New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-01
Manufacturers Association
onetime EmpIOye Says the
directors Considered Offer.
pRANDENBURG G0BETWEEN
President Pope Defends Organ
;sation, Calling Mulhall Be
trayer of Trust NO
Lobby" Maintained.

~oioncl Martin NJ. Mulhdil. OF Baltimore
- rsrard 10 the existence Of a lobby in
.,o ,n,ere,t OF the National Association
i, Manufacturers. were made public =
,.rdav The so-called confirmation in
nor, was Of Mulhall's story Of the opera
lions Of the mysterious Mr.. N and
l~,lr. Y" in the alleged attempt to bride
samrcl Gompers. president of the Ameri-
%, Federation of Labor. The first official
statement from the National Association
~ Manufacturers. through Colonel George
pope IFS president. contained the denial.
A,berton Brownell. Of No. 80 Church
street formerly editor of American In
d,,stries." the associations organ, said
AIR. v" accused by Mulhall as the man
selected TO bribe Mr.. Gompers. was
Prouehton Brandenburg, recently freed
from Sing Sing prison. where he was sent
for forging and cashing n check.
Although Mr. Brownell denied the as
ISOLATION. at the time he first learned Of
the nroposed bribery. had countenanced
the effort TO do business" with Mr..
tanners he furnished corroborative de-
ais Of parts of the negotiations alleged.
SAYS Mulhall Betrayed Trust.
The denial made by Colonel Pope, who
{ president Of the Pope Hartford Auto
mobile Company. of Hartford. Conn. and
was elected president of the association
last month. has TO do with Mulhall s
allegations Of money spent TO influence
legislation. Mulhan. author of the
charges. was discharged by the associa-
ton. Colonel Pope says, because or
serious betrayals OF trust" The asso-
citation is willing. Colonel Pope asserts
10 aid the Senate lobby" investigating
committee i'm so far as II lies In IFS
mower 10 arrive at the truth Of all mat
ters 10 which Mulhalrs story refers.
In the matter Of the alleged attempt 20
bri5e Mr.. Gompers. as told by colonel
Mulhan in his published story. Mr.. y.
was In charge of a newspaper syndicate
under the direction of ]. w. Van Cleave,
president Of the association in 1907. and
now dead. 10 break up the American
Federation Of Labor by an attack on Mr.
Gompers and other prominent Federation
leaders. This plan. Mulhall said. was ap-
proved by Mr.. Van Cleave. 1t called for
the removal OF Mr.. Gompers from ac-
tivjties to aid the cause OF labor. ana
$4,000 was available for the bribery, It
was alleged
In Broughton Brandenburg, according
10 Mr. Brownell's explanation, is seen the
mir. Y" who was to be responsible for
the actual bribing. Mr.. "" according
10 Colonel Mulhall. had a meeting ar
ranged. so he told Mr. Van Cleave, at
which the final details could be settled
in the presence of Mr.. Gompers, Mr.. Van
Cleave and others.
BrownelI Tells Of Alleged Plot.
Except for the Mulhall statement that
the National Association Of Manufacture
ers had agreed 10 the proposed deal"
Mr.. Brownell yesterday confirmed the &C
count Of the plot. even 10 the proposed
meeting at the Victoria Hotel.
This man Brandenburg." said Brown
ell yesterday. worked for US as free
lance. although he never was regularly
connected with the National Association
Of Manufacturers or with American In
dustrles.' In addition to occasional ma
terial he submitted to US for publication.
he worked, he told US. for one OF the
magazines and travelled through the
country on assignments for this publica-
ton.
Not long before the annual convention
u the American Federation OF Labor at
Norfolk. in 1907 Brandenburg came TO us
slth an astounding proposal. He had
,een IN conference with Gompers, he said,
md added that Gompers was willing to
do business with us.
Briefly, Brandenburg said Gompers
had told him he was sick and tired OF
working for the American Federation OF
labor and wearied by the constant fight
Ing between that body and our organiza-
ton. The Bucks Stove and Range case
was then occupying much Of our atten-
ton and we had suit against Gompers
on that case.
"Gompers. according to Brandenburg
was willing TO quit the fight and was will
ing 10 work with us for consideration
Gcmpers was Offering 70 resign from the
Federation and come with US TO go on a
lecture tour Of three years. for which he
was 10 be paid 5000 a year, Brandenburg
said. This lecture tour was to be devoted
TO attacks on unionism and lectures
against socialism. a position, OF course,
directly opposite 10 that he had always
taken.
Il remember I was at the WALDORF Hotel
when Brandenburg came to me. and |
Was so astonished at the report that in
terrupted a conference in which Mr.. Van
Cleave and, think, Mr.. Schwedtman, his
assistant, and other men were busy.
Gompers then, we were told, was waiting
to meet Van Cleaye at the Victoria
Hotel
Talk il Over at Conference.
Well. we had this Bucks stove and
range case and Of course Gompers was
very active. One OF the men at the con-
Terence said II might be well TO get Com
pers out If the way. but Mr.. Van Cleave
refused TO have anything TO do with the
proposal
No he said. we can have no deal
ings with Gompers. especially while NE
are In the courts against him. 1t would
De very unwise 10 consider IT.
SO sent word to Brandenburg, on
telegram Of which ! have record. that
We could not be behind him in his ne
eotlations, and would not consider the
proposal. which we thought at the time
came from Gompers.
wish to say. though. that ] do not
believe Gompers was less Innocent than
We In the matter. My opinion Is that
brandenburg was trying 10 play both