Evening star., 1920-02-20
Bitter Exchange of Words
Marks Labor's Conference
With Members of House

Bitter exchange of charges between
members of Congress and belliger-
ent warning to Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, to his face, that You can't
have your own way about every
thing" all but broke up a confer
ence" of labor leaders with members
of the House last night.
Representative Sanders, republican,
of Indiana, charged that members of
Congress had been called into eau
GUS to be dictated to by union labor
on the railroad REORGANIZATION bill.
Mr.. Sanders said he had received
an invitation to attend caucus" in
the House office building, and found
instead an assembly at which labor
leaders were prepared to present their
commands to the legislators
II charge that this meeting was
called to defeat the railroad BILL" he
shouted, 'in order to foist govern
ment ownership upon the country"
Bitterly Arraigns GOmpers.
Mr.. Sanders bitterly arraigned
President Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor, who was seated
nearby. for having "unjustiAably and
indiscriminately insulted the present
| Congress"
Turning about to face the murmurs
Of disapprobation which had arisen
at his unexpected remark. Mr.. Sam
| ders shook a belligerent forefinger
| in the air at the labor leaders as he
| said:
you can't have your own way
| about everything"
democrat, New York, arose and de-
| clared, ''the man who will say this
meeting was surreptisiously called
| is liar"
A dozen congressman present. in
cluding- Mr.. Sanders, jumped to their
feet and turmoil reigned until the
| chairman had called the meeting to
order. Representative Mead consent
ed to withdraw his assertion in so far
as it might have been construed to
include Mr.. Sanders.
Statement by Labor Leader.
| Denying what he said was the i'm
| plication Of Representative Sanders
| that the meeting of House members
and labor leaders had been called as
a Caucus" Mr.. sGohpers explained
that no other convenient place could
be found than the majority CAUCUS room
in the House Office building.
| "As for the remarks of Mr.. Sanders
about the stigmas 1 have cast upon
Congress," the Federation of Labor
| president said, Il admit 1 haven't
been oyercomplimentary to some
members~of Congress and some MEM
bers of Congress have not been over
complimentary to me-"
| Mr.. Gompers read the abstract of a
| telegram which, he said, according to
| information conveyed to him. had
| been sent out by Alfred P. Thorn, gen.
! eral counsel of the Association OF
Railroad Executives. advising rail-
road officials and attorneys that the
l only difference between the anti
| strike clause in the Cummins bill and
the one in the redrafted conference
measure was that in the former
penalty could be imposed by a jury
while in the latter an Injunction
! method would be followed and the
penalty affixed and assessed by a
court in contempt proceedings and
not by a jury"
1 Defines His Position.
| Samuel Gompers," asserted the fed
GRAFTON president, has not been very
much an advocate Of government own
ership. Turn back the railroads, but
leave the railroad men unfettered."
| Before Mr.. Gompers spoke, upon re-
quest Of the chairman that all House
members who had attended the meet
ling with the understanding that a
| caucus was to be held should stand.
about twenty Of the representatives
present arose.