The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-22
ll H 9S q 2 B ING = Nih Pes roofs
 Later
ATTACK SOCIALISM
Gompers Also Bitterly Attacks Social ist Party in Caustic Speech on Floor of the Convention.
 Lewis Statement

Atlanta. November 2l.-John Mitchell today told the convention of the Amer jean Federation of Labor that it was a packed" convention of the United Mine Workers at Columbus, O., last spring that compelled him to give up his $600, joh with the National Civic Federation. He declared that at the proper time he would furnish proofs that delegates bear ing Fraudulent credentials were seated there to destroy him at time he was "bound hand and foot in the supreme court of the United States, defending him. self against the enemies Of organized tabor
 It was the same convention that adopt ed a resolution calling upon all officers and members of organized labor identified with the Civic federation to resign rom that body and directing it's delegates to the present convention to urge the ln- dorsement of the resolution. After a day of stormy debate, during which the so- cialists rallied to the support of the mine workers delegation, the convention re- fused it's Endorsement by a vote Of n,S49 to 4559. As a result, President Gompers and Ii other labor leaders will continue as members of the executive board of the Civic federation.
 Thomas L. Lewis, who was president of the mine workers at the time of the Columbus convention, tried in vain to obtain the floor to answer MT. MitchelIs charges Failing in this, he later made the following statement to the Associated Press:
 The charge made by Mr. Mitchell that the last international convention of the United Mine Workers was packed is ab solutely untrue and he will be required at the next convention to prove his state ments or be branded as conveying to the American Federation of Labor inforna- tion that is incorrect. The resolution con- demning the Civic federation came from the Illinois, the anthracite and Iowa min ing districts, and was inspired by the bitter feeling among the coal miners in those districts against mine owners who are members of the National Cific Fed eration''
 MT Mitchell was head of the trades agreement department of the Civic feder ation when the miners convention amend ed it's constitution so as to prohibit any of it's members from being identified with the Civic federation in any way. Rather than give up the union Mir. Mitchell re- signed his position with the federation. although he declared today that he was rendering much good to the cause of or ganzed labor in that position.
 President Gompers bitterly assailed the socialists in speech in defense of the Civic federation. It was evident that he regarded them as responsible 1 for the introduction of the resolu- tion..
 There is nothing we can do 10 please the socialists" he exclaimed, unless we go over body boots and brooches to that party Then they will remain quiet as long as we remain subordi- nate to that party. If they succeeded in passing this resolution they would -cfIaSY something else. Anything to an- tagonize the trade movement as mil itant force of this country. Because there is hunger and suffering among the poor people of this country they seem to think we should not go to the banquets of the rich who are ideIi- tified with the Civic federation, where we are able to do much to relieve the condition of the poor. Their idea is that the whole nation should be brought to a state of poverty and then by some cataclysm they would come into their own and take charge of so- ciety.
 If the theory of the socialistsis right then the work of the American Fed eration of Labor is a waste of time and ought to be abandoned. I am going to stick to the trade union movement no matter what you do. It is dearer to me than any other institution on earth I owe 1t so much. It has given me so much opportunity to be helpful to oth- CTS"
 Delegate Duncan Mcdonald of the Mine Workers opened the fight with an assault upon the Civic Federation when the resolutions committee reported ad- versely on the miners resolution. He declared that he had never heard of that organization doing any good for organized labor. It was only tt means adopted by men like Carnegie and Bel mont, he said, to "clloroform the labor movement" and bring it's leaders with in their power. MT. Lewis also spoke in like vein after which Mr Mitchell