The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-21
Samuel Gompers Leaves
No Doubt as to His
Feelings.
LOSES HIS POINT
IN CONVENTION
Labor Delegates Favor Initiative
and Referendum in Election of
Officers, Defeating Majority
Report-Hearst Is Bitterly
Attacked on His Labor
Record.

Atlanta. Ga. November 2o.--Prest.
dent Samuel Gompers and the Social.
!sts engaged In the FIRST skIrnish OF
the present convention OF the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor to-day The
Socialists won their point, but Mir
Gompers seized the opportunity 10 ex-
press MS opinion OF Socialists in gen
erai ana certain Of his critics among
mem IN particular.
The point involved wag the adop.
lion of the initiative and referendum
principle IN the election OF o,hcers,
upon which the law committee had re-
ported adversely. = minority report
presented by a dissenting com.
iaitteeman. iudorsing the general prop.
osition in event an investigation by
the executive council proves 1t fcas.
able found numerous supporters In
the convention ana among them the
Socialists. led by Joseph ID. Cannon. OF
the western Federation OF Miners.
Arouse. Ire OF Gompcra
Mr. Cannon. IN speech in support
OF the minority report, aroused the ire
OF Alr Gompers wncn he mentioned all
alleged interview with the fedora.
TONS president at the time when tn.
former WAS endeavor!ng to organize
u labor party IN Arizona, quoting sir
Gompcrs as saying they could get all
The inference was that Mr.. Com.
pers was not ardently in favor Of the
democratic principle of the initiative
ind referendum. MIR. Gornpcrs denied
-ac had made any such statement, ana
declared what he probably did say
was that he was more concerned in
the adoption OF the initiative, refer.
cndum and recall in the Constitution
OF the proposed state than he was In
,Nxa
lican or Socialist party.
Mr. Gompers said that Mr. Cannon's
attack was on par WITH that of
labor paper reporter in Boston. who
had grossly !nlsquotei Him.
when | asked him why nc had
printed such a lying. garblcd report"
said SIR. Gompers, "he replied Wen,
YOU know am Socialist To ms
that was sufficient answer" SIR. Can
non made no reply to this slur upon
tic Socialists but several others o,
that party arose 10 the defense OF
their principles.
Vice President James Duncan dc.
Tended the committees report. argu-
iiTs :hnt the rc:ersadunl was not prac.
licabic for the election OF the feder-
atoms officers. Several other dele
gates took the same attitude but
twice the number favored the princi-
pie, and when u vote was reached
there wsa hardly q dissenting voice
raised against substituting the minor
ty for the majority report. The exec
utive council is directed to make a
thorough investigation Of the matter
and report on the practicability at the
Ie%, conference, which probably viii!
bc held NJ Rochester, y. Y.
Iienrst Is Condemned.
Earlier In. the day the convention
proceedings were cnlivencd by an at
tack on William Randolph Hearst by
Charles H. Meyer of the Western
Federation of Miners. Mr.. Meyer
charged that MIR. Hearst was an enemy
OF organized labor because he toler-
ated q lockout of union men at the
mines OF the Homestake Mining Com
pany at Lead, 5. D.. In which the
Hearst estate owns an interest.
Mr.. Hearst claims he has no intcr-
est IN the mines" said Mr.. Meyer. but
We know that he and his mother are
the beneijciaries of the Hearst estate.
lie is simply hiding behind his moth
cr'S skirts"
James VI. Lynch. president of the
international Typographical Union, de-
Tended Mi. Hearst. declaring he paid
Il high wage scale to $500 union men
and ought not TO be condemned with
out hearing. The matter was re-
fcrred to the executive committee.