Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-11-22
.6omPERS AND the
/ MANUFACTURERS
NAMES SOSiE WARM ACCUSA-
TioNs AGAINST THE Asso-
CATIONS REpRESRx-
lrATIvE.


opening OF yesterdays session of the
american Federation OF Labor. Pres
ident Goanpers. with Vice president
O'ConDell in the chair, arose TO a
question OF personal privilege to re-
ply TO the denial sent out from New
York by Broughton Brandenburg.
who, declaring that he was the man
seferred TO by President Gompers in
the lattcr's charges of an attempt
to bribe Gompers. denied that he
made any such attempt to bribe. and
also that he had any connection with
tho national Association of Manu-
facturcrs. President Gompers said
in part:
want 10 call your attention TO
the fact that IL Brandenburg d,\ired
Only to consult me about q publica-
ton, why was IL necessary for him
then to so persistently urge me 10
sec him in private? Why was II
necessary for him to assume false
manner Why so much secrecy? why
was II necessary for him. in his let
ter to me urging that come at once
: to New York, TO use the language he
cid. saying II was necessary for me
TO come at once. as matters are
coming 10 a critical crisis?' Why
could there have been such a critical
crisis Between two men who had only
passing acquaintance II only pub
<nx
was no attempt 10 bribe upon what
other basis did he hope that I was
golns TO abandon my hfe's work?
"All the circumstances link BY
, link. show Brandenburg came to me.
as representative OF the National
Manufacturers Association. even dis
ressrdins the statement that ne
himself told me directly that ne
represented this association, whose
purpose was to attack and destroy
and ibribe the men of labor in order
to strSite at the organizations them
selves. >
why was 1t necessary for him to
reassure me that he represented the
Manufacturers Association coming
20 me with warrants issued and
signed by the Century syndicate, an
auxiliary OF the National Manufac-
turers' Association, the marks of the
latter appearing in no less than two
instances on the warrants present
ell: the initials In one instance and
the full name OF the Manufacturers
Association spelled out In the 9TH
- These warrants were eight
inches long and four or five inches
wide. such as are used In ordinary
business houses TO safeguard their
money transactions.
Immediately after my speech
yesterday was informed by Dele
gate jerome Jones that about the
time told of having received let
ters from Brandenburg urging that
go 10 Bdgefeld. S. c., for con-
ference. Delegate Jones saw AFR. Van
Cleave. the president OF the Manu-
faeturers' Association and another
man in close proximity 70 Edgeleld.
j am willing to stand before dele
gates. the rank and file OF labor and
tho general public for them to judge
the meaning of this mans great
secretlyeness. the mystery which he
threw around the whole affair and
the documents produced by me. The
key to IL all Is that I declined TO
act aa he wanted me to act"
"a great ovation TO Mr.. Gompers
followed.
After a long debate involving i'm
portant turisdictional questions BE-
tween steamfitters and plumbers on
one hand and che carpenters aad
amaiagamared wood workers on The
other. the federation In the frat dis
pute provided for a committee OF
three from each side with President
Gompers as chairman, to adjust the
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