New-York tribune., 1922-10-23
All Daugllerty's
Facts Twisted,
Says Con1pers
A. T. of L. President Assails
attorney Generals Cam
tom Speech as Mass
of Distorte q Data
UphoIds Rail Strikers
No Threat Of Civil War, He
Says; QuestionsC CabiieiO Of-
ficcr's War Fraud Claims

fscs The Ty9t@reiS washington Huf6cH
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.--In bitter
reply TO the speech, of Attorney Gen
eral paugherty at Canton, Ohio
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation OF Labor, chal-
iengas the yeracity of the lead of the
Depa rtment OF Justice He declares
that number of the assertions Of the
Attorney General with respect to the
Yaiiroad strike, such as the declaration
that the strike was revolt against
the government and "the nation was
in tie grip of civil war; are absolute
faIsehood" Tie asserts the Attorney
General has "misrepresented and
fais:tied the facts, and that he has
displayed partisan bias" and heated
temper
Mr. Gompers criticized the rro-
cedure of the Attorney General with
respect to the var grafters and prof
teers. He says that when the Attor-
ney General discussed the railroad in
junction he rose to the heights of the
ridiculous" Mr.. Gompers said in part:
"sir. Daugherty assures us that he
did not undertake the injunction pro-
ceeding .as partisan or as the advo-
he proclaims, until II became apparent
were being materially affected
an view Of the unprincirled misrep
resentation contained in tha balance of
the address, am inclined to believe
that the Attorney General protests en-
tirely too much. The Department of
Justice, he says, spent probably
si,50D 900 in seven weeks Mr.. Daugh-
erty says that more than 27,000 affida-
Wits {. concerning anarchy bordering
on civil war; were secured He casts
TO reflection on the quality Of these
affidavits, leaving his hearers to believe
that they represented the solemn truth.
.'As a matter of fact these affidavits
we're literally fished out OF the sewers
among strike breakers and paid agents
of the most desperate character. most
of whom were perfectly willing to sign
anything which they were paid to sign,
peared entirely from the locality in
which they had temporary residence
when the affidavits were secured.
All Biased, He Says
Il have no way of knowing how
much Of the Sf,500,900 was expended
in securing this enormous number of
afidayits, but ! am sure that if these
affidavits served any purpose whatever
1t was the railroads interests that se-
cured the benefit and not the people
of the United States.
aMr. Daugherty's characterization of
the strike and the strikers is so filled
with hatred, exaggeration and calumny
that every thinking person will under
stand 1t for what it is. The official
who presides over the Department Of
Justice is supposed to be interested
in the even-handed dispensation of
Justice, and he is supposed to be in
terested only in an impartial examina-
tion of truth.
partisan bias, untruth, exaggerated
statements and a display of heated
temper could scarcely be so uniting
on the part of any other member Of
the Cabinet. Mr.. Daugherty says the
railroad strike was bold challenge
TO constitutional government; that the
strikes 'renounced the protection of
governmental authority; that they
'mutinied against decision Of the
Railroad Labor Board; that they were
Instructed by their leaders to lay down
their tools; that they walked out in
defiance of the law; that the strike
WAS a revolt against government and
thae scarcely community in any part
of this broad, free land was being
spared the iron heel of terrorism He
says says further that the nation was in
the grip of civil war and that the
country was 'stung to a fury
Having been close observer of
the situation at all times and having
been intimately informed as to the
facts, say with all the emphasis of
which / am capable that each of the
above statements made by Mr.. Daueh
eerty at Canton is an absolute false
hood.
Having misrepresented and falsi-
ned the facts, naturally the Attorney
General finds it necessary to draw con-
ciusions which are not in accord with
the facts. First, the strike of the
railroad shop workers was not ordered
by the leaders, but was ordered bv the
rank and file of the membership. in
every case through the medium Of the
referendum vote. The strike was
neither remuneration of the trans
portation act. revolt against govern
ment, a challenge to constitutiona1
government nor defiance of the
captain II, L. Scaife, formerly Of