The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-26
ST. JOHN AGAIN
ON THE WARP ATH
This Time the AgitatOr Is Con-
Quoting a Fight in the
Miners Convention.
MAHONEY HOLDS HIS OWN
BREACH GROWS WIDER EACH
SESSION..

Denver Colo. June 25.-The crisis in the
fight against Acting President c. E Ma
honey of the Western Federation of Min
ers was reached today when the clause
of his report in regard to the Industrial
Workers of the World was taken up in
the federation convention. Vincent St
John of Goldteld, New, led the attack
upon the acting president. II is conceded
that the fight is an incident in the stIug
gle for control of the federation by the So
cialist party.
Acting President Mahoney recommended
that the federation should not side with
either faction in the Industrial Workers
and this position was sustained by the
majority of the committee which consid-
cred his report
Withdrawal Intended.
The chair, in announcing the question
before the convention, said that the final
vote on the adoption or rejection of the
presidents report will decide whether the
federation will remain with the Industrial
Workers of the World or Will withdraw
and form another great industrial union
organization.
In the discussion of the matter today
St. John upheld the use of the injunction
in his arragnment of the acting officials
of the federation. The injunction is a
court weapon he had always denounced as
club created for the exclusive use of
the capitalist class, but he admitted he
had used this weapon to gain possession
of the records of the Industrial Workers
of the World. after Mahoney and others
had taken charge of the machinery of
the organization.
Charges Made by ST. John.
St. John charged that Mahoney stopped
at nothing to gain control of the Indus-
trial Workers and freeze out the Social
lists. He said that Mahoney employed
get possession of the records of the In
dustrial Workers.
Acting President Mahoney and Acting
Secretary kirwan have the support of
President Charles H. Meyer in this fight
President Meyer wrote the following let
ter last November and he has not since
indicated q change of views:
4 have studied carefully the Industrial
Workers of the World convention reports
and after giving the same due cOnsidera-
ton / cannot but fully endorse the posi-
ton taken by your acting president and
secretary treasurer
The debate on this question will last
at least two days more.
Mahoney's Speech.
Late this afternoon Acting President
Mahoney took the floor. He spoke for
half an hour before adjournment and will
continue his defense tomorrow morning.
Mr.. Mahoney repudiated all the charges
made against him.
Taking up the second convention of the
Industrial Workers of the World held last
fall in Chicago he gave a history of the
proceedings ana declared Inal Iney were
irregular almost from the opening of the
convention. A few radicals tried to gain
possession of the convention, while he and
some other members of the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners endeavOred TO have the
proceedings according to the constitution
The convention amended the constitution
iegislating out of existence the office Of
president.
In regard to the charge of Vincent St
John that he had appointed men TO steal
the Industrial Workers records, Mahoney
said he did not deny he had employed
men to protect the records, but nothing
had been taken from the Industrial Work
ers of the World. because at that time the
organization was practically disorganized.
MahOney emphatically denied that he
employed anyone to slug St John or