The Washington herald., 1907-11-10

In an interview yesterday, Mr.. Sam
uel A. Gompers. president of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor. replied TO the
attack upon himself. the officers or
the Federation and the management
Of the Federatonist And incidental to
his reply, President Gompers promises
sensation at the annual convention OF
the American Federation of Labor.
which opens in Norfolk, Va. tomorrow.
Public sentiment will be shocked" he
says, at the revelations Of the methods
employed by the spies and agents OF the
Manufacturers Association.
An oPPOrtune Time.
This attack BY the agents Of the Ma
tiOnal Manufacturers Association upo,
the officers Of the American Federation
Of Labor could not come at a more op-
perfume time than just before our an
nual convention.
1T will have directly the opposite ef
feet from that intended. Instead of sow
ing suspicion and disrupting our forces.
It will concentrate their energy upon de-
fensive measures.
While ! might. personally. prefer 10
let my life work speak for itself as 10
my honesty and loyalty to the movement
/ have the honor 10 represent. vet such
sou ious and lying attacks cannot be
passed over in silence by the labor move
ment Of the country, and we feel that
the general public should be given the
truth.
That our opponents descend % personal
abuse shows the low character Of the
campaign they are conducting. That they
had 10 go back sixteen years 20 fabricate
charge against my honesty is signid-
cant tor / have been under public scruti-
NY all the years since.
Il shall make "a special statement I'm
regard 20 the attacks by the National
Manufacturers Association ar The. Nor
folk convention Of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor next Monday. in addition
TO what ] say in my annual report We
nave IN our office a mass Of most inter
escng ard remarkable documents which
throw light on the methods and motives
and personality OF those who have insti-
gated these recent attacks I shall Law
much of this information before the Nor
folk convention.
SimmerInE with Resentment
TIN unions Of the country have haan
simmeiing with resentment since we in
formed them Of the real purposes for
which the Manufacturers. Associations
I.5ooo ooo war fund was 10 be used. I pub
lished an editorial in the American Fed
erationist last July. and another i'm Sep
tember. stating that the fund would be
used in an attempt to villify and dis
credit the officials Of our movcmcut-rrat
detectives and spies were already swarm
ing around our unions. not only trying
TO get information. but busily engaged in
fomenting trouble and concocting lies as
10 the actions of such unions and their
members. ny editorials were based on
actual information. A symposium in our
September issue. contrib ted by our most
prominent labor officials. showed that
they too. realized the character Of the
fight against US. This recent attack upon
the officers Of the American Federation
Of Labor is the proof 10 our members OF
how accurately We foTetOld the action of
the National Manufacturers Association
They have made very poor Job OF IT,
They have to go back sixteen years IN
can hang a possible suspicion.
The man Rice, who makes affidavit
Of having paid and received certain
money from Samuel GOmpers, is a man
who was formerly an advertising solicitor
employed by the American Federation of
Labor He was dismissed for dishonesty.
We have records in our Office to prove
this. After his dismissal by the a. =.
Of l.. he Travelled through various
States getting out fake souvenirs. and
similar publications cheating business
men and lining his own pockets through
his false assertion that he was the agent
OF the A. +. Of l. We usually received
proof OF his rascality after ne had fed
from the scene Of operations. so prosecu-
ton was difficult
Advertising Privileges.
Rice's statements as to the amounts
paid the A F. Of L. for the advertising
privileges Of its annual publication from
the years 1899 to 1903 are not only IN
correct as to the amounts paid. but he
omits the important fact that such sums
as he did pay were expended for the Fed
Grafton. and not for nay personal use
The records Of the a F. Of I. show that
these sums received from the sale Of the
advertising privilege OF our annual son
venir were used to buy office furniture
and to get out plates for some Of our
earlier pamphlets. 1t must be remem-
bered that The Federation was, up 20 1903
comparatively new organization. strug-
Cling to get an equipment for its organ
izinG and educational work
Mr.. Rice and his confederates pervert-
ed the original idea of the a. F. Of 1.
souvenir publication, and both before and
after our magazine was established they
Systematically plundered both the bust
ness men and the local labor movement
IN various sections OF the country.
AT our 1901 convention Of the Fedora
tion, held at Scranton Pa our executive
council called special attention TO the
deceptive publications which were Illegal
" using the name of the A. T. of. l.. and
asked and received authority 10 prosecute
any persons who published souvenirs. di-
rectories. or other publications in which
the A F. of L. was alleged as the bene-
hciary- This wiped out the general evil
TO some extent. but Rice and his con-
federates then turned their attention 70
getting out fake souvenirs, alleging state
and city central bodies as the bene-
fciaries. Their swindles were even then
Continued on Page @, Column ..
Nnn