New-York tribune., 1901-10-05
GOMPERS ASSAILS SHAFFER
ACCUSES HIM OF UNTRUTHFULNESS
AND WITH DESIRING A GEN
ERAL UNION STRIKE. .-

Washington. Oct 4-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 state
ment I'm reply TO charges made by President Shat
fer OF the Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers regarding the attitude OF MT Gonh-
pers and President Mitchell of the United Mine
Workers of America during the recent steel strike
Mr.. Gompers says:
Mr. shaffer says that he especially relied upon
the American Federation OF Labor for financial
that ne tnegraphe or verbal
ever received during the enure strhe % az s t,e
Wr Shafrer or from any other representative OF
the AmaIgamated Association. asking for financial amelia;
every dollar OF financial assistance received az me tne
office OF she ; a6 American Federation OF
Labor and IL the Federation as SuSn Iu ,I MI noT
a cent 1t was because II was helthei "''VN''' '''
indirectly asked TO do So
Regarding Mr. Skaters statement that he ar
ranged a meeting between j. Pierpont Morgan anu
Mr. Gompers. for which he alleges Mr Morgan
gave up a vacation but Mr. Gompers failed TO APP
near Mr. Gompers says; MIR. Shdfer says that
which is absolutely untrue. and he knows H.
Correspondence from Mr.. Shaner urging MI Oohl-
pers and Secretary Morrison to come iInmediately
to Pttsburg published and, after detailing sew
eral interviews with Mr.. Shaffer and others, Mr.
Compers says: 1T Will thus be seen that Mr..
Stevenson tan employer OF union labor friendly to
the Amalgamatedl to meet Mr. Morgan at the
very time when Mr. Easley tof the Civic Fedora
and MIR Shaner mad arranged Tor 10
meet MIR Morgan" Mr.. GoinperS says he explained
To- Mr. Shaffer that IL inadvtsable 10 nave too
many irons in the fire the same time, and that
Mr. Shafrer agreed with him as TO the substitution
OF Mr. Stevenson for himself (Gompersl at this
proposed conference. 'all OF us being fully per
slladed that Mr. Stevenson being 80 highly recon-
mended BY Mr. Shafrer and going with the PROPOSE
tion for arbitration To Mr.. Morgan, would be sue
CeSSful. ~,
The terms the agreement secured by Mr.
Shaner on September Il. and those secured by
Nessrs. Gompers, Mitchell and others on September
A. are printed I'm parallel columns. the former emu
merating the Dover and Demmler mills among those
not included among union mills and the latter pro-
viding for them union mills. Mr. Gompers says
Mr. Shaffer now knows il is unwise for men at the
head organizations to declare for policies which
the rank file will not approve and that II such
common is ignored the men will desert their
leader.
Mr.. Gompers says that what MIR, Shaffer wanted
him to do to have a general union strike iii
aid of the steel strike. THIS. Mr.. Gompers says he
could not do. Il felt confident" saws Mr. Gompers.
that the executive officers Of the trades unions of
America ought not and would not violate break
their contracts agreements with their employers
throughout the country. Hence there would
and ought to be "A widespread sympathetic
strike
Noncompliance with this request, IL Is asserted
is the basis of the bitter attacks by Mr. Shaffer
Mr.. Gompers says Mr.. Mitchell denied to him that
he ever had promised 10 call out the miners