Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-23
HAYES RAPS GOMPERS
A. F. of l. Split by Political
Policy, He Says.
ASSOCIATES FALL AWAY
Labor's Opposition to Dictation as to
Ballot Is Reviewed.
REPUTATION BY W0RKMEN
Knights Of Labor Leader Says No
Power Is Vested in Gompers to
Pledge Votes.
REPUTATION BY W0RKMEH

Something Of a sensation has been
caused In labor circles by the promulga-
ton of statement signed by John W..
Hayes, grand master workman of the
knights of Labor.
1t asserts that the executive council
Of the American Federation of Labor
Is split over Samuel Gompers program
for the support of the democratic ticket:
that Vice President Duncan of the A.
F. l.. Is hedging, while Vice President
Keefe is repudiating President Gompers
and his efforts for William ]. Bryan.
1t Is further asserted by Mr.. Hayes
| that vigorous protests are coming from
all parts Of the country against the
action of Mr.. Gompers for taking the
federation into politics.
In part Master Workman Hayes says:
Mr.. Samuel Gompers has for some
| time been making frantic efforts to con-
vince the American public that he. by
virtue of his pretended leadership of all
| organized labor, is fully possessed of
| power to say what every workingman in
vote. Never before did any man attempt
to perpetrate more impudent hoax"
Mr.. Hayes then argues that the feder-
alton itself has no members. and that
President Gompers has SO testified in
court.
Yet" says Mr.. Hayes. when Gompers
| takes his wares to Chicago or Denver, he
claims membership of millions. and
ports published by the secretary of the
| combine, and made up by means of
| figures representing the membership of
certain real labor organizations which
contribute money to support the Gompers
lobby in Washington
Constitution Bars Politics.
| Mr.. Hayes quotes from section of the
constitution of the American Federation
| Of Labor, which, he says. provides that
| party politics, whether they be demo-
cratic, republican, sociaIistic, populistic,
prohibition or any other shall have no
place in the convention of the American
Federation Of Labor
He claims there is no power vested in
the executive council or in the president
or secretary of the federation to enforce
Its demands against a national or inter
| national union. except by a two-thirds
majority Of a regular convention Of the
American Federation of Labor by a roll
| call VOTE
I'm fact" Mr.. Hayes adds. nowhere
in the constitution has Mr.. Gompers or
MS associates on the executive council
ternational organization, and, not having
any such power expressly stipulated, they
are without authority to order men to
vote for any party"
James Duncan, president of the gran
lite cutters organization and q member
OF the executive council Of the American
| tederat1on OF Labor was one Of the
sisners Of the now-famous political or
DER Duncan has evidently heard from
the granite cutters under his Jurisdiction.
ana mas for the past month been hedging
VOTE e"' ~
This hedging by Duncan-who is the
prains OF the executive council of the
federation. the mouthpiece Of their 1udg-
ments; tae one man in that combination
| 70 Whom Gompers must submit all mat
ters or importance lest he meet with OBJ
position which means defeat-has wor-
| r1ed Mr.. Gompers considerably, and
| caused inquiries to be made by him as
70 the reason for the reported change
I In Duncan's political views
Duncan endeavors to explain with an
explanation that does not explain. He
advises and I quote his language SO as
not to do him an injustice:
NOW. an appeal for justice is made
| to all the people on broad. general lines.
and 1t Is the duty Of labor officials to
give the true facts to the working peo-
pie, who. in turn, will use the inforrna-
ton. and as true American citizens will
vote on election day as their conscience
will dictate
This does not say that the organized
workingmen must, should or will sup
port one party as against another. It
simply leaves 1t TO true American citi-
Gems to vote as their condolences may
dictate"