The Mena weekly star., 1908-10-01
SPEAKS FUR SELF.
PRESIDENT GoMPERs TEsTIFIEs IN THE CONTEMPT PROCEED
 iNcs AT WASHINGTON.
MAKES SOME VERY SERIOUS CHARGES
Declares That President Van Cleave ci Manufacturers Association Attempt. ed 6ribery---Van Cleave Makes Alb. solute Denial of Gompers' State n1ents.

Washington, Sept. 26.--In a 12 by ii room in the building occupied by tha American Federation of Labor in thii city, Samuel Gompers, president oi the Federation, Thursday introduced the name of Former Secretary Tafi and made serious charges against J w Van Cleave, president of the Ma tional Association of Manufacturers The charges were made as a part oi Mir. Gompers' testimony in connection with the proceedings against himself, Vice President Mitchell and Secretary Morrison of the Federation on the charge of contempt in violating the in. junction decree of the supreme court of the District of Columbia, directing them not to publish the Bucks Stove and Range company of St. Louis, as unfair" MT. Gompers was at the time under cross examination at the hands of his attorney, Jackson H. Ral. ston. MT Ralston read the portion of MT. Taft's presidential nomination ac. ceptance speech bearing on the anti injunction plank, and commenting upon the extract Mir. Gompers said:
 Tt is substantially the basis of this injunction suit and these contempt proceedings under that injunction"
 Mir Ralston q understand you then it is in reliance upon Mr. Taft's decisions that you are here to-day"
 Gompers: Justice Gould in his opinion so asserts and he quotes from injunctions issued by Judge Taft while upon the bench.
 Mir. Ralsen: Judge Taft's standing in the matter then having the indorse. ment of the National Association of Manufacturers?
 MT. Gompers: "Yes..'' @ ~
 MT. Ralston asked MT. Gompers whether there had been any general effort to break down organized labor, and he replied:
 Men have been suborned to spy on their fellow iaborers in shops, fac. tories and mines;. to report. the pro ceedings of union meetings; to spy on the personal conduct of workmen after working hours, and to follow from place to place labor leaders. visiting other cities than their homes. Money has also been used to bribe represen- tative labor men to cease their con nection with the labor organizations and direct their activities to the Ma tional Manufacturers association They have not only been offered bribes in money, but have been offered sub stantial safeguards for the future. {"
 After giving the details of his own pursuit by detectives, MT. Gompers then told of being approached in New York by a man named Broughton Brandenburg of New York, who, he said, had attempted in 1907 to bribe him in the interest of Mir. Van Cleaye.
 MT. James w Van Cleave, president of the National Association of Manu- lecturers, who came. here Thursday to have a conference with Daniel Dayen- port and James M. Baker, counsel for 1 the Bucks Stove & Range company Of St. Louis. late Thursday night gave out a statement in reply to Samuel l Gompers in the contempt case, which has been on hearing here for several weeks. MT. Van Cleave said: 'i'"ii
 q have never employed detectives or intermediates to shadow MT. Com pers or any other official of the Amer ican Federation of Labor. Neither have I ever offered him bribe of any kind, nor have I ever had any connec' lion with the men he claims that shadowed him and offered him a bribe. Every reference made therein to me. or action on my part. is false and l believe that MT Gompers knew it to be a lie when he made the state ments. He seems to be trying to make a cheap martyr of himself. I never have and never will employ any meth. ods that are not straight, square ana above board in my. dealings with or ganized labor, l make this statement without equiyocation.'