The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-21

|
Resolved. By the Western Labor unior
| in convention assembled that We con
denim every public official responsible for
the abrogatien of civil law in Idaho, from
PRESIDENT Mckinley. through his score
| tary of war, down to Governor Steunen-
berg and Coroner France.
Now there is not one word in that
resolution "condemning the governor
of Idaho and the president of the
United States for performing their
sworn duty"
They are condemned for 1.-THE abroga-
ton of civil law in Idaho" for the des-
potic rule that deprives union men of
| work in the Wardner district, for the
cruel edict which drives the families of
union men from their homes, for the
hypocrisy of an administration that de-
MES the right of federal interference
with organized capital-working out
illegal purposes, and destroying more
property and more lives, causing more
suffering and desolation than have all
the labor riots in history. 1t was for
this the president and those carrying
out his orders were criticized, and not
because they We're merely performing
their sworn duty
Here is what the federation said of
that particular phase of Mckinley mill
tarism with which it came in contact:
Resolved. That we stigmatize the order
of General Merriam and the civil author
tiles that men seeking employment in the
mines Of this district must renounce
membership in the miners unions.' to be
worthy only of despotic men. and not
worthy of notice by citizens of America,
and declare that the miners unions had
nothing whatever to do with the destruc-
ton of the Bunker Hill. and will defend
their right of organization.
Does the Tribune contend that the
federal authorities have a right to
make such rules, or that the state au-
thorities have a right to enforce them?
Is this the way President Mckinley
performs his sworn duty?
When the Tribune is assused of toady-
ing to a select circle of aristocrats
and of being unduly severe upon the
miners federation it falls back upon
its old subterfuge that the decent labor
element is with it. 1t assures the
local unions that it is only hostile to
those of other states, to agitators and
to breeders of discomfort. OF the west
ern federation it says that they do
not represent the laboring men, the
honest working men of Utah." How it
snarls one moment and grovels the
next!
But what of Gompers? Doesn't he
represent the laboring men of the
United States, the honest working men
of Utah?
He is the head of organized labor in
this country. When he lectured in this
city the other evening he was intro
duced by Arthur E. Graham, president
of the Salt Lake Federation of Labor.
On the platform with him were John
George Whitaker, A. Bern
stein, F. De Vein, r. G. Sleater,
George Taylor, William Pickering,
James B. Quinn, Gus Shaefer, H. E.
Rawlings, S. w. r. Brown, Charles
Bishof, William Ness, High Mclean,
]. r. Tretheway, F. L. Gardner and
Charles Hoffman.
Do these men represent the honest
men of Utah? or is it still
that mythical decent man
who endorses everything our neighbor
says from the standpoint of a Mormon, |
Semitic, miner, politician or anything |
he emergency requires?
In his speech Mr.. Gompers said that |
the strikers at Sullivan and Bunker |
Hill mines were non-union men. He |
his honest belief that mo |
member of the miners union was gull /!
y Of the dastardly act by which prop !
.rty and life were destroyed"
TT was a large stretch of military |
said President Gompers,
or any officer to declare any organiza-
ion of innocent men guilty of an in
amous crime, and for General Mer-
lam to characterize the miners union
Is a criminal organization was utterly
lncalled for These are his words as
exported by the Salt Lake Tribune
SUIT what does that organ say editor
ally?
We assert that there was not man III
he so-called labor convention in this city
hat did not know. as well as he knows
africa, that the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
Mills were blown up by union men.
The Tribune asserts, it does not
xpress a belief or suspicion, but it
sserts positively that there was not
nan in the convention, it makes no
reception, who wasn't a criminal at
cart because trying to hide crime
If this position of the organ doesn't
how 1.-The honest laboring men of
Jtah'' the hollow sham of all it's pro-
essed affection for them, there is no
ray to make it plain. Epithets and
will add nothing to the
of our neighbours sentiments.
,oes the Tribune claim to be a better
riend of the laboring man than Mr..
Iompers is? Does it claim to know
lore about labor unions and union
nat it was doing the loud mouthed
act for labor ten years I
efore Mr.. Gompers was born. as it
as. shouting for silver ten years be-
IRE the printing press was invented?
Mr.. Gompers likewise paid his re-
poets to the Pharisee who endorses
ystems from which spring trusts, but ]
owls at the same time against "agi-
ltors.' He said:
The agitator is cursed and damned by ,
le Pharisee who prayS one hour a week ,
nd preys on labor all the year around.
he agitator is the fire bell that sounds 7
lie alarm to the people. He is often d,
cked and cuffed by both sides.
And still our contemporary sets itself
p to judge the honesty of whole con- I
ention of delegates, and without a
caring it finds them all, without one
ngle exception, guilty of crime. 1t