The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-21

federation movement and for dining at 'millionaires clubs with August Belmont and President Eliot Gompers was ob- bged to write long reply to these at tacks and have it published widely in all the labor papers. He denied that he had been "mingling with the enemies or la bor" or eating scab bread,' or smoking scab cigars" His labor opponents tried to make him the victim of Fairbanks cocktail episode and MT. Gompers re- piled:
 Now as to the facts in the case in point those who know anything of the practice of the president of the American Federation of Labor are aware that it is his custom to abstain from partaking of things at the festive board anywhere, and particularly when he is expected to address the gathering, and he did so upon the occasion referred to-
 "The editor of The Music Trades, MT. John c. Freund, in the weekly issue Of his paper following the utterances of the attack, publishes the statement, founded upon absolute fact that he sat right next to MT. Gompers,' and says He (Mr. Gompers) was entirely innocent of any such infringement of the laws of organ ized labor.
 I've repeat that the attack made upon us Is wholly unfounded, false and con- temptible."
 Some years ago, at a convention of the American Federation, MT. Gompers was compelled to demonstrate to the delegates that the clothing he had on bore the union label. Herman Neihaus, a delegate from Pittsburg, interrupted MT. Gompers in the course of an address and accused him of wearing "scab' clothing.
 Instantly the convention was in an uproar, and it was some time before or der could be restored
 Neihaus then demanded that the chair appoint a committee of three to call upon MT. Gompers and examine his clothing to see if the union label was attached to the various garments he wore. This started the uproar again, and there were cries from Gompers' friends that Neihaus be appointed a committee of one to make the examination. This the questioning del- egate decline to do, and the confusion be- came greater
 Gompers, walking to the edge of the platform, half removed his coat so as to expose the union label on the collar He then appealed personally to Neihaus to come to the stage and make the exarnina- ton. With every eye in the house fixed cpon him, Neihaus remained in his seat, although his friends and the delegates on each side urged him to go forward.
 The friends of Gompers then started a noisy demonstration which lasted for some
  Gompers made an explanation in which he said he never wore any article of cloth ing that did not bear the union label. He declared he had never made single pur- chase without asking for the label. and if 1t were not forthcoming he left the store. He said that 1t was only right that the leaders of union labor should practice what they preached.
 From his own viewpoint, MT. Gompers' life work "has been to aid the working man by increasing wages, reducing hours of labor, bringing about better conditions for employment of the wage earners in all occupations, and aiding in improving the standard of living of the wage earners."
 He professes to be opposed to violence in labor disputes, and has always told his followers that We cannot win by vio- lence or thuggery."
 Gompers has always claimed that he has kept the American Federation out of poli- ties but he violated this podicy at the last congressional elections, when he tried to defeat several congressman who had