The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-07-23
CHEAP SKATES
SELL LETTERS"
Colonel MuIhaII'S Comment
Anent Correspondence Traders
LOBBYIST CONTINUES STORY
Senate Committee Told of Alleged At
tempt by Manufacturers to Bribe
Samuel Gompers to Play Traitor.


tempt by Manufacturers to Bribe
Samuel Gompers to Play Traitor
"The question has never arisen in
my mind not even for one moment
that any friend of mine would save
friendly correspondence for political
purposes let alone use it.
"All of my correspondence with you
has been a pleasure as we'll as an
education, but | do not know of one
letter of yours that have saved after
reading and answering it, so if any
chairman wrote to me and asked me
to turn over DR.. Crockette's letters to
him for political purposes | would
think that fellow was very cheap
skate and was unfit to answer his
letters, for it would be placing me in
position of selling out my friend
and he must rate me as very cheap
article if he thought he could get any
information out of me against a
friend"
The foregoing is Colonel Martin M.
Mulhalrs estimate of persons who sell
private correspondence that political
exigencies may be met thereby. The
letter which contained this expression
of the colonel's views is in his own
hand writing embodied in the general
files of the Mulhall correspondence as
delivered to the investigating commit
tee of the United States senate. The
quoted paragraph is portion of a
letter addressed to DR.. George Lantry
Crockette of Thomaston, Me-, and was
dated Sept. 2S, 1905 from indianapolis.
Many of Mulhalls letters deal to a
large extent with the mid-campaign
period of the summer and early fall
of 1908. They review the James u.
Watson governorship campaign in In
diana in which the manufacturers
were deeply interested.
Colonel Mulhall's promised dis
closures as to the alleged attempt on
the part of the manufacturers to bribe
Samuel Gompers to change sides in
the fight or to play traitor to the Fed
Ol oIlbi VI l4lbOl ulOO NolhC uBs
hall told his story with much
dramatic effect, raising his voice
until it rang to the outer corridors.
Mulhalrs story was that he had
meeting in New York with Messrs.
Van Cleave and Schwedtman, who
told him to call on Atherton Brom-
well, in charge of the manufacturers
publicity bureau. This was in 1907 or
1908. Mulhall called and Bromwell |
informed him of a plan to get |
Gompers, saying man named |
Broughton Brandenburg was then in
Georgia following Gompers. He said |
he (BromwelD had undertaken the |
mission. Mulhall was not sure
whether it was for the purpose of the
publicity bur eau or for the purpose of
bribery for $4,000.
Some of the letters introduced dealt |
with former President Roosevelt's in
dorsement of the candidacy Of Mr..
Taft, then secretary Of war.
Speaker Cannon and Congressman
Watson of Indiana were the principal
advisers of the National Association
OF Manufacturers at the Republican
national convention in Chicago in
1908, Mulhall testified.
"Our entire organization was busy
trying to nominate Sherman and try
ing to keep labor planks out of the
PLATFORM" he said.
"The organization swung TO the sup
port of Taft although it did not like
some of his public utterances on labor
legislation" said Mulhall, because it
became evident that Cannon and the
other presidential candidates had no
chance of success. The organization
would have favored Cannon above all
Others" he said.
The manufacturers officers had
the promise of Mr., Vorys and Mr..
Taft's managers" Mulhall alleged
that there would be no severe labor
planks in the national platform.
In a letter written in April, 1908,
Mulhall quoted the late Vice President
Sherman as saying that the fight then
raging on speaker cannon was
dirty deal by the White House
against the speaker
Watson states" wrote Mulhall,
that the president (RooseyelD is
moving heaven and earth to nominate
Taft and that he is willing to sacrifice
the Sherman law and every law to
please the trusts and please Wall
street so that he can win their sup
port for his candidate.
''The opposition to the president"
Mulhall continued, intends to let no
legislation through that he wishes at
this session Of congress and intends
to fight the Taft forces to finish"
SNAKE A RED EEII0W