The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-16

Of the Federation of Miners to-day, by
unanimous vote it decided that Butte
City shall be the headquarters of the
association for the ensuing year, and
the Pueblo Courier was named as the
official organ for the coming year. The
following officers were elected this af-
ternoon: Edward Boyce, PRESIDENT J.
F. Mcdonald vice president, James
Maher, secretary The following were
named as the executive board: J. F.
Fenny, Butte, Mont; Charles Foley,
Rossland, B. c.. William Walsh, Butte.
Mont; Charles Mayer, Deadwood. s.
D., and d. P. Mckinley, Altman, Colo
ed this afternoon:
Whereas, The country was startled
upon the 29th day of April with the
blowing up of the Bunker Hill and Sui
livan mill at Wardner, Idaho, and the
fact that organized labor, and more
particularly the Miners union of that
district, have been charged by the mill
tary authorities and the public press
with the commission Of this crime, and
the public in general led to believe that
such were the facts and.
Whereas, Many of our brother men,
bers have been placed under arrest and
thrown into dirty pen, under many
indictments in connection with the oc-
casion: and,
Whereas, None of the employees of
the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining
company were members of organized
labor. and that we deprecate destruc-
tion of property or physical force; and,
Whereas, The federal and military
authorities Of the United States,
Steunenberg of the state of Idaho, has
declared the county of Shoshone, state
of Idaho, to be in state of insurrec
ton and that said county is placed un-
der martial law; and,
Whereas, The military commander,
General Merriam, in charge of the
United States military forces sent to
and having charge Of affairs in the
Coeur d'Alene district. having issued
manifesto to the mine-owners of the
district declaring the several Miners
unions of the Western Federation of
Miners located in said district illegally
constituted bodies, without the author
ity of constitutional law in the prem
ises. and further ordering and forbid
d'Aleue district from employing any
members of the said union; and,
Whereas, Hundreds of citizens of
Shoshone county have been arrested
without due process Of law, and against
whom no crime can be proved, and
thrown into a military prison which
can only be duplicated by the tyranny
of the despotic czar of Russia in his in
fernal Siberian prison, which has ter
rified civilization in modern times, all
of which is contrary to the constitu
tional rights guaranteed to the citizens
of the United States. Therefore be it
Resolved, That the industrial condi-
tions are bad enough when it is neces-
sary for men who are willing to labor
means for employment to have the
privilege to work to maintain their
families, but when it becomes neces-
sary to also secure permission from the
military authorities before the right to
work is secured, we believe we have ar
rived at a condition of despotism that
augurs i'll for the people. and we de-
nounce in the strongest terms at our
command such assumption of power
and dictation as General Merriam and
his co-workers have arrogated to them
selves. Further,
Resolved, That we appeal to the or
ganized wage earners of the West to
stand firm under the present Crisis LOT
the protection of their homes. wives.
children and dependents against the
aggression of organized capital and
greed as illustrated by the tyranny of
military government in the Occur
d'Alenes, for if such things are to be
allowed to go unchecked, liberty will
soon be lost forever.
Resolved, That we assure our broth
er unionists who have been arrested
that we will aid them to our fullest
power in securing their relief from
charges which we believe have been
unjustly made against them.
Resolved further, That the evident
intention of the proclamations issued
to cover the condition in the Occur
d'Alenes is to disrupt and destroy the
labor unions in that district and or
ganized labor in general; we call the
attention of members of organized la
Dor to the fact that free gathering and
speech are guaranteed by the constitu-
ton of America, and ere we will allow
this right to be obliterated by the sim
pie order of the military powers we will
contend to the fullest extent of our
ability.
Resolved, That We sugmatize the