The Labor enquirer., 1886-07-24
THEY MADE THEIR BED.

serious business has blown over. or
rather has been cooled off by the heavy
rains of this week.
All or june and rue ar1t-h hAlf Of Inlu
we're hot-exceedingly gly hot, and, there
being no raln-falls during that time, the
heavy pulls made by the irrlgating
d4tches upon the limited supply of water
in the Platte was too much for that little
stream. The farmers sud denly discov-
cred that their crops we're being parched
by the hot sun and their stock famishing
for lack of water.
They (the farmers) began to howl.
They called meeting in Denver, at
which about l5O farmers were present.
Heart-rending stories of their sutterlngs
were told. Some were seeing their
crops burn up under their very eyes,
and they helpless to prevent it, Others
were losing their live stock, which was
famishing for want of something to
drink and many said they had not
water for domestic purposes.
But what's the trouble Where is the
warer2 they all cried. "The English
Ditch company has it ALL" was the
answer. Yes, this aristocratic monop-
oily, made up of foreign capitalists, has
turned all the water of the Platte river
into its immense ditch, and the farmers
and ranchmen who have been in the
habit of getting water from this stream
for their private uses, find it empty and
drv.
I'VE have the prior right, we who
wereeettlers in Platte valley long before
the English syndicate had heard of it ~
shout the victims Of the water-monopo-
lizing, blood d-sucking Engllsh company
and the air in the Brunswick parlors,
where the meeting is being held, as
sumes au indigo hue, as the despoiled
and indignant farmers realize the truth.
Il Will have water for my family or l
will have blood P' cries one.
81 will sit at the head OF my ditch
with my gun and l will shoot the first
damned tuief who tries to prevent me
from getting enough to irrlgate my
fields !" yells another. y
Il will have terrible revenge if my
cattle die for drinkH shouts mother
And the English Ditch company is
impaled on the glittering points Sf such
sharp sentences during a ive-hours'
session. Committees are appointed and
fiery resolutions are adopted the gov
ernor and the state water commissioner
are summoned before this red-eYed con-
clave who demand water or blood.
Investigations are made the English
company protests that 1t is getting no
more than its rights the commissioner
does the best he can for the ranchmen !;
and, while we are on the ragged edge,
the clerk of the weather interferes and
spoils the fun.
Three or four davs of almost incessant
raining settles the question, and the
farmer pulls down the black flag, water
soaked, and slows it away hurriedlY, for
fear some one will discover that he has
had the nerve-of desperation-to
assert his rights.
The man who wanted the blood of tie
water monopoly is calm now he stood
for moment on the edge of principle !;
but gust of wing and a cloud-b burst
swept him back into his hole. The idea
of Right and Justice which was being
forced through his mind, via his pocke,
book and belly, perished in the food
and monopoly has seized fresh tenure
of pow er, assured that the soaked hens
will squawk no more for the present.
don't want to be put down as holding
spite or enmity against the farmers of
Colorado, but l cannot allow this little
brush between them and the common
enemy Of the producers to pass without
calling attention to one or two points in
volved. have always fought the bat
ties of the agricultural workers in the
columns of this paper, and expect to
continue to do 30 but want to ask a
clean and pointed question: Do the
farmers have right to expect sympa-
thy and support frr~th general public
after their cowardlv and slayish conduct
of the past2 Yes, every unfortunate
creature, whether he be the victim Of
monopoly or anything else, is entitled to
the sympathy and assistance Of his fell
bowman. But the sympathy and aid
can be given without the giver having to
endorse the prior action of the sufferer;
and this is the attitude of TIE ENQUIRER.
The farmers of Colorado have been
appealed to by the workers in the cities
and towns unremlttingly for three years,
to join with them in a movement, the
object of which was to curlail the privl-
leges Of corporations and monopolles and
to protect the nights of the producers.
We have besought them to join US in
our Organizations and at the polls for
these objects, but they have-wlth some
grand exceptions-passedu us by on the
other side, and continued to bindly
follow the lead of the potiticians who
are sucking their blood and ours.
THIS is the clear, unvarnished truth,
and, v hlIe wesre as ready and as anxious
as ever to join with our agricultural
brothers in every effort to- benefit the
cuuultluu Uf tne honest toIier, Vet We
,an ualu.S IesIst luu tumpL4.Iuu " say
Nh,n ,LlnkIns vi lie Sauer tAniue, II