The Morris County chronicle., 1902-11-21
GOMPERS EXONERATED
Action by Committee Investigating
the Alleged Charges.
HOT DEBATE ON SOCIALISM
Delegates to Labor Convention Dis
cuss Resolutions Committing
The Federation to Social
istic Doctrines.
lot DEBATE ON SOCIALISM

New Orleans, Nov 20. = President
Gompers has been completely exonerat-
ed of the charges of infidelity to the
principles of trades unionism, said to
have been made by Theodore J. Shaf-
fer, president Of the Amalgamated AS
sociation of Iron, Steel and Tin Work
ers.
The special committee which has con-
Quoted the investigation reported to
that effect during the day before the
convention Of the American Fedora
tion of Labor. The committee report
ed that when Mr.. Shaffer appeared be-
fore 1t he declared that he had not at
any time, either in writing or other
wise, made any charges against Mr..
Gompers of infidelity to trades union
ism. nor did he desire to do so before
the committee.
T. j. Sheridan, who brought up in
the convention the resolution which
resulted in the investigation, was also
present at the hearing and was asked
il it was true that Mr.. Shaffer had
made any charges before the last con-
ventiOn Of the Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers against Mr.. Gompers, and he
replied that he had. Mr. Shaffer de-
MED it. Mr.. Sheridan offered to read
the minutes of the meeting at which
the charges were said by him to have
been made. Mr.. Shaffer objected to
this because the minutes were those of
a secret meeting, and If read by Mr..
Sheridan it would involve him In trou-
BILE with his own organization for di-
vulging the inner workings of the con-
vention.
No JurisdictiOn.
The convention decided that the
question of veracity between Mr.. Shat
fer and Mr.. Sheridan was something
with which it had nothing to do, and
there being no charges against Mr..
Gompers, there was nothing to do but
return finding to the effect that Mr..
Gompers was completely exonerated.
This was done, and the report was
adopted by the convention.
For the time being at least all oppo-
sition to the reelection of President
Gompers has died out. Since the re-
fusal of James Lynch of the Typo
graphical union to run for the office no
further effort has been made to secure
a candidate, nor is it likely at the pres
ent time that there will be rival can
didate.
The convention then entered upon an
extended debate in which at times
considerable feeling was shown on the
resolutions introduced by Victor l..
Berger of Milwaukee committing the
convention to the doctrines of social
ism. The committee on resolutions re-
ported, as similar committee had re-
ported at the Scranton convention of
last year. that the principles of trades
union movement contain all that is
necessary ut the present time for the
advancement of the workingmen of
the country.
Delegate Max Hayes offered a sub
stitute for the report of the convention
to the effect that the federation advise
the working people to organize their
economic and political power to secure
for labor the full equivalent of its
toll and the overthrow of the wage
system and establishing an industrial,
cooperative democracy. The substi-
tute was ruled out of order by the
chair as being substitute. Delegate
Hayes then offered it as an amend
ment, and it was so admitted by the
chair.
Delegate Hayes took the floor in de-
Tense of his amendment, as did Berger
Ward, Brewer and Sherman. In oD-
position to the amendment and in ia
vor of the report of the committee
were Delegates ID. A. Hayes, Vice Pres
ident Duncan, Lewis, Duffy and 9th