OCR Text |
Show SENATE AND HOUSE CLASH ON "LOBBY" ' I Two Separate Congressional Committees in ' Session Demand Martin Mulhall's Presence Before Them at the Same Hour Upper x House Secures Witness and Place Three Ser- geants-at-Arms to Guard Him MA1VUFACTURERS HAVE AROUSED CONGRESS Witness Tells of His Work in Accomplishing the Late Senator McComas' Defeat, Although He Posed as a Friend Mulhall Also Tells of Activities With Union Labor Men in New Jersey Jer-sey to Bring About the Defeat of Senator Hughes Unions Worked Under MulhalFs S) Direction H f . Washington, July 12 With Martin . M Mulhall, one time chief lobbyist for tbe National Association of Nfanu-f Nfanu-f facturers, as tho prize, the senate WL and house lobby investigators contln-J contln-J ued their contest today for first tea jf tlniony from the star witness Tho senate won Surrounded by guards to ward oft' "f subpoena servers from the house. Mul Rhall continued his story before the senate committee, reciting details of the fight h! alleges the manufaetur-j manufaetur-j ers financed to beat Representative Hughes of New Jersey, now a sena- tor; to re-elect NelBon W Aldrlch. as senator from Rhode Island, and re elect former Representative Littlefield nj of Maine. Mulhall talked of "inside" work and ii "outBlde ' work, of a bookkeeper it :0.l the American Federation of Labor, jjj whom he charged with later beoom-m beoom-m ing a paid spy for the Manufacturers' association and of N Carroll Downes, private secretary to former Senator McComas, of Maryland, who he al leged was taking pay from the Manufacturers' Manu-facturers' association when it was trying to beat McComas because of his eight-hour labor bills. Mnlhal.V testimony may cover sevcr.il days. The house committee meanwhile, if foiled in its attempts to get lirst tes-timony tes-timony trom Mulhall, made formal di - mnnd on the senate committee for its U list of witnesses yet unheard amH A planned to meet later today to ill-' uas further action. 1' Washington JnTy 12 Under sub- Upoenaes to appear at the samo hour i before two separate congressional committees In session at distant ends of the capitol, Martin M Mulhall, who 'H Is testifying as to th- alleged "lobby- Ing" activities of the National Asso-f Asso-f clatlou of Manufacturers, today faced M a puzzling situation. The tancli? was 7j the result of a clash of authority bf -tween the senate and house Investi-I Investi-I gators M The senate body Insisted that it Iliad prior rights in the examination of Mulhall, who began his testimony last night The senate subpoena antedated that Issued by the house M committee and as the witness was In the custody of a senate deputy ser-gennt-at-arms, the upper house was in a position to enforce its ultimatum U Both committees met at 9 o'clock. K but Mulhall and J. H McMichaei appeared ap-peared at the senate committee rooms and were placed under guard of an 21 assistant s rgeani -ai arms The ),,,);-. committee, minus its oxpected wlt- neSbes, seut into an executive ses-)fH ses-)fH slon to plan further action. The senate sen-ate committee, fearful of further attempts at-tempts by the house to get hold of Mulhall or his voluminous lobbying correspondence, held a short executive execu-tive session While the senate committee retired rfor Its executive conference, three employes from the sergant-at-arm's offlc, three senate clerks and a page boy kept guard over the original and A t . duplicate papen on the committee table and watched tho witnesses to prevent the serving of any house subpoenas sub-poenas on them Senator Smoot called to a ten-year-old page "Here, boy, keep watch of these papers pa-pers and if nnybod tries to get them, shoot him." Mulhall finally resumed the stand and took up the identification of his letters which he began at last night's session. Mulhall Identified more letters, showing his relations with Marshall CUBhing, secretary of the association ol manufacturers. He testified he had an understanding with Gushing that he was to receive $100 a week and j $40 a week for expenses for "general field work and lobby work in Washington." Wash-ington." Mulhall testified further of how he worked to defeat the late Senator McComas of Maryland, although he posed as the senator's friend. He said he had received 500 letters from Gushing Gush-ing directed against McGomas. A letter to Senator Foraker, September Sep-tember 19, 1904, referred to a suggestion sug-gestion that Mulhall no to Rhode Island Is-land to help Senator Aldrlch in his campaign He testified he went later at the request of Aldrlch. "He asked me to get into touch n Ith labor men there to get their sup- fort. DetlfrS from G K Ald'n, then secretary sec-retary to Foraker, and Arthur B. Shel-ton, Shel-ton, secretary to Aldrlch, showed that .Mulhall's suggestion to go to Rhode Island had been the subject of some correspondence. A letter of introduction for Harrv C. Kurten, ciM'n by the council of Allied Building Trades of Philadelphia, Philadel-phia, was offered in evidence. It was signed by Kurten as secretary. Kurten Kur-ten was engaged, Mulhall testified. In the nlit against William Hughes, then a representative and now a senator sen-ator trom New Jersey Worked to Defeat Hughes. "Wore you sent to help beat Hushes by the National Association of Manufacturers Manu-facturers asked Mr Reed "Yes, sir " "Why did they want to beat Hughes?" "On account of his holding a union card, being affiliated with tho American Amer-ican Federation of Labor and his activity ac-tivity on the floor of the house and With the labor leaders in Washing ! ton " Kurten was given credentials, Mul ; hall said, so be could get into union labor meetings to oppose Hughes. "The work of this kind was always secret," said Mulhall 'It was done under cover." Chairman Overman of the senate committee sent a formal notice to Chairman Garrett of the house com mittee at 10:30 o'clock that the senate sen-ate committee would insist on keeping keep-ing Mulhall as a witness until he had finished Chairman Overman assured the house committee that the senate investigators in-vestigators would release Mulhall later lat-er subject to a house subpoena and make available to the house committee's commit-tee's order "any and all papers now or which may come into our possession posses-sion In connection with this matter"! Mulhall Identified a letter from lames I Ridge, outlining work done! by Ridge amony Rhode Island labor unionl In 1904 in behalf of Aldrlch's candidacy. Mulhall testified giving Ridge $600 which he got from Cush ing. secretary of the manufacturers to hoi 1 1 Aldrlch in his campaign for re-election In a letter relating to Ridge it was said "the senator Is well pleased with the work of your friend." Attorney McCarter tried to have the committee keep out testimony by Mulhall relating t conversations be-1 ween Gushing and others which he had not actually hoard The committee commit-tee refused. Hired Union Men for "Fight. A reference to President Taft came in connection with notations on the back of one of tho Mulhall envelopes The following names appeared "C. Firestone, Columbus Buggy company. com-pany. Colonel H. Morgan, Alliance, jo.; John N Taylor, East Liverpool; J. T. Sinclair, Steubenville, H. M. Hanna, Cleveland." "These five names were submitted to me by Senator Foraker of Ohio to hand to President Taft at an interview inter-view I was to have with him at his summer residence In 101U concerning concern-ing the campaign In Ohio," Mulhall testified. The committee did not develop de-velop the point further Testlflng further about the cam palgn against Hughes, Mulhall swore h went to Paterson, N .1 , to aid Hughes" opponents, He hired six un ion men to work against Hughes and paid them altogether about $1,800, j which came from the National Asso- elation of Manufacturers through Gushing. The union men in the pav of (he National Association of Manufacturers, Manufactur-ers, Mulhall said, took possession of 7." I circulars sent into the district by the American Federation of Labor to aid Hughes and turned them over to tho Republican campaign committee commit-tee He named the following as the men he hired to work against Hughes Michael Goillns of Phllaije phla; Jacob Cassllear of Now York, William J Ryan of the electrical workers' union in New York and Geo Burke of aPterson Mulhall did not recall the names of two others. Ho thought Burke was a deputy collector of internal revenue Muihall thought that George Burke, i who voted in Hughes district, a dep- uty collector of internal revenue, was on his payroll in the campaign against i Hughes. "You bribed these men to vote against Hughes? asked Senator Cummins, Cum-mins, ' 1 don'l know whether you can call it bribery or not they were paid s .. i kh halarv That money was sppnt in legitimate work that is what the i ailed it it has been done by both parties for years Ryan was on my list for about 10 weeks altogether, tin) at $40 and then $60 a week. Bald Mulhall Me added that Ryan was "on the list" to do general political work in labor ranks engaged in helping to b:it Hughes. Senator Reed asked if the National Association of Manufacturers "went generall into politics" and supported the Republican organization. or whether it singled individual men J i Continued on page 14 ) II SENATE AND ROUSE CLASH ON "LOBBY" I (Continued from page 1 ) ; throughout the country whom it sup ported. Mulhall said It generally supported sup-ported the Republican ticket and particularly par-ticularly opposed Democrats who were too actively opposed to Its position or. labor questions. McComaa on Labor. Efforts lo controi Senator Milomas on labor legislation were further shown by another letter December 15, 1904. apparent!) to Mnlhall anil which J he said was written by Cushing. It urged Mulhall to deal with McComns on the supposition that the latter wanted a federal Judgeship 'hen in prospect. ! "Me (McComasl needs to iintl-r stand." the letter added, 'thai the i industrial needs of the country are 1 more thoroughl organized than ever before and that they will have none 1 of him or of his eight hour bill. All the same they are not vindictive and If he honestly neans to let up. you. of course, can promise to do anything I i that you can to remove any of thi- obstacles that you can from the patb , of his ambitions." ' Other letters from Cushing lo Mul j hall developed the extent to which Mulhall was working with various po-I po-I lltical factions In Maryland, either try- Ing to "select a winner' or abate Mr- Comas' activity In support of his eight-hour bill. Many of the men he mentioned in his letters as opposed to the eight hour bill in the association's associa-tion's campaign against that measure were "strictly honest In that potl-i potl-i tlon," he thought "Others pretended to be honestly op posed to It because you paid them j to1" suggested Senator Walsh. 1 "Yes. that's it." IJ In a report February' 5, 1905. to Cushing. upon political development in Baltimore. Mulhall quoted Ueorg" B. Squires, a bookkeeper for the ' American Federation of Iabor on the, support the labor forces were giving . McComas and the light they were making for anti-lnjunctlon and ei;h hour legislation. Cushing had Instructed In-structed him to "keep In touch with Squlers," to find out what the Ameri-' Ameri-' can Federation of Labor was drlng. "V?8 Squlers acting In good faith ' or was he a spy In the union head quarters employed by the National Association of Manufacturers?' askd j Senator Cummins Cushing Letter to Mulhall. "Not at that time but later on he i was acting as a spy for Cushing in the American Federation or labor," replied Mulhall The campaign In support of .Representative .Repre-sentative Charles B Littlefleld, ui Maine, was taken up In other letters. A Cushing letter to Mulhall. Juno J, 1905, said: "I guess It Is better for you to stay out of the central labor union." "A number of labor union workers were engaged In the fight for elcc-b elcc-b Hon In the union," explained Mulhall. "and I was taking an active part in U seeing that we got offlceru elected who were on our 6lde politically 1"'" work was all done from the outside ' The Cushing letter added: "You want to manage it somehow that while Stone (former Republican collector of the port of Baltimore) may think you are wnrmlng up io him. It will be the fact In reality that h- is warming up to you " Several letters related io ihe su tivitics of Mulhall and Cushing In the political situation in Maryland during 1905. In one it was set forth that Carl C. Downes desired to reorgnniz the Republican party In Maryland with the aid of "Williams. Uefferkl Gary. Bonaparte and Clarkson." ill Maryland Republicans, "in an effort to show the manufacturers and others that the Republicans of Maryland are united enough and can win." The association got after Represer. tative Frank C YVaehter. of Maryland. Mulhall said. "Wachter was not up to the mark j in Washington. He dodged too many votes on labor bills " said Mulhall The Inquiry shifted to Albany. N Y. The introduction of a bill In the I New York legislature by Senator Pugej which would have placed the burden! of proof upon the defendant in cases of inquiry from negligence was dls-j cussed. Boss Barnes Defeated BUI 'Cushing sent me to oppose the bill as something that ought not to pass j at that time," said Mulhall Senator Cummins asked who Mulhall Mul-hall saw In Albany when he worked against the bill. "You didn't have to pee many people peo-ple In Albany at that time to stop a bill of that kind 1 saw Boss Barnes." "Through bim you defeated the Mil?" ' I believe I did. 1 knew him lor many years." ' You told him you were working for the National Association of Manufacturers?" Manufac-turers?" "Yes, sir." Mulhall said "Mr. Cushings office" gave him a list of members of committees com-mittees in the New York legislature whom he was to see. All the names he could not identify "I know I saw Judge Addington," he said, "because I had an intimate acquaintance with him from the campaign cam-paign of 18S8." When Senator Reed came letter? about a strike in Philadelphia. Mulhall Mul-hall thought Attorneys McCarter and Emery were whispering about his testimony tes-timony and "over the shoulders of senators." "I see gentlemen sitting behind you." he said to the committee." interested in-terested In strikes and I would like to be cross-examined now about these letters. This is a fight to the finish and all I want it to be is a square light. It is no laughing matter. This fight has only begun." The strike Mulhall referred to occurred oc-curred In 1906 He swore Secretary Cushing had instructed him to go to Philadelphia and take a part in trying to break it. To "Cover Up" His Activity. To "cover up" his real activity, he said, Cushing gave him a letter appointing ap-pointing him to an arbitration board. "If there was any publicity In thp matter. I was to show this letter and clear my skirts of any activity In the case." said Mulhall. "I hnd Col llns and Price and several others m whom I paid money weekly." said Mulhall "I had Ryan there who was with me In the Hughes' campaign. I paid him ?60 a week " Mulhall testified hl3 activities wer" directed toward preventing sympathetic sympathet-ic strikes In Philadelphia, keeping trark of what the unions were doing land lo control tho Central Labor union uni-on of Philadelphia, through men In that union Before the committee took a re cess. Jackson H Ralston, an attorney. I appeared for the American Fedora tlon of Labor. He said the federation federa-tion would aid the committee and pro duce all books ami information in Ha possession bearing on the inquiry His request for appearance was taken under un-der advisement with that of McCarter. McCar-ter. The senate committee reassembled at 2:30 p. m. and adjourned to 1 a. m , Monday Mulhall. It was an nounr ed had gone to New York. He will return Monday |