Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-18
President of the Federation OF
Labor Denounced as Foe
to Labor.
AN INVESTIGATION is ORDERED
Dramatic Scene in the Convention at
New Orleans, in Which Mr.. Com
pers Demands that the Matter be
Taken Up and Pushed to Prompt
Decision.

tC order an lnNeSuSallOll Oh LIE Ciis'i . ~
of President Shaffer, of the Amalga-
mated Association of Iron and steel
Workers against President Gompers
created a dramatic scene in yesterday
mornings session of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
j. p. Sheridan, a delegate OF the
Amalgamated Association, asked unan-
imous consent to introduce resolution
reviving the subject. A delegate OBJ
jected, but President Gompers. who had
temporarily left the chair, asked that
the objection be withdrawn, so that the
matter could be considered and inves-
tigated promptly. BY this time nearly
every delegate in the hall was on his
feet demanding to be heard. Objection
to its introduction was withdrawn, and
the resolution was read in full as fol-
lows:
Whereas, President T. J. Shaffer,
of the Amalgamted Association of lron
Steel and Tin Workers, at the last con-
yention held in Wheeling, w. Va, made
charges against President Gompers, of
the American Federation of Labor,
which impeach his fidelity to the prin-
ciples of unionism: therefore, be it
Resolved, That this convention APP
point committee to investigate said
charges and report the findings to the
convention in order that the truth may
be known
1t was agreed between Messrs. Com
pers and Shaffer that each appoint two
members of the committee. the four to
select fifth. Mr.. Gompers named John
A. Moffit, of the hatters, and Edgar A.
Agaard, of the glass bottle blowers, and
Mr.. Shaffer named w. H. Haskins, of
the miners, and G. w. Slayton, of the
carpenters. When the fifth member is
selected the investigation will begin.
After the convention had adjourned
Mr.. Shaffer disclaimed all connection
with bringing up the matter. He said
that the introducer of the measure was
not friendly to him.
The controversy between the two
leaders originally included President
John Mitchell, of the Mine Workers,
and Frank p. Sargent, of the Locomo-
tive Firemen, but President Shaffer has
never pressed his charges against them,
claiming to be without satisfactory evil
dence. This, he asserts, he has in the
case of Gompers. He has summed it
up in circular, part of which reads as
follows:
When we had almost completed ar
engagements with the representatives of
the American Tinplate Company for
scale of rates and conditions we were
in fairly good condition to win without
help, but looked for aid from other la
Dor bodies, and especially relied upon,
the American Federation of Labor.
Gas the strike went on the newspa-
pers lied about us, the federation gave
us not a cent. Perceiving that lack of
money, loss of public approval, deser-
ton by hundreds of our own people,
and neglect of other organizations
would make it impossible to gain de-
cision, we endeavored to save what we
could.
II arranged for Mr.. Gompers to meet
J. Pierpont Morgan to affect settle
ment. Mr.. Morgan gave UP his vaca-
ton, went to New York and waited for
Mr.. Gompers, who failed to appear, nor
has he since explained why he neglect
ed our interests"
President Gompers has answered
President Shaffer. He did this in cir
cular letter. There is but one copy of it
here, and President Gompers has tried
to keep it from getting out. In it he
answers President Shaffer extensively.
"Mr. Shaffer says he especially relied
on the American Federation of Labor"
reads the circular, "for financial assist
ance. | assert that he never asked for
any No request, written, Geographic,
or verbal, was ever received from him
or his organization. Yet I venture to
say that nearly every dollar of finan-
cial assistance he received came from
affiliated bodies of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor.
His version of the Morgan interview
is absolutely false. That interview was
arranged by Ralph NJ. Easley. and it
was due entirely to Mr.. Shaffer that it
failed. More than that, Mr. Shaffer is
wrong in regard to the miners, for Mr..
Mitchell never ordered them out.
What Mr.. Shaffer really wanted and
did not get was this: He asked that
meeting of the executive officers of
every national and international union
of the country be called for the purpose
of considering ways and means to help
the steel strike. That would not do.
l felt confident that the committee
ought not, and would not, break con-
tracts or agreements with their en-
ployers turnout the country. Hence,
there would not and ought not to be
widespread sympathetic strike"
A Startling Surprise.