The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-30
GOMPERS MAKES
STRONG DENIAL
Of ALL CHARGES
Head of American Federation
of Labor Defends His Or
ganization and Its Coun.
ell From Attacks.
NOT RESPONSIBLE
IF STRIKE is LOST
Moyer and Mcdonald to Ad.
dress Convention at In
dianapolis Today; More
Charges Expected.

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 2o.-Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation of Labor, defended his
organization and its executive council
in a speech today before the conven-
ton of the United Mine Workers Of
America against charges made by
Charles H. Moyer, president of the
Mcdonald Of Illinois and others in the
convention. Mr. Meyer charged that
If the copper strike in Michigan should
he lost it would be due TO the mac
tivity of the executive board of the
American Federation OF Labor.
Mr.. Gompers asserted il would be i'm
possible to levy an assessment for the
copper mine strikers of Michigan, and
denied that the organization is "re-
dictionary. fossilized, rm-eaten and
dead and that the executive council
is made up of boozc-fgbters.
After Mr.. Gompors had concluded,
Mcdonald announced he would speak to
the convention in the morning, and
asked the federation president if he
would be in this city. He said he
would remain here as long as he pos
sibly could and still keep an engage
meut in New York city at ! o'clock
Saturday afternoon Mr.. Meyer said
be also would speak tomorrow morning.
Gompers's Speech.
Frank j. Hayes, vice president of the
miners, introduced Mr., Gompers and
explained that he appeared before the
convention to answer the charges
against the federation and its execu.
tive council.
Taking the newspaper reports as
criterion Mr.. Gompers began, "the
most important work this convention
has done has consisted Of attacks on
the American Federation of Labor and
it's officers and discussing whether the
PRESIDENT IS salary shall be increased
$1,000 year. I don t know if the
charges in newspapers are true, but the
Et 10 ludi ~ Nds lhtldlfi ~
the convention here that the American
Federation of Labor is 'reactionary.
fossilized, worm eaten and dead. Is
the newspapers statement true?'
Amid cheers. Mcdonald said: 81
made those statements and others like
them.
Not "Booze-fghters."
"Only Mcdonald answers" Mr.
Gompers continued, ''Of the eleven
men who compose the executive council
eight are teetotaers, who never touch
drop of liquor Two of the men are
as moderate drinkers as any men who
ever take drink. For myself, ! take
a glass of beer when the days work is
done. / challenge any man TO prove
otherwise than that am as good a
man, mentally and physically, as
ever was, and | reached my sixty
fourth wear last Tuesday
''Fossllized and dead means the same.
bat | submit that an organization cam
not be these and al the same time re-
ward. The history OF the organization
shows that II Is not dead
McDonald's Letters.
MI Gompers directed attention to a
number OF letters, which he said were
'Ntl iIN i'JuCdU snCDDu-
aid and published in a Chicago newspaper
in 1911. He read from ono OF these
which tended 10 show that the cost OF
living in the fourteen years preceding
lad Increased so per cent and that the
increase in wages amounted TO 20 per
cent He said the miners would not ad :
NIT that they were 90 per cent worse
OF than they were fourteen years be-
fore.
Mcdonald interrupted TO say that ne
obtained the figures from a statistician
employed by the federal government and
HAT they applied 10 sll Classes OF La :