Evening journal., 1902-11-18
SAMUEL GOMPERS
NOW UNDER FIRE
Shafers Fight Against Him
Comes Up at Federation
of Labor Meeting
AFTERMATH OF THE STEEL STRIKE

New Orleans. Nov. 1S.--Either The
odore Shaffer, president of the Anal
gamated Association, or Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, is destined to pass
under a cloud. The eclipse may be
temporary and the man who goes un-
der may emerge at some other time,
but an eclipse there will be for one or
the other. It is a fight to the finish
and present odds favor Gompers. The
trouble which so suddenly came to a
point in the convention of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor yesterday is
an echo of the great steel strike
against the United States Steel com
pany, which was fought and lost last
year by the Amalgamated Association
under the leadership of Shaffer After
his association had been defeated
President Shaffer made serious
charges against President Gompers, as
well as John Mitchell, president of the
United Mine Workers, and Frank Sar-
gent, OF ,e Brotherhood of Railway
Trainm u. re asserted that the or
ganizat.o..s over which these men pre-
sided had, while listening to the ad-
vice of their leaders, refused to lend a
helping hand to the Amalgamated
Association and had even fought
against 1t in the dark.
Part of the charges are as follows:
GAS the strike went on the federation
gave not a cent. The flint glass
blowers, the window glass blowers,
the bottle blowers and the pottery
workers gave us help. arranged for
Mr.. Gompers to meet Mr.. Morgan to
effect a settlement. Mr. Morgan gave
up his vacation, went TO New York
and waited for Mr.. Gompers, who fail
er to appear, nor has he since ex
planned why he neglected our inter
ests. Mr.. Gompers urged me to hurry
from Pittsburg to New York to sign
the wage scale offered by the trust
through a committee of which Com
pers and John Mitchell were mem
bers."
Delegate Sheridan yesterday offered
in the convention the following resi-
luton:
whereas, President Shaffer, of the
Amalgamated Association, at theii
last convention, held in Wheeling, w
Va, made charges against President
Gompers, of the American Federation
of Labor. which impeached his fidelity
to the principles of unionism, there
fore be It
Resolved, That the federation ap
point a committee to investigate saiC
charges and report its findings to the
convention in order that the truth ma,
be known"
Mr.. Gompers, addressing the con
vention, said 1T is quite immateria
TO me what course is pursued, my onl.
request being that prompt action b.
taken on the resolution. I do not wan
this matter to drag"
All eyes then turned on Mr. ShaifeT
who stood at the foot of the platform
upon which Mr.. Gompers sat. Hi
face was flushed and he spoke rapid
ly. 'T ask" he said. II urge, and, yes
/ demand the fullest investigation o
these charges"
President Mahon. Of the Street Car
mems Association, at once made a ma
ton, which was adopted, that tn
matter be referred TO a special con
mittee of five. An amendment wa
offered and accepted that the CONVEX
tfon's committee consist of five men
bers. Mr.. Gompers to name two. MI
Shaffer two and the four a fifth.
Last night Mr.. Shaffer said he wa
not aware of the fact that the resolt
tion was to be introduced in the COZ
vention until the opening day, and tha
he protested against it, as he had n
proofs with him by which to prove tn
charges.