The Labor enquirer., 1885-02-28
The Weekly Report Of tie Secretary.
Coal MINERS HEADQUARTERS OF !
COLORADO, New MEXICO, WYo-
MING AMI TTTAH

Il
COLORADO, New MEXICO, WYo.
MING AND UTAH.
The great event of the past week has
been the labor demonstration, and it was
indeed grand affair. Never before has
the laboring element of this state dem
onstrated their power so forcibly. Be
yond question, the world moves towards
tho goal of labor's emancipation.
In the parade our amalgamation was
exceedingly well represented, and we
appeared in good style.
/. The daily papers have given us credit
and have spoken in very complimentary
terms OF all. We have established rep
utation for our noble orderthat will OBJ
literate the prejudices of those people
that heretofore considered us eMolIie
Maguires." A more peaceful and orderly
body of men never appeared on the
streets of Denver, and our earnestness of
purpose no one has question. The
weather turned out very unpleasant for
the parade, but in spite of the cold and
sleet the air was rent by the voices of
men championing the rights of labor.
Our amalgamation, in the evening,
held rousing public meeting in the
Queen City rink, aud we had representa-
tive speakers from all parts Surely our
men did not turn out in vain. An inn
preston has been leftthat will be lasting.
Franceville, Erie and Marshall mustered
good crowds, and desire to acknowledge
my personal gratitude to them for the
effort they made in responding to my
call. Already good results appear.
House bill No. 259, by Rathvon, entitled
IAN act to suppress unlawful assemblies,
with intent to hinder and obstruct
owners of mines from working the same,
and preserve public peace" has been re-
ported unfavorable, and postponed in
definitely. House bill No. 164 will GER
tainly meet with the same fate. We
have every reason to believe, now, that
the wen-being of the coal miners will be
consulted in leg islation during the pres
ent session. 81 :.
Within the past week Howells and
myself have appeared before the house
and senate committees on mines and
mining, and we were treated with due
courtesy, and am satisfied that our
views shall haYe earnest consideration
There are bills before other committees
ofthe house which we are deeply inter,
ested in, and we are to be heard upon
the same.
feel proud to say that we have quite
a few friends in both houses but, one
fact has struck me very forcibly, in my
interviews with members of those vari
Gus committees, and that is, the right
men are Rotin the right place.
We need legislation to prevent unscru
pulous men from operating mines when
there is no reserved capital 20 meet the
wages af the workmen. Considerable
loss has been occasioned to some Of our
men at Erie by reason of the crooked
ways of coal dealers, and the lack oi
shrewdness In the. parties operating. Nc
party should be allowed to run mine
unlesse he can pay his wage bills in full
and that promptly. -..s
The bill providing for the payment o.
wages at the coal mines on the tenth o.
each month is before the house commit
tee on corporations, and when it comes
up for consideration we certainly viii
have something to say on it.
This week want to call the particu
lar attention of my constituents to the
interstate and territorial convention te
be held at Pueblo on Tuesday next
March 8. An invitation has been sent
to Kansas and Utah to send representa-
tives as we'll as New Mexico, Wyoming
and Colorado.
/. We propose to devise some method by
which we will be able to eounteract the
aggressive policy of A. 81. Ranforth
general manager of the Colorado Goa
and Iron company. We cannot atfore
to have system of serfdom introduced
into this state, and, and for that reason
we will have to make strenuous effor
to stem the tide.
& The lesson shall go home to the stock
holders of the company, and sooner O.
later they will feel the pinch of Mr.. Dan
{ forth's way of doing business. The larg,
force of guards which the company deem
necessary to keep at El Moro and Wal
senburg to help the croosedness of Dan
7 forth's way of doing business. increase
enormously the cost Of mining, ant
while l do not pretend to be a prophet
do venture to say that if this compan.
or otherW Use the stockholders-do no
determine very soon to take steps to hay
the trouble investigated, that they vii
be bankrupt 1t tdoes not take philos
opher to see that this condition of thing
cannot everlastingly exist. The importa
ton of colored labor and maintaining
large body of guards is estimated to cos
the company four times the amoun
which the old hands and skilled men ar
willing to work for! And the great sac
: i -, . h
avariciousness of Mr., Danforth in hi
attempt to crush the organization.
pity this mans lack of sense an,
Judgment. and more particularly tn