The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-21
COMPRESS DAYS NUMDEREDY
MAY BE DEPOSED As PRESIDENT
or THE FEDERATION.
Fractional strife In the Executive Council
That Threatens 10 Have an Adverse
Eject on Its Political Campaign Com
pers's Complaint Against Hearst

ShI W ~ EAAgNhNtNp AgNnNtNhh
. q Threatens TO Have In Adverse
Erect on Its Political Campaign Com.
pers's Complaint Against Hearst.
WARRINGTON, Sept. 2O.-The political
campaign OF the American Federation Of
Labor threatens to END in a hasco long
before the ballots are counted in November
an a result Of the iactional strife within the
executive council Of the organization. The
executive council has been meeting here
this week, and It's sessions have not been
harmonious. Politics has been discussed
and President 0ompers has come in for o
large measure Of criticism from some OF
the other leaders. Mr.. Gompers's cam
paign methods. II Is stated on good authority,
do not meet with the approval Of John
Mitchell, Vice-Presiden Duncan and other
potential figures In the executive council.
The prediction il made In Washington
that Mr.. Gompers's days as president OF
the American Federation OF Labor are
numbered. The factionalism in the fedora
ton, which is OF long standing. has been in
tensifed by Mr.. Gompers's incursion into
the field OF politics, and he is marked for
slaughter by the men who are anxious to
place Mr.. Duncan at the head Of the great
est labor organization in the United States.
II IL understood hat Mr.. Mitchell's am
billions do not lead in the direction OF the
federation presidency, but that he would
like to see Mr.. Duncan, who is the secretary
Of the Granite Cutters International Union,
In the place.
The discord among these labor leaders
10 expected to have ar adverse eject upcn
the success Of the declarations campaign.
In fact, it is stated that Mr.. Mitchell.
Mr.. Duncan and the other labor leaders
identified with the anti-Gompers faction
intend to let Mr.. Gompers and his friends
run the present campaign in their " way,
lie expected they will this year, then a for
midable movement will be started to Dust
Mr.. Gompers from the presidency. Mr..
Mitchell has told friends since his arrival
here that he will make no speeches in this
campaign. The federation was counting
on him to do effective work in q number
Of districts in Pennsylvania, Indiana,
Ohio and elsewhere.
Every effort liz being made by the fedora
ton leaders to keep from the public the
Mr.. Mitchell has v e gone 40 far as to
say in an interview that the present labor
campaign meets with his approval in every
respect.
Additional facts leaked out here to-day
concerning the change OF front that labor.
AVPANoVhNO0 W wa CNhRCA M WV PlNCA~
dent Of federation, has assumed toward
the political aspirations Of William Randolph
Hearst Of New York. When Mr.. Gompers
took OF his coat and rolled up his sleeves
in the Littlefield district in Maine he dis
covered, il is alleged, that Mr.. Hearst was
preparing to fight McGillicuddy, the oppo-
nent Of Littleield.
Il appears that McGillicuddy opposed |
the efforts made by Hearst's agents, prior |
to the Democratic national convention
OF 1904, to land the delegation from Maine
for Hearst. When McGilicuddy was nomi-
mated for Congress in the Maine district,
Therefore, Hearst, it is declared, made up
his mind to even up. He put DR.. @. L.
OF Thomaston in command OF
his forces, and, il Ia alleged, sent specially
prepared editions Of one of his newspapers
into the district, in which both Gompers
and McGillicuddy were vigorously attacked.
Gompers is said to believe that Hearst's
activity in the district cost McGillicuddy 4
at least a thousand votes.
President GompeTs eturne to Washing
ton very much incensed against Mr.. Hearst
there were threats that the federation
might 20 after the Gubenatorial nomines
Of the Independence League. Hearst be-
came interested and sent a personal repre-
sentative, a member Of the stan Of one Of
his papers, to appear before the executive !
council. Mr.. Hearst's agent had a CON-
ference with the council this week. He
evidently STAYED on the -pronunciamento I
against Hearst which Gompers was franz
ing. Tie council, 1t is understood, came
to the conclusion that il had enough Worry
on its hands for the present without taking
up a fight with Mr.. Hearst