The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-05
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CHARLESTON. Noy. 5.-John MI.
gent. the president of4the West ylr.
glnia Federation Of Labor. who is be.
ing triedE before the executive board
Of thes State Federation at Wheeling.
when seen BY a newspaper correspond.
ent last night declared that he lg.
nored the Wheeling proceedings entire.
ly and would not appear at all. X
Although the Ohio Valley Trades
and Labor Assembly has nothing
whatever to do With the proceedings
at Wheeling. other than giving the
use Of its rooms to the members Of the
lfederation's executive board. In which
to hold its sessions. Mr.. Nugent evi.
IDENTIFY has fmbibed the belief that tho
assembly has a hand in the investiga.
tion there. as will be seen from what
he said, us follows:
'As far as the charges are concern.
ed there are none against me, and II.
there were they would not be tried
before the Ohio Valley Trades and
Labor Assembly. That body can make
no charges against me. It is not only
a member OF the federation, but 1t is
not a bona f'de labor organization.
but is largely au organization Of So.
cialists and obligated to no authority
in union labor ranks. 1t has only
been tolerated as member OF the
State federation in the hope that 1t
would reform from its sociaIistic
tendencies. Youean say that will
never tolerate being tried before a
body Of Socialists. The constitution
Of the State federation gives only to
ne tic power to cali i meeting of the
board, and the people who called the
meeting have no such authority. The
whole proceeding is invalid and void.
If reasonable charges are brought
against me will call a meeting Of the
state. federation, the only body which
could legally consider such charges"
WHEELING, Nov. 5.-The trial Of
investigation Of the serious charges
brought against President John M.
gent, OF the State Federation OF Labor,
was begun here yesterday before two
of the members Of the executive com.
mittee of the body. A number Of wit.
nesses were examined and the investi.
CATION will be concluded to-day. Pres.
ident Nugent is not present at the
hearing, he questioning the legality OF
the call, which was made by the sec.
retary. Mr.. Nugent, It is stated, as.
serts he is still the president Of the
State federation and to that end has
issued a call for an Investigation OF
the charges. the meeting to be held
ut Charleston to-day. Whatever &C.
tion may be taken by the executive
committee in It's local investigation.
Mr.. Nugent has given to understand
will be contested by him as being II.
legal. 5isEG
The investigation by the committee
here was originally to have been be.
gum yesterday morning. However, w.
P. Reynolds, the Clarksburg member.
failed to arrive. A telegram brought
the information that he had missed
his train, while later query developed
a statement from Mr.. Reynolds that
the sudden illness Of relative pre-
vented his coming. Nugent, himself,
OF course. would not constitute mem.
ber Of the trying board, and In fact
he did not come to Wheeling, while the
third member. printer. named vii.
son, of Huntington. had left the State.
This left the two local members. VII.
liam F. IWelch and A. l.. Bauer. In the
afternoon they began the investigation,
having before them number Of wit.
nesses, among whom were President
Corcoran, of the Ohio Valley Trades
Assembly, and a number Of others
prominent in local labor circles. Mr..
Welch presided. The investigation
was not completed last night and will