Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-26
G0NPtRS and MITCHELL
GONE BACK At SAAFF[R.
-r,LLENGE HIM TO MAKE GOOD
AsSERTIoNs IN HIS RECENTLY
ISSUED CIRCULAR.
COMMITTEE OF THREE
CHOSEN FROM AMONG LABOR LEAD
Frs, SUGGESTED TO ACT
As JUDGES.

NEW YORK, September 25.-ln an
anon letter issued to-day at the Ash
land House, Samuel Gompers. president
r.. he American Federation of Labor,
ami vice president of the cigarmakers'
a. national Union, and John Mitchell,
.ident of the United Mine Workers,
and second vice president of the Ameri-
l.1 Federation of Labor. challenged
r. .odore ]. Shaffer, president of the
.nslgamated Association of Iron, Steel
"a. Tin Workers TO prove his state
t..nts recently made against them.
The letter follows
New York City,
September %, 1901.
,r- Theodore ]. Shaffer, President of
Amalgamated Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers, Pittsburg, Pa.
Dear sir:
There was sent out by the Associated
Press and published in the New York
T.rers a statement purporting to en-
sla.e from you, in which grave charges
and insinuations are made by you
gainst the undersigned. Inasmuch as
tec accounts published differ in phra-
saa.ogy only, but In all essentials agree,
I. ere is no doubt in our minds that the
t. after collected in the publications en-
gte from you. For your informa-
ton you will find herein enclosed the
l.1pings referred to from the New
fark papers OF Tuesday. September
18th.
We have already said that there is
pa doubt in our minds that the state
=trrnts referred to were made by you,
ana assuming this TO be SO, we oeleVe
1T you should be afforded the amplest
u.9ortunlty OF demonstrating the truth
o. YOUR charges and insinuations; so
nina. if they are founded on fact, the
world. and particularly the world OF or
gaaized labor, may know 1t. We be-
hive that you should be afforded the
sIlest latitude in justifying your
curse and your charges and at the
seue time pillory US il We deserve 1t.
a.. the other hand you will realize the
irpossibility of our allowing your
.rees and insinuattons to go broad
.st and stand unanswered and unchal-
rueged.
Having due regard for our duty to-
ward the labor movement and the in
t,rests committed to our cars, we
have no desire to enter into contro-
sy through the newspapers and nave
therefore declined to say anything
about the matter to the representatives
OF the press, who have importuned us
90 answer. But repeatiung that we pc
lfave it be necessary that your charges
and insinuations should be substantial
| or refuted, to that end we submit
the following propositions to you:
"First-That a committee OF three
shall meet either in Pittsburg, wash
ington, D. c.. or the city OF New YORK,
for 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 insinua-
tons we shall resign from the presl-
dancy of the American Federation OF
labor and the vice presidency OF the
G garmakers' International Union;
from the presidency of the United Mine
Workers of America and from the sec
oal vice presidency of the American
Federation of Labor.
"Third-That the committee snail
consist of three members of organized
labor to be selected by you from lists
herein submitted.
The list includes officials of nearly
z the prominent labor organizations.)
ron will observe that we have care
fully omitted to submit the name OF
any member of the executive council
of the American Federation of Labor
or OF any representative of any organ
iaf!0n of which any member OF the
e,0cutive council is member.
We cannot imagine that you would
make grave accusations against us
Nthout generalization as to their con-
s.quences. we therefore insist that in
common Justice to us and with due re-
Glrd to the interests which both you
and we represent, you will advise us
the headquarters of the American
Iteration of Labor, 1885 c street
N W. Washington, D. c., within three
US of your acceptance of our propo-
non, Fraternally yours,
SAMUEL GOMPERS,
President American Federation OF
labor, Vice President Cigarmakers
International Union.
JOHN MITCHELL,
resident United Mine Workers OF
AMERICA Second Vice Presiden'
american Federation of Labor.