The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-18

waiting for some time IL was decided not
to appoint the fifth member and attempt
work until tomorrow.
The general opinion among the delegates
is that Mr.. Shaffer is not in an adVan-
tageous position. The investigation came
upon him as a surprise, he having no
knowledge of the matter until just before
the convention opened. Whatever proof OF
his charges he has elsewhere, he has, by
his own admission, none with him. Ills
only reliance to uphold the burden OF PROOF
which is on him is his personal narrative
Of the great steel strike of 1901. He said
late this afternoon: II was taken wholly
unaware in this matter. L had not dis
cussed the charges which 1 made before
the last convention of our union of the
United Iron and Steel Workers. at
Wheeling, w. Va, with Delegate
S Sefdre the oDe 9hIg Of Gne the C eonven nGSn
that the resolution would be intro
duced. 1t looks to me as though Mr.. Sher-
idan and Mr.. Gompers were In collusion ana
by forcing me TO bring charges, which
they think l cannot substantiate, TO dis
credit me before the members of the Anal
gamated Association, so that L cannot be
reelected to the head OF that organization.
Then. too. / tried TO prevent the election
Of Mr.. Sheridan as a delegate to this con-
vention and that may have something 10
do with the case. The charges L MADE
against Gompers were included In a little
pamphlet which / sent out after the settle
ment Of the steel strike of 1901. l claimed
that We were entitled to the aid of the
Nv VI ~ Oib, mas
much as we did not get IL, charges were made
that President GomDers had acted I'm a
manner unfriendly to the cause of organ
lied labor. / am confident that the MEM
bers of our organization are too loyal to
be drawn away by any such proceeding as
this and l am not worrying about the
matter in the least"
GOMPERS'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. Gompers said: 1.-The charges canno
be upheld. because there is no truth in
them. The best years of my life have been
given to the cause of organized labor and 1
have never had a thought or performed any
action which was not intended for it's adj
vancement. 1 welcome any Investigation.
There has been no collision between Mr..
Sheridan and myself regarding the pre-
sentation of his resolution. 1 knew ii was
coming. so did Mr.. Shaffer. My hope is that
the special committee act promptly and
that its report may follow closely upon the
charges"
Mr.. Sheridan declined to discuss the reso-
luton at length. saying that it spoke for
itself. II wish TO deny, however" he said,
that l am acting with Mr.. Gompers. L
am not an admirer of his, and when we
elect a president. if his is the only name
mentioned l will not vote for him."
When asked If Mr.. Skaters construction
CT the resolution was correct, Mr.. Sheri-
dan would only say: 1T was not intro
duced for the purpose of doing good to
Gompers. That is all L care to say"
Delegate Mahon, of the special committee
investigating the application of the long
shoremen for a change of name, extending
their jurisdiction, announced that President
keefe, of the longshoremen, declined to
serve as a member of the committee. be-
lieving that it should be composed of dis
interested parties. Delegate Mahon, there
fore, moved that the whole matter be re-
ferred back to the executive council for in
struction. Secretary Morrison opposed the
reference to the executive council, declar-
ing that, in his opinion, the special COM
mittee was trying to evade the response
bility of a decision. Delegate Mahon We
hemently repudiated the idea that he was
trying to evade the performance of any
duty Inc asserted that as the secretary
was a member of the executive council
he was trying TO keep the matter away
from the council in order that the secre-
tary, and not Delegate Mahon, should eS-
cape the responsibility Of a decision.
I A motion was made by treasurer Len
non that all interested parties be removed
from the committee. President Keefe, of
the longshoremen, who was not in the city
when the committee was appointed, de-
clared that he could not see his way to
serve as . member of the committee. After
a succession of motions and amendments
it was decided to remove from the commit
tee all those members representing organ
iZations directly interested in the claims of
the longshoremen for Jurisdiction.