The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-01-19
Organizer Sieberman Severely
Arraigns Leaders of the Sc
ceding st. Louis Unions.
LIE IS PASSED FREQUENTLY,
Matter Finally Referred to Com
mittec. Whose Decision Snail
BE Final. if Missouri LO-
cai3 Return.


RFPJRLII SPECIAL.
Cincinnati. Jan. lS.-The controversy
between the general officers and the ex-
PEELED St Louis members of the Boot and
shoe Workers Union was the subject Of
yirulaut debate IN the convention OF that
organization hcra to-day.
J. 4 Lawrence and F g. Pinta ar
swer.d such questions as the deIerates
asked. .. j. McATorrow. the national or
canizer, and y. \. S;eterman. another or
ganizer. argued sor the national officers
Siclerma''s speech was one Of the most
eloquent and caustic arraignments Vet
made here In showing that the contract
with -he Hamilton Brown Shoe Company
had been indcrSei by the local unions and
the s.. Louis council almost unanimously.
| he reviewed what he termed the flop and
tho faIS" Trcters=s Of Business Agent
Piutg nd others. in charging that Super
| .uteud.rt Eaton 7ad first violated the con-
'rac. so as 20 Justify tie -. Louis unions
| in breaking it.
II" Vas equal y severe on Pinta and
IGawrenee in refusing TO arbitrate. He
charged them with introducing new de-
marts after the contract had been in
dorSed. and the leaders Of the St Louis
council and others with being disturbers
and scG.nt";s- whose Interior purposes
JereSts.
CHARGES DECEIT.
He CharC@I Pinta. Laur-nce and Mottau
with uHalushinGiv U;tering falsehoods be-
fore the convention regarding the 81.
Louis controversy. and with slandering
the general officers. organizers and others.
~ re = Louis representatives replied in
sill more uuidr iamentary language ani
n" lle waS frequently passed on the floor
Siaharrnar arraienef Pinta's nrtyare
character n the seversst terms. and I'M
r@arhed the int gritty of his colleagues.
The convention broke out in loud demon
stratiors when ne speaker referred 20
t-tw.enc''s charge that the union label
UaS being used on goods manufa ctured At
III" Joliet feIi-a-tis H said Lawrence
claimed that the discovery was made six
or eight months ago; and yet he hal
never mentioned il until he appeared be-
fore this convention. and was. therefore.
himself r"SI'"ns!ni. for such misuse OF the
union label.
The most dramatic scene of the conven-
ttoa vas during Sieberman'S defense of
the St Louis grass widow whom Law
renee and Finta had involved in the con-
troveTss with the national organizer.
LOSES PATIENCE
While Sisbermau answered the questions
OF Lawrence and Pinta and of many dele
gates patiently. he lost his temper under
the cross-sxarination OF Mottau when the
DO you think your eIoquence can cover
up the facts when over two-thirds OF what
yorI have said is Il lie -
President Tobin commanded close at
tortiCn In his explanation of what had
been done by the general officers and ex-
ecutive board. and In his explanation of
the certificates Of II C. Geiser & Co. IN
-. Louis. bearing a double stamp. with
cuts OF himself and President Healey of
The leather Workers Union.
There was profound silence when Presi-
dent Tobin asked the three St Louis rep
reSeCJativeS II they and others al ST.
Louis would return to the union II he
would tender his resignation as presi-
dent
Lawrence and Pinta stated that they
would abide by the action OF the new
unions in ST Louis. and NCttau also made
his return contingent on such action as
the II. Louis locals might take
on motion OF Delegate George w Hub
bard OF Brockton. Mass. il was decided
that the convention would tomorrow elect
\ committee Of three to go 10 St Louis
and Investigate the controversy None
Of the general officers or organizers or
others Interested in the case are TO be
eligible or this commission. and its finding
Is "a he final. provided those at St Louis.
who have left the unior will agree to
abide by the finding of this committee