The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-07-24
GOMPERS PLOT TOLD.
MULHALL sWEARs N. A. M. HAD
SCHEME TO GET LABOR
CHIEF TO DESERT.
M. CLAVE DENIES CHARGES
Candidate for Congress Tells Senate
Lobby Committee That Witness
PerIured Himself In Testimony Be-
fore Body.

Washington. July 21.-The senate
lobby investigating committee was
told on Friday night by 8. Wood Nc.
Clave, Republican candidate for con-
gress IN a special election to be held
In the Sixth New Jersey district, that
Martin M. Mulhall had perjured him
self in his testimony before that body.
He also denied that Mulhall had raised
or spent money for him or had man
aged his campaign against william
Hughes in 1910.
Martin NJ. MulhaIl gave the senate
lobby investigating committee his
story of the alleged effort in 19o7-19OS
to bribe Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation of Labor, to
desert the cause of labor and support
the policies advocated by the National
Association of Manufacturers.
Mulhall admitted he had no positive
information that an attempt to bribe
Gompers had actually been made, but
he said Atherton Brownell of New
York had outlined the plans to him
and had told him of what was to be
done.
The committee held a session at
night to hear the testimony of 8. w.
McClav> of Paterson, N. j., now a can
didate for congress, and with whom
Mulhall said he had worked through
out the campaign Of 1910, when Nc
Clave was running against William
Hughes in the Sixth district.
The committee opened the Gompers
incident when newspaper clippings ap-
peared showing that Gompers had
made the bribery charges before a
court in 1908, and that President Van
Cleave of the Manufacturers associa-
ton had denied all connection with
them. Mulhall said he had been re-
ferred by Van Cleave and Schwedt-
man, the latter secretary of the asso-
citation, to Mr.. Brownell, in New York,
who claimed to be conducting a pub
licity bureau for the association.
Brownell told him, he said, that
man named Brandenberg was follow
ing Gompers; that they had a plan
fixed up by which they expected to
get" the labor leader, and that they
were positive they could not fail. Null
hall said he warned them they would
not succeed, and later advised Van
Cleave to the same effect. Van Cleave
left New York suddenly, the witness
said, after telling him that he had
nearly fallen into trap"
How the manufacturers association
to concentrate It's energies if
necessary for the reelection Of Can
non in the 1908 campaign was de-
scribed In one of the first letters
brought before the committee. The
letter was written to Mulhall by
Schwedtman on August II, 1908, and
declared all energies would be concen-
rated in Cannon's district IF there is !
he slightest occasion for It,"
Other letters identified covered a |
vide range of activity, but centered
chiefly about the campaign in Indiana
n 1908, when Mulhall, according to
he documents, was working in close |
cooperation with Congressman James
.. Watson and with national and state
Republican leaders. Mulhall told the
committee he raised $500 for that
Inside views of Republican national
politics as seen by Martin M. Mulhall
we're presented to the senate lobby
committee Thursday. According to
correspondence read to the
committee and his statements, submit
ed in amplification of the letters, it
vas the aim Of the National Associa-
ion Of Manufacturers at Chicago con-
'ention in 1908 to support former
Speaker Joseph G. Cannon for the
residential nomination.
AS related by Mulhall, the political
'lans Of the National Association of
Manufacturers changed with kaleide-
copic ease and suddenness, and Mr.
Taft, who as secretary Of war had for
time been regarded with much
readiness by the association, be-
anne impossible" as Colonel Roose.
'elt's candidate for the presidency.
1t was developed through a series of
etters placed in the record by the SEN
tie lobby committee Wednesday that
he more active workers of the Ma
ional Association of Manufacturers
lined to bring about the appointment
t prominent member of the associa-
ion, preferably Mr.. Van Cleave, who
7as then its president, as a member of
he cabinet Of President Taft, and
lso to have representation on the
republican national committee.