The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-03
PICTURES FAKE,
SAYS Com PERS
Labor Leader Declares Photo
graph "Doctored" by Los
Angeles Artist.

Washing ton. January Samuel
Gompers to-day denounced the pic :
lures purporting to show him stand :
Ing OH an American flag while making
Il speech, as "a rank fake, a palpa bis.
composite picture. part of a conspiracy
to dcfamc me in the eyes of the pub
lic."
81 would as soon Insult the mem
DRY OF my rcrercd mother AZ to in
suit the liaS OF my country" added
MIR. Gompcrs.
The president OF the American
Federation OF Labor said further that
the pictures originated in the art de-
partincnt Of the Los Angeles Times.
land you know how fair and how;
truthful carnations from that paper
concerning me are likely to be-" he
added.
Story mn Old One.
The charge that he and Kelly in
suited the Nag Is not a new ono, lc-
cordinS TO Mr.. Gompcrs. II first ap-
pcarcd In the Los Angeles Times in
october. and the matter came ND for
action before the Stanton POST of the
Grand Army of the Republic. Of Los
Angeles In reply TO an inquiry from
member Of that post. Mr.. Gompers
tclcgraphcd denial of the satIcn.
which was read at the post meeting.
In that telegram and In his formal
statement to-day MI. Gompers said
that a flag was fcstooned on the sides
OF the table on which the speakers at
Il ma SIS meeting stood, but that the
Nag did not overlap one inch OF the
horizontal surface of the table. and
that no speaker stepped on the flag or
could have stepped on II, unless able
to walk like d ny."
The Los Angeles Times also pub
lished picture showing alleged foot
prints on a flag" said Mr.. Gompers,
and this, too. Is rank fake"
Alleged Dissertation.
Other alleged dissertations of the
American flag by union labor men were
called to Mr.. Gompcrs's attention to-
day. He was asked about the Incl
dent in Labor Day parade in New
York when flag Is reported to have
been carried horizontally one man at
each corner to ca,ch silver thrown for
the Mcnamara defense fund. II was
asserted at the time that so much
silver was thrown that the flag became
heavy and that the four men permit
ted IL to drag on the street for many
blocks
II have not heard of the incident
1 do not believe il happened" replied
Mr.. Gompcrs.
How about the resolution adopted
In 1907 by the Western Federation OF
Miners" was another question asked
: when the federation denounced the
American nag as u symbo! of dcspot-
ism. OF wage slavery despotism?'
81 know nothing about that" reptile
Mr.. Gompcrs. but this l have heard
y man named O'Brien, in Chicago
president of the Chicago Building Con
tractors Association. refused to allow
the American flag TO be used at q
banquet because he said i, did no,
represent liberty
Mr. Gompcrs said that clipping he
had in his Office concerning the oak
land flag incident. as first represented
pictoriaily in the Los Angeles Times
clearly showed the picture TO be u
fake. MIR. GonpArs and his secretary
sought hard to find this picture to
show IL to newspaper men present
but they were unable to discover i,
to-day.
Mr.. Gompers says lie does not think
that TIE public generally will believe
he stepped on the hag at the Oakland
meeting.