The Labor enquirer., 1884-11-29

the chairman. Who slatsd that ths een- = I.
tleman was : prominAnt msmber il tho
national organization Of Knights Of
Labor. ssI
Mr.. Buchanan said that it had been
his intention in visiting the meeting if
called upon to make any remarks, to
simply explain what connection the
order Of ths Knights Of Labor had with
the struggle now going on between =
portion of the coal miners ana managers
Of the state; but that the temptation to
make some comments upon the remarks
of Mr.. Danforth was too strong to resist,
and he asked the indulgence of the au-
dience to few things in the same con-
nectlon that the preceding speaker had
omitted and also directed the attention
of his hearers to the fact that there were
two sides to the question, and conse-
quently a position different from the
the managers from which to look at the
situation.
The speaker called the attention of the
audience to the fact that the managers
who SO stubbornly refused to arbitrate
the present trouble are men working OH
salaries, and not men who are directly
interested in the profits or losses Of oper-
atlng the mines. He spoke OF the dire
results of policy something similar to
this in the Hooking Valley, and referred
to the remark of Mr.. Danforth, that the
"ionly way 10 reduce expenses at the
mines, was by cutting down the wages of
the miners" by asking that gentleman
if his salary and that of other official
hirelings had been reduced in the inter
est of economy. This elicIted no re-
sponse from Mr.. Danforth, but was round
ly applauded by the audience. The
speaker went on to show the untenable
position occupied by the managers, and
referred,to the tricks they had resorted
to in the effort to beat the men. He
charged that the Colorado Coal and Iron
company had in its employ a profess
sional detective and his gang who we're
mixing amongst the men, prying into
their affairs and attempting to sow dis
cord, and he called for denial of the
charge.
Mr. Danforth arose in the a, dience
and denied that the 81 ,tement was true.
Mr.. Buchanan then asked if it was not a
fact that Detective Kief was in the
employ of this company. Mr.. Danforth
said, Eyes, he is, but not as detective
This, of course, was virtual admission
of the charge and needed no reply, but
Mr. Buchanan said, at is singular CO.
incidence that the company when want
ing man to help it attend to strike on
hand, that it should engage profession
al detective, when there were so MANY
good men wanting job"
This settled that, and there could be
no doubtss to the opinion of the audience
on the subject. Mr.. Buchanan gave
some time to touching upon the impor-
.tant points at issue, and closed by show
ing the fallacy of the objection raised to
the board by Mr.. Danforth which were
chiefly that "it is not presumed that the
merchants of Pueblo will allow board
of Denver merchants to fix the prices at
which they shall sell their goods, and
what they shall pay their clerks" This
was covered to the perfect satisfactiono of
every honest man by the document
which had been read by Mr.. Lewis, pro-
viding for representation on the board
of the southern and Union Pacific COM
panies.
After the conclusion Of Mr.. Buchanan's
remarks, William Howells, of Coal Creek,
was called for, and came forward to the
stage. .E
Mr.. Howells made an eloquent appeal
TO the people for the rights of the honest,
industrious citizens as represented in the
producers of the land, to which body
of citizens belong the coal miners Of
Colorado, who are now asking the sym
pathy and consideration of the public
for their helpless wives and little chill
dren. He .spokeiof the hard lot of the
coal miner who, to maintain himself and
those dependent upon him, is compelled
to pass his working hours down in the
bowels of the dark earth, away from the
sunshine, the pure air, his family and all
that makes life worth living.
= The speaker then spoke of Coal Creek.
and its position in this unpleasant affair.
He had been in the camp since 1875 and
was thoroughly familiar with its whole
history. He said that in the early days
or the camp car of coal as it came out
of the mine weighed 3,4O0 pounds, now
for the same car, loaded in the same
manner Tor more carefully with the
same kind of coal, the miner was credit
ed with never over 2,2oO, and more fire.
quently with 1900. = H. ~.
Mr.. Howells spoke at considerable
length, reviewing the situation, the causes
which have brought about the present
unpleasantness, and the peaceable meth
DDS by which the men offered to settle
the difficulty. "a
The audience loudly applauded at the
conclusion of Mr.. Howells' remarks, and
motion to appoint a committee to So