |
| assert that he never asked for any.
No request. either written. telegraphic
or verbal was ever received during the
entire strike at the Office of the Amer
| lean Federation of Labor from Mr..
| Shaffer or from any other representa-
tive of the Amalgamated Association
| asking for financial assistance. Yet
venture to assert that nearly every dol
lar of financial assistance received at
the office of the Amalgamated Assocla-
tfon came from unions affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor, and
If the Federation. as such. did not give
a cent, it was because it was neither
directly nor indirectly asked TO do so.
| Regarding Mr.. Skaters statement
that he arranged a meeting between
Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan and Mr.. Com
| pers for which he alleges Mr. Morgan
gave up his vacation, but Mn. Gompers
failed 40 appear, Mr.. Gompers says
"Mr. Shaffer says that which is alb
solutely untrue and he knows it,
Correspondence from Mr. Shaffer
| urging Mr.. Gompers and Secretary
Morrison To come Immediately to
Pittsburg Is published and after detail
ing several interviews with Mr.. Shat
fer and others, Mr.. Gompers says;
1T will thus be seen that Mr.. Stew
/
friendly to the Amalgamated), was to
meet Mr.. Morgan at the very time
when Mr.. Easily (of the Civic Fedora
tion). not Mr.. Shaffer, had arranged
| for me to meet Mr.. Morgan"
Mr. Gompers says he explained to
| Mr. Shaffer that 1t was inadvisable to
have too many irons in the fire at the
same time, and that Mr.. Shaffer agreed
with him as to the substitution of Mr..
| Stevenson for himself tGompers) at
| this proposed conference, ''all Of us be-
ing fully persuaded that Mr.. Stevenson
being so mighty recommended by Mr..
| Shaffer, and going with the proposition
for arbitration to Mr.. Morgan, would
| be successful"
| The terms of the agreement secured
| by Mr.. Shaffer September IA, and those
secured by Messrs. Gompers. Mitchell
and others September 4, are printed in
parallel columns, the former enumer
ating the Canal Dover and Demmler
mills among those not included as
union mills and the latter providing
| for chem as non-union mills.
| Mr.. Gompers says Mr.. Shaffer knows
now that it is unwise for men at the
head of organizations to declare for
| policies which the rank and file VIII
not approve and that II such common
sense is ignored the men will desert
their leader.
Mr.. Gompers says that what Mr..
Shaffer wanted to do was to have a
general union strike in aid Of the steel
strike This Mr.. Gompers says he could
not do.
Il felt confident" says Mr.. Gompers,
that the executive officers OF the trade
unions Of America ought not and would
not violate or break their contracts or
agreements with their employers
/ throughout the country. Hence there
would not and ought not to be a wide
spread sympathetic strike"
Noncompliance of this request. 1t is
asserted is the basis of the bitter at
tacks by Mr.. Shaffer. Mr.. Gompe.s
says Mr.. Mitchell denied to him that
he ever promised to call out the miners.