The Sentinel=record., 1914-01-31
HEAD OF FEDERATION AND MINE LEADERS IN RED HOT CON-
 TRoVERSY AT CONVENTION.
ACCUSED 0F DRUNKENNESS
Gompers Makes Hot Reioinder and Says He Is Being Tried Before a Jury Already Preludiced Against Hlm-Session a Hot One.

Indianapolis. Jan. 30.-Scenes of l the widest disorder marked today's | session of the convention of the Unit ed Mine Workers of American which heard Duncan Mcdonald. secretary clare that Samuel Gompers. president of the American Federation of Labor was "gloriously drunk" during the Seattle convention and on other oc- casions. Gompers' denial and the re- ! iteration by Chas. H. Mover, presi- | dent of the Western Federation of | Miners that if the copper strike in ! Michigan were to faii it would Se due to the lack of financial assistance given by the American Federation of | Labor.
 The delegates showed little sympa- thy for Gompers, and he declared he was being tried before a jury whose minds were already poisoned"
 Every point made by Mover and Mcdonald was widely applauded. Aft CT Mcdonald had concluded the tu- mutt was so great that Gompers, de- spairing of the hearing, put on his overcoat and hat and started to leave. The delegates were silenced, however, by an appeal from Mover and Gompers returned.
 The session was short and the only other business transacted was to re- affirm a declaration in favor of wom- ans suffrage, discuss pan to de crease the representation at the con ventions. which was referred to a referendum and voted down a propo- sition to place a clause in the con. stitution prohibiting members of the military to become affiliated with the moners' organization.
 Gompers sat within four feet of Mcdonald and during the applause which greeted the statement that the head of the federation was "gloriously drunk" at Seattle, charges of "liar," "slanderer" and the like were hurled back and forth by the two. In addi- tion to the Seattle occasion McDon- aid said Gompers was under the in- fluence of liquor at the Atlanta con vention. He asserted that Gompers had called him (McDonald) "all kinds of names" while drunk at Chicago, and he had heard Gompers voice leading the singers at the alleged Seattle carousal.
 Mcdonald then turned to the asser- ton of Gompers' that an assessment for the Michigan copper strikers would disrupt the federation. He as serted the American Federation of Labor had no money to aid the strik. CTS, but charged that it had plenty to aid Democratic candidates, giving an alleged instance in a Michigan election
 Mcdonald said that the reason the assessment had not been levied was due to the fact that the best of feel ing between the officers of the Amer ican Federation of Labor and the Western Federation of Miners did not exist.
 In concluding, the Illinois miner made A plea that the delegates give close attention to Gompers.
 q resent the hypocritical plea ot Mcdonald for a hearing for me- Gompers said, when the cheers had died down. "The worst criminal in the land has a better show than have here. He knows the charges which have been placed against him. but am called here and the charge made without any time for me to oo- tain evidence to disprove them. It is uniust, vicious and inhuman.
 "On the unsupported testimony Of Mcdonald you have laughed. How would you like to be placed on trial before a jury whose minds were al ready poisoned against you?
 'The fact that I was permitted to occupy pulpit in Seattle the Sun dov night following the Sunday norH ing mentioned by Mcdonald is suff- cient refutation of the charge that l was drunk"
 Gompers denounced Mcdonald for taking the position that unions un- able to pay the assessment should be expelled from the federation.
 'How short is the memory of some men" exclaih bed Gompers. Tn 1894. the Americdn Federation of Labor had only @G000 in it's treasury, but