The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-14
Militarism in the Occur d 'Alenes
Is Denounced
BY THE WESTERN MINERS
Organized Labor of the Country Called
Upon to Enter Mighty Protest.
Reducing Standard OF La
Dor to Serfdom.

| pleted its labors in the convention held
| during the past week. To-day the Off
GERS for the ensuing term We're elected
and nearly all other business except
the final adoption of the constitution
disposed of. The president and vice
president We're elected by acclamation
and without division. For the other
offices there was spirited, but friend
ly contest.
The election of officers took place this
morning. The present president, Dan
Mcdonald of Butte, was reelected
president for the ensuing term by ac-
| clamaJtion and without division. Vice
| President John Troxel of Cripple Creek
was elected in the same way. M. J.
| Geiger of Butte was elected secretary
| and treasurer.
| 1t was decided to hold the next con-
| vention in one year from now at Den
Yer. The vote for the place of the next
| annual meeting stood: Denver, SO;
| Wallace, 16; Butte, IA.
The executive committee is composed
of Delegates Nash of Spokane, Eak-
man of Wallace, Lane of Cripple Creek,
Farrar of Alberta, Canada and McPhee
of Cripple Greek. The president and
vice president are eX-officio members
| of the same committee.
The following resolution was passed
| to-day:
whereas, We view with alarm the
constantly increasing power and law
| lessness of corporation and trust COM
bines, which threatens our homes with
| destruction, our people with bondage,
our nation with dishonor and our flag
| with shame, and
| Whereas, Working men who assem-
! bled peaceably in compliance with the
l~tt - y,,t} Ct,fn tftrfJ
and petitioned for relief, have been bru-
tally murdered by paid assassins, and
| whereas, These cowardly murder
ers of those unfortunate brother-labo bor-
| ers have not been brought to justice,
! but on the contrary have been COM
| mended for their cowardly and inhu-
man act; therefore be it
Resolved, by the Western Labor
| Union in convention assembled, That
| we place our unqualified condemnation
| on the deeds of paid assassins and bru-
| tai and cowardly murderers of the de-
fenseless and peaceable coal miners at
| Hazelton, Pa, and we call on all true
and honorable citizens to arise in their
| might as a sovereign people in defense
| of the constitution of the United States,
| which guarantees to each and everyone
an equal right to life, liberty and the
| pursuit of happiness.
On the subject of the Occur d'Aiene
and resolution was adopted:
| "Whereas, 1t has come to the knoWl-
| edge of this convention tha- he gov
| ernor, of Idaho has so far forgotten his
| oath of office and honor as man as to
| turn the executive branch of the gov
| ernment of the state over to the own
! ers of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
! mines, who through their attorneys
and a plant general of the regular
army, have established conditions in the
Occur d'Alene mining region far worse
than ever experienced in Russian ST.
beria or on Cuban soil during the Span
ish reign of terror; and
Whereas, 1t is a fact that American
liberty and the constitution of our
country has been supplanted by mill
tarism in it's worst form, wherein the
owners Of silver mines in the Occur
d'Alene district are denied the right
of employing any man unless he first
makes affidavit that he is non-unon
miner; and
Whereas, Many other citizens, in
cluding business men of the district,
who are guilty of no crime other than
that they have expressed their SYM
pathy with the miners in their rlghte-
Gus struggle for the very existence of
their organization, have been also de- e..
MED the right of counsel and the actual
necessities of life; and
Whereas, The Western Labor union
believes this state of affairs to be.
menace a blow at the very institution
of American liberty, that priceless Jewel
gained by our forefathers after suffer
ing privation and the shedding of
their blood on the field of battle, that
we might be free; therefore be it
Resolved, By the Western Labor
union, in convention assembled, that
we condemn every public official re-
sponsible for the abrogation of civil
law in Idaho from President McKin-
ley, through his secretary of war, down
to Governor Steunenberg and Coroner
France; and be it further
Resolved, That this convention call
upon organized labor of the American
continent to enter their mighty pro-
test at such unwarranted tyranny, and
the effort now being made to reduce
the standard of labor to the level of
serfdom: and be it further
Resolved. That this organization
hereby pledges its assistance, both
moral and financial to the Western
Federation of Miners in their fight for
Justice
The Western Federation of Miners
had another busy day, but it was found
impossible to conclude the work and at
5 o'clock in the afternoon adjournment
was taken until Monday.
The day was devoted mainly to the
consideration of committee reports and
no business of special public interest
was transacted.
The matter of joining with the West
ern Labor Union in the publication of
journal was considered, but was fin
ally referred back to the committee
Some of the members favor the Joint
action while others advocate allowing
local union to choose it's own official
organ. A decision will be reached in
the matter Monday.
The annual election of officers will
also be held MOD6aV and tl1iS will ~, I'll,
the close of the conventions labors