The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-23
P. J.RYANFLAYS
:G0MPERS FOR
YELLED ATTACK
Attorney Demands Labor Head
Explain Charges Made at
National Convention.


charged him with fearing to eli.
swer.
Gompers, at the Denver conven-
ton, made yelled charges against
the persons who were attacking him.
among them being that "a crooked
Washington lawyer" was one OF the
persons attacking him and he de-
manded that Gompers say whether
he meant him or not. Gompers
reply was a quotation from one OF
the old authors.
Ryan in his letter to Gompers to-
day says:
Demands Explanation.
"I have before me the American
Federationist for August, 1921. The
Federationiist Is the official organ OF
the American Federation. OF Labor.
butas editor, you control it's policies
and its columns. At page 643. OF the
number heretofore referred to IN
der the headline. Interestin' Readin,
you published my letter OF July g.,
1921, in which I called upon you for
an explanation of your loose talk be-
fore the Denver convention of the
American Federation Of Labor on
June 20. referring to William Ran
dolph Hearst:
"'He has sent out his minions and
his hirelings to get into touch with
those who might be influenced or
bought to say word against me.
Who did he get? A CRATER In Bos-
ton; a crooked lawyer in Washing.
ton, one caught in the dragnet of
Congress In the National Association
Of Manufacturers inquiry"
you printed In the same connec-
ton your vain and flippsnt effort OF
July 10, 1921. which upon Its face
Lob IN
questions nor explain your reference
to the National Association OF Manu-
| facturers' inquiry, 30 far as l am
concerned, but you took good care not
to publish my reply to what you
thought a very crushing answer.
Your failure to print all Of the cor
respondence in the Federationist for
! August shows that you have not a
leg to stand upon and that your
charges are a pure invention.
you did not mention my name
nor the name of any other person In
your Denver speech and can &C
count for your failure to do 30 upon
no other theory than that you did
not know anything TO my discredit.
"If you intended your effort az
a silencer. you have failed, and your
attempted ridicule will not be accepted
in lieu of an answer to my ques.
tons. IA to whether you intended
your charges In the matter of the
lobby investigation for me or not.
In any event, this question win re-
main open until you are smoked
out. and have answered to the sat
isfaction Of all concerned.
Your item in the Federationist is
evidently intended to get out of the
tight corner In which you placed your
self by ridiculing and making little of
the whole affair. because IT emanate
from one so obscure as the writer. but
II will fall flat. Ridicule In a powerful
weapon. but It is dangerous unless it
is welded by the hand of a master.
While you are a past master in many
arts, you cannot annihilate facts and
bring them into contempt when your
answer to plain and pertinent ques-
tons Is overdue, which 10 the case
in this controversy.
Must Prove Slander.
You have been getting away with
your platitudes, your ALTERNATIVES
loaded with hidden negatives and your
ever changing position on all Ques-
tons long enough, and 1t is my pur-
pose to pin you down until you an
swer or confess that you overshot
yourself in your Denver speech in
June last.
You cannot expect to call people
grafters from Boston and crooked
lawyers from Washington and get
away with such Islander without proof,
because / for one do not intend that
you shall.
Your attempt to evade the real
issue in this controversy will not do,
because with all of your ingenuity you
cannot hide the living, speaking facts,
which stand out SO prominently in
this case.
Now, your charge at the Denver
convention Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor clearly indicates that
you have certain Information on the
Congressional inquiry of the National
Association of Manufacturers and II
that information is based upon facts,
IL 1t discredits any member or men,
bers connected with organized labor
and brings the labor movement into
contempt and disgrace, then we should
have 'pitiless publicity OF those facts.
And, in the event that it is proved
that the person or persons are guilty
as charged by you, the labor move
ment should be purged of the offend
ing and unworthy member or MEM
bers. II, on the other hand, II is shown
that your charges are without foun-
/ dation and that they were wrongful
/ ly and recklessly brought for the pur-
pose of running the reputation Of any
of the membership, then the labor
movement should be purged Of you
at once.
Hidden Facts.
your effort to conceal the facts
in this case is cumulative evidence
Of your habit of mind and your fool
ish practice to hide facts when they
are against you. This is a species
Of sharp practice which. sooner or
later, must find you out. You may
temporarily hide from the public
view these things which are called
living, speaking facts, but sooner or
later they will return to plague you.
AMI the pity Of 1t is that 1t embar-
raises organized labor.
I'm your item in the Federation
list august number. 1920 you at
tempt to get rid of this matter by
belittling those who dare to doubt
the infallibility of your Judgment.
or to tell the truth about you and
your methods In dealing with those
who oppose you.
Trite Tales.
Now, while your Jabs OF irony and