The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-14
KEEFE PROMISED JOB
THIS IS REASON HE DESERTED
 GOMPERs.
The Democratic National Committee Tells Why the Labor Leader Will Support AIr. Taft. Keefe
 Issues a Denial,

NoW 1Ofkt Oct. 10-~-Ihe Democratic National Committee through John L. Gordon. Assistant and Acting Chief of the Press Bureau at headquarters to- night. made public the following statement:
 Tt was stated at the National Demo- cratic headquarters tonight that Pres- ident Roosevelt, by promise of office, has succeeded in having one of the big men of the American Federation of Labor desert President Gompers in his advocacy of the election of MT. Bryan for the Presidency.
 "The labor leader in question Is Daniel L.. Keefe. of Detroit president of the International Association of Longshoremen. and one of.1the vice. presidents Of the American Federation Of Labor -stF
 @The Democratic Committee alleges that keefe and the President we7e closeted for several hours in Washing ton on october 3. and the offer of be- ing named Commissioner General of Immigration made vacant by the dea tn of Commissioner Sargent was made, m consideration Of aAeefe's population of MT. Gompers 1nd the Executive Copl- mittee of the Federation. Keefe, on Saturday last. issued a statement in which he said T am going to vote for William H. Taft
 The source of he Democratic Com nlttee's information was not made public tonight, but 1t was stated that in case the allegation was denied, proof would be furnished.
 Keefe Makes Denial.
 Detroit. Mich, Oct is--President Daniel J. Keefe, of the International ..H.,- Workers. when informed tonight Of the statement made at National Dem ocratic headquarters in law York that ho had been promised the position of Commissioner General of Immigration In return for the advocacy of the Pres idential candidacy of William H. Taft, entered a vigorous denial.
 After having the statement read to him, MT. Keefe said:
 T was not closeted with President Roosevelt at all I did see Linn on oc- tober 8. but it was only four of five minutes audience. at which several others were present. These included P. M. Morrissey. head of the Brother hodd of Railway Trainmen, and I think one of the others was General Powell Clayton. There were others that did every word that was said to me at that time was overheard. The President did not offer me the position, directly or indirectly then. or at any ether time.
 "The Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor did not, to my knowledge. send out any circu- lars as Is referred to in the despatch from New York, consequently could not have endorsed it.
 "On August 15. more than six weeks before saw President Roosevelt. made identiically the same statement which I made few days ago in re- gard to the candidacy of Mir Taft l My statement appeared in The Datroit Free Press of August 16. I was asked then by a representative of The FreG Press if I had signed or seen a letter sent out by President Gompers of tho American Federation of Labor, de- nouncing the Republican platform and urging labor 70 support Bryan and the Democratic ticket replied: I do not believe MT. Gompers has issued any such letter. and if he has, it does not meet my end, sement. If such let ter has been issued, have not seen it. I will neither support nor vote for Mr. Bryan