The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-26
.SHAFFER MUST
PROVE CHARGES
eompers and Mitchell Issue
Challenge to Him.
ASK FOR INVESTIGATIONS
SUGGEST COMMITTEE OF THREE
TO NJ KE IlIoUIRY.

Washington. Sept 25.-In an open
letter ISSUED today. Samuel Gompers.
presidcut Of the American Federation
OF Labor. and vice president of the
cigar makers union. and John Mitchell.
president OF the United Mine Workers
OF America and second vice president
OF the American Federation of Labor.
challenged Theodore A. Shahfer. presi-
dent % the Amalgamated Association
OF Iron. Steel and Tin Workers. to
prove his statement recently made
against them. The letter is dated lSew
YORK. Sept. %. and is directed to Mr..
Shafer at Pibsburg. It cites Mr.. Shat
1er's settlement as printed in the news
papers - sept. :. and continues: ~
There IS no d 5Cbt in our m4uds that
the statements referred 20 WerS made
by you, and ASSUMING this to be so.
we believe that you should be afforded
the most ample opportunity Of dem
onstrafing the truths Of your state
ments, so II they are founded on fact,
the world. and particularly the world
OF organized labor. may know il. We
believe that you should be Afforded
the fullest Latitude in iustifying your
course and your charges, and at the
same time pillOry us If we deserve IT,.
ON the other hand, you will realize the
1mpOssihiity OF our allowing your
charges and insinuationS to go broad
cast ard stand unanswered and I'M
challenged.
Having due regard for our duty
toward the labor movement and the
1nearests Committed 70 our charge, we
haze no cesire TO enter into a con
1rOversy through the newspapers and
have therefore declined To say any
thing about the matter to the repre-
Eentatives OF the press who have i'm
yortGned us to answer, but. repeating
that we believe 10 to be necessary that
your charges and insinuatiOns should
be substantiated or refuted to that
end we submit the following PROPOSE
fion tC you;
Suggests a Committee
''F'irst-T1fat e. committee of three
shall meet, either in Pittsburg. Wash
1ngton, ID. G., or the city of New York,
To- the purpose of hearing and deter
mining the charges and insinuations
you have made against US.
Second-That If the committee finds
US guilty Of your charges and fnsinua-
items. we viii resign from the presi-
deucy of the American Federation of
Labor and the vice presidency of the
Cigar Makers International union:
from the presidency Of the United
Nine Workers Of America and from
the second vice presidency of the
American Federation of Labor
''fEi-d-That the corgmittee shall
consist of three members of organized
labor. to be selected by you from lists
herein submitted"
The names of u,Shteen labor leaders.
heads of different national labor organ
izations. arc given. The latter states
that the writer's nave carefully omit
ted the name Of any member OF the
executive council of she American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor IT Of any representa-
tive Of any organization OF which any
member Of the executive council is a
member. The letter concludes thus:
We cannot imagine that you would
not make grave accusations against us
without premedlCat ION as to their con-
Sequence. Ne. therefore. insist that
in common justice to US. and with due
regard 20 the interests which both you
and we represent, you will advise US
wltlh three days of your acceptance
OF our proposition