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Show GlIPERS GOES BEFORE HOUSE LOBBlfPROBtRS President of American Federation Feder-ation of Labor Tells of the Aims of Organization of Laboring Classes. LONG EXAMINATION OF EMERY IS ENDED Counsel for Manufacturers Takes a Fling at So-called "Yellow" Press Before Leaving Stand. WASHINGTON, Sept. 10. Samuel Gompers, president of thc American Federation of Labor, appeared late today to-day as a witness before the house lobby investigating committee bejriu-ning bejriu-ning an inquiry into organized labor's efforts to influence legislation by congress. con-gress. Mr. Gompers, questioned by his attorney, at-torney, Jackson II. Ralston, gave the committee a detailed statemeut of the j aims and purposes of thc American Federation of Labor, frankly told of its offorts through a legislative committee commit-tee to influence congress toward the enactment en-actment of legislation favorable to the workers, and declared that in this effort opposition of the National Association As-sociation of Manufacturers always had been encountered. "Tho only evidence that. I and my colloagues cvor have had as lo the existence of the National Association of Manufacturers," he added, "was vindictive antagonism to everything we advocated, no matter how humane." Aims of Federation. At thc outset of his testimony Mr. Gompors was asked to stale the aims of tho American Federation of Labor. "It aims," he said, "to relieve thc working people from burdensome long hours of toil; to protect thorn in their work, protect their lives and health; to improve their material, moral, social and practical standing; to brine about a hotter condition for tho toilers of our country as a reward for services the' render to society." Tracing the history of legislation for tho benefit of labor, Mr. Gompers claimed credit on behalf of the federation federa-tion for the work of legislative committees com-mittees in Washington and in many states of tho Union, asserting that all labor legislation was constantly being urged upon legislative bodies through argumorit by representatives of thc working people. The witness said the American Manufacturers Manu-facturers ' association had not always been an anti-union or an anti-labor organization. Began With Parry. "As a matter of fact,'- he said, "tho National Association of Manufacturers was not an anti-labor organization uu-..til uu-..til D. M. Parry's declaration in 1903 to the convention of that association associa-tion at Now Orleans. Mr. Parry, as president, had his report printed. It was a virulent attack on all organizod labor. The report ho never read to tho convention at New Orleans. From that time the association became anti-labor anti-labor and anti-union." Representative Willis asked Mr. Gompors what relation the American Federation of Labor bore to tho Knightsof Labor. "Tho relation," iMr. Gompers replied, re-plied, "botween a living human organism organ-ism and a corpse." Mr. Gompers was called to the stand at the conclusion of I lie examination of James A. Emery, counsel for the Council Coun-cil for Industrial .Defense of tho National Na-tional Association of Manufacturers, who said, when asked what ho now thought of thc Workmen's Protective association, organized by Martin M. Mulhall: Falstafiian Army. "T think it was a political Falstaf' fian army, whose members increased according to thc imagination of thc commander-in-chief." Cross-examination of Emory today concluded the house lobby committee's investigation of tho alleged influenco of the National Asociation of Manufacturers Manufac-turers with legislation. Emery referrod to a recently published pub-lished statement by Gompors that labor had elected sixteen men to congress and put one man in the president's cab-inot, cab-inot, "If the National Association of Manufacturers claimed that it, elected fjv.e men to congress," said Emory, (Continued on Page Two.) GDMPERS BEFORE LOBBY WEE (Continued From Pago Two.) "tho front page of every yellow journal jour-nal in the country would have n hemorrhage hem-orrhage tomorrow morning." Figures Corrected. When the senate lobby investigating committee reopens its hearings in "about two weeks, representatives of the American Federation of Labor probably prob-ably will appear to testify upon points raised by Martin M, Mulhall. The final reports on the exam i nation of the books of the National Association Associa-tion of Manufacturers as roported to the committee by its accountant, D. L. "Prawley, have ;inst boon published. They show that from 1000 to 1012, "Mulhall was credited with having received re-ceived $41,004.00 from the Natiuim'l Association of Manufacturers, and $o418.S0 from tho Council for lndustria'1 Defense, a total of $46,42.'i.70. While Frawley's testimony was in progress several days ago. it erroneously was reported re-ported that Mulhall received .$250,000 from the National Association of Manufacturers, Man-ufacturers, wheroas the latter figures represented various expenditures in connection with public affairs from 1903 to J01H. War on Littlefield. At a night session Mr, Gompcrs resumed re-sumed the stand and was asked If lie and the American Federation of Labor ever had opposed tlic election of anyone to congress. He said that they had ami that the first opposition was directed In 190U against Charles E. Llttlellcld ' of Maine. Me added that he found, when he wont to Maine, that Murtln M. Mullmll and other agents of the National Association of Manufacturers had preceded -him. "What did yon find Mulhall doing there?" asked Attorney Rnlston. "If T may use the language of tho street," said the witness, "T found that ho was engaged In corraling voters and getting tlicm tanked up. Tills system ho continued until election day. One day a friend of mine came to me and asked me If I knew how much whisky and beer were being housed in halls used by Mulhall Mul-hall for Mr. Total Abstainer Littlefield in his district. I said 1 did not, and he said he would show me. So I went with my friend one night and lie took me up two flights of stairs in a building where I saw a large number of men ha.nglng or .sitting around In greater or lesser degrees of Inebriety. In-ebriety. None of thorn seemed to know i me. TVe seemed to have the entree. They i all seemed tp Imagine that I cared to ! Indulge with them and I remained there I long enough to sec liquor freely handed around." ' ' Federation Expenses. . Gompers said the federation spent $SV" in political work In the campaign of 1906 and J8-1C9 In that, of 1908. Much of this money went for speakers and for postage used in the distribution- of campaign literature. lit-erature. He put In the record a. detailed statement of receipts and expenditures since the federation's organization, and i tomorrow will Itemize the political expenditures expen-ditures in campaigns after 1910. In 190S. tho witness said, the federation federa-tion campaigned In eleven states he could remembor and probably worked In mocc. employing about twenty-five speakers and holding many mass lrieetlngs. The legislative legis-lative committee here he "said, -consisted of Arthur Holder, John A. Moffett and Grant Hamilton, each of whom was paid ?0 per day and was in service practically the entire year on legislative work. Mr. Gompers gave a long "explanation of labor's right for .an eight-hour day on, government work, "Do you think It right that the law, shall provide that a man- shall not contract con-tract for more than eight hours a day service?" asked Chairman Garrett. "I think," the witness replied, "when a citizen Is so regardless of his own rights and welfare that hc"does not look out for himself, It is time for the government to Intercede and protect his life. "When men work more than eight hours they do so at the expense of their fellows.", |