The times., 1899-12-14
IDAHO'S LABOR TROUBLES
The Western Federation of Miners
Issues a Statement.
On the Motion Of senator Pettigrew
the Paper Is Printed ns Public
Steunenberg Denounced i'm Wig
orous Terms-Rcvfcw of the Case.

The Occur dAlene mining troubles have
already figured conspicuously in the United
States Senate and it is said by certain Sen
ators that it is a question which the Dem
ocratic members of that body will not per-
nit to rest
Senator Pettigrew of South Dakota, as
has been stated before presented a reso-
luton calling for all the official correspon-
denee between the War Department and
General Merriam. Yesterday he offered a
paper sent out from the Office of the West
ern Federation of Miners. and asked that 1t
be printed as public document. This was
ordered. The paper is addressed ITO the
Members and Friends of Organized Labor
Everywhere, and on the title page ap-
pears the following:
Crime of the Century than 81
berian Cruelties Under the American Flag
The Inquisition Outdone-Ful Account Of
the Idaho Infamy, by the President of the
Federation of Western Miners
The opening paragraph of the paper re-
cites that owing to the unparalleled at
tempt of Governor Steunenberg, backed by
the military arm of the Government, to an
nihilate organized labor in Shoshone coun-
". Idaho, and the baseness displayed by
John /. Kennedy member OF the Industrial
Commission. as shown by his false and ma
licious interview in the Washington
Post" August 20, where he brands the
union miners of ShOshCne county as muir
derers. and lauds their oppressOrs for their
tyranny as though they were real philan-
| thropists, instead OF modern czars, whose
| only object in life is the almighty dollar,
! the truth must be officially told
| The President of the Federation, Edward
! Boyce then proceeds to review OF the
| troubles He says that when gold was dis
! covered In the Occur d'AIene country in
! 1882. prospectors from all over the west
/ rushed to the new district, that had hlther-
| to been unexplored with the result tnat
many valuable mines were discovered
When these rich mining operations began
! all underground men received $3.50 day
and were permitted to board and spend
their money as they pleased; they were not
! compelled to board in company boarding
house and sleep in a company bunk ano
buy in the company store; all OF which
| things. says Mr.. Boyce, they are now COM
pelled to do In June, 1887, the Bunker
! Hill and Sullivan Mining Company reduced
miners wages from $3.50 to SO day anl
other underground men from $3.50 to $3.50
! but failed TO reduce the DOdIu, winch re
mained at one dollar day.
On January II, 1892, all the mines shu
down throwing thousands of men out o
| employment in midwinter, and on April
of the same year the Mine Owners Asso-
citation offered to resume operations a
wages which the miners refused to accept
| It is said that one Of the first acts OF th'
mine owners was to obtain an injunction
from Judge Beattie of the Federal Court
| and the next act was to purchase five hun
dred rifles, which were distributed among
| Pinkertons and alleged thugs imported
from the slums Of Eastern cities. Afte
1892 all the mines in the district returned
10 the original wage scale except tn
Bunker Hill and Sullivan Company, which
it is charged kept blacklist against al
union men Mr.. Boyce gives an extende'
account of the troubles last spring a
Wardner, Burke, Gem, Mullan, and othe
places.
Senator Chandler has presented to tn
Senate the report Of Brig. Gen. H. c. Mer
riam. t. S. A., on the miners riots in Ida
no. and this report was returned yesterda
from the Government Printing Office a
Senate Document "a.