Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-17

down, packing up and moving the stone,
timber and treasures of the present build
| ings in Washington here, but her people
| and newspapers are advocating the cree
| ton Of a big national capitol here indie
pendent of the other, which is to be used
| sometimes, somehow or somewhat in some
| manner, not just made clear by the adVo-
Gates Former Vice President A. E. Ste
venson was interviewed on the subject last
| week for a Denver paper, and uotwith-
| standing the fact that the honest old gen.
tleman was guest of the city, he came
| out, seriously but positively. in opposition
| to the scheme His replies to the eager
questions put to him, If read and be-
| tween the lines both, could be properly.
summed up in the word 'preposterous.
With the least encouragement the residents
| of this city would start a crusade from
| ocean to ocean to bring about this removal
| scheme. They seem to think that Denver
| is going to be modern Rome or Athens,
to which all roads in the United States
| must run. I believe nearly everybody IN
| the city would be willing to contribute
certain amount of his income yearly for
her municipal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Every
body wants to do something for Denver:
A former resident of Denver got rich
very suddenly by a lucky strike, and wish
ing by some means to perpetuate MS name
| and fame, erected fine public building
| here and employed celebrated portrait art
| lists to decorate the interior with pictures
| of famous men. After many days of labor
| the painters finished their work and in
vited the benefactor to inspect 1t. He in
quired and was told the names of the great
| one was Napoleon, that one Byron, and so
| on. When he came to Shakespeare, whose
image occupied the most prominent posi-
| ton in the building he asked:
"Who is that?"
"That is Shakespeare" responded the
! artist, beamfng with pride.
He looked at it a moment, then turned to
the artist, saying:
"Cut him out and paint my picture in
| thar. He amt never done nothin for Den
YER"
Eject of Shelters Strike.
The wave of prosperity, with its benign
and wholesome effect, was sweeping over
Colorado to the dire disaster of the po-
| litical and other agtators, when about a
month ago the strike of the smelter men
came. This was another evil result of the
recent legislature of unhappy memory. 1t
passed an eight-hour law.
1t seems that the purpose of the law
was 'to do something for labor. The
law cobblars evidently intended to hit the
| big smelling concerns in order to benefit
labor. but the effect was to prevent the
workmen from working over eight hours
even if they desired to do The smelter
owners are willing to pay the men by the
hour the old wages, plus an advance of 10
| and II per cent, but they say they can't
pay for eight hours work the same price
they have been paying for ten and twelve
hours work. The men seemed willing to
accept the situation, but the union stepped
in and said the man cannot work but eight
hours. under penalty of the law, and if
they are fOrDluQen TO work more imam eight
hours that is, If the legislature says eight
hours constitute 4 days work, the men
ought to have days pay for il. Thus
they disagreed, and hence the strike, which
is at this time in statue quo, awaiting the
decision of the supreme court a case
hurriedly sent to them testing the consti-
nationality of the new law. If the court
decides the law unconstitutional the bot
tom Will drop out of the contention of the
strikers, and they will go back to work
On the other hand. it is believed that If
the constitutonality of the law is upheld
the strike will be very hard to settle
The strike is affecting business very seri-
ously, resumption of work would i'm
mediately revive trade in a hundred di-
rectiOns.
The strike will very probably be turned
into a political issue, for it is declared that
the smelling business is controlled by a
trust, owned by eastern capital and sim
ply managed by the western men whose
names are identified with the plants. These
charges are made. denied and reiterated.
Thus the antitrust agitatorS already
beginning to lug in the strike as a politi-
cal issue. The minds of the laborers are
becoming infiamed with prejudice against
this imaginary monster, the trust and if
the present hope of a settlement super
induced by the forthcoming opinion of
the supreme court is blasted, if it is, seri-
| Gus trouble will be feared. So far the
men have been remarkably passive and
peaceable, and if the union leaders were
| out of it they would all return to work
and be satisfied with the increase in wages
offered them.
Strong Antitrust Sentiment.
The movement of the Chicago democracy
| to stir up sentiment against trusts as a
political slogan of 1900 meets with great
favor, not only in Colorado, but through
| out the west, and it promises to even over
shadow the 16 to 1 issue in Importance.
| The people out here. actually believe that
trusts be crushed out by legislation,
and While they do not have the slightest
| idea how it is to be done they going in
for the trial blindly but with vim. This
movement is not only backed by the man
with the hoe" but the cities filled with
people in every walk of life who are ram
pant in their opposition to trusts, an oppo-
| sition in many cases filled with prejudice.
The politics of Colorado is tangled skein
which it is impossible for a lawyer to uu-
raVel | find here silver republicans and
democratic imperialists, democratic pro-
tectionists and republican tariff reformers.
Besides, there are innumerable state issues
sandwiched in between and others hang
ing If you scorn gold, but try to get
all you can: storm at trusts, but try to get
some of the pickings on the sly, you are
all right, being both patriotic and pros
porous.
prize MONEY FOR WtRSHIpS