United labor bulletin., 1913-08-09
Gompers Tells How Interests Sought to Brbe Him
and Thereby Destroy the American Federation Of Labor
Mulhall Testimony Is
Corroborated
Honesty Of National Labor Official Who
Spurned Brides, Challenged
Threats and Could Not
Be lntimidated


President John Mitchell of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor will appear
before the Senate and House commit
tees of Congress to testify in refer
ence to the exposures made by Mar
tin NJ. Mulhall of the underground
methods pursued by the National Asso-
citation OF Manufactures to destroy the
organized labor movement of Ameri
ca Their testimony will be of the
highest Importance.
In the August number of the Ameri-
can Federationist. official papers OF
the American Federation OF Labor.
President Gompers gives an interest
ing resume of the struggle OF labor In
Congress with captains OF industry
and political corruptionists. The
article is too extensive for entire re-
production here The Bulletin. how
ever. prints that part which will form
the basis OF President Gompers' testi-
mony of the attempts made by the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers to
bribe him and disrupt the organized
labor movement of the country. Here
is the extract:
During the year 1907. following La
boris avowcd Intention TO use its
voting power In behalf of friendly can
didates, there was evidence among the
ranks OF employers associations of
preparations for more unrelenting
warfare all along the line. James W.
Van Cleave had succeeded Mr.. Parry
as president of the National Associa-
ton OF Manufacturers. In order to pre-
-
ton OF energy and to direct and CO.
ordinate their efforts most effectively.
number of Influential associations
OF employers had federated in the Ma
tIonai Council for Industrial Defense.
One hundred and eighty.six national.
state and local organizations OF bust
ness and professional men were
banded together against organized la
Dor In the economic field they pre-
pared TO enforce an anti-union policy.
to destroy the union shop and union
shop conditions. and TO leave working
men defcnscless before the greed and
inhumanity OF consciencelcss cm-
ployers subsidiary organization,
the Anti-Boycott Association. organ
lied In 1902. was to institute and prose
the courts. A typical illustration OF
the work OF this organization is the
Hatters' Case. instituted In 1903
against the Hatters Union of Dan
bury. Conn. invoking the Sherman
Antitrust law 10 prevent the hatters
from associating themselves TO Sc
cure the union shop and to levy tribute
upon trade union funds TO the extent
OF threefold damages.
1T was in the year 1907 that James
w. Van Cleavc entered suit against the
American Federation OF Labor. its Of
ficlals and affiliated organizations. and
obtained an injunction which pro-
hibited them their constitutional
rights OF free press and free speech
and intcrfered with their regular law
full duties Two of the lawyers in this
case were the regular counsel of the
Anti-Boycott Association. who were al
so the attorneys In the Hatters' Case.
1T was in 1907 that the N. A. NJ. re-
sorted TO conspicuous and extreme
methods to disrupt the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Slanderous attacks
were made upon the president of the
American Federation OF Labor and his
management of the American Fedora
ZIONIST, and dastardly attempt was
made to bribe him to betray the cause
entrusted to his keeping.
a man. Henry Rice. who had been
discharged from the employ of the
American Federation of Labor ana
who had unwarrantedly used the
name OF the Federation for his nefari-
GUS schemes. had forged documents
and perverted official reports of pro
duce testimony OF the alleged dishon-
est management OF the official maya
zine. This evidence" was furnished
the N. A. NJ. by Rice and published by
that organization for the purpose OF
sowing seeds of discord In labor's
ranks and discrediting the organiza-
ton.
Henry Rice was known to have
been an associate of Henry White, the
apostate. and of Broughton Branden.
burg. Brandenburg was the agent
used by the N. A. NJ. In an attempt
to bribe, corrupt, or threaten the
President OF the American Federation
of Labor. The whole story of this
dastardly plot was told by me to the
Norfolk convention in 1907, and was
ordered by the convention published
in the proceedings OF the convention.
Brandenburg tried to bribe me to sign