The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-08-28
COLORADO JUSTICE

Colorado seems to be unfortunate
in the character of men called to oc-
cupy the governors chair, and in this
particular the pendulum of public |
choice appears to swing from one eX-
irene to the other
Not very long ago the Office was |
held ~ an eccentric individual called |
Blood to the bride reins' Waite,
whose radical utterances were not
at all in keeping with the dignity of
his position. At the present time
the governors chair is occupied by
James II. Peabody who is quite as
badly warped as was Waite, but in
an entirely different direction. Not
long since some property belonging
to a mining corporation was destroy
ed at Idaho Springs, whereupOn
mob headed by some of the business
men of the place proceeded to run
out Of town a number Of miners who
lived there. and whom they suspect
ed of having had something to DO
with the outrage.
The men applied to Governor Pea
DOUN 10 1tSlOIc liltH W liiNii iioii''
but he refused and referred them to
the local courts and officers.
The rights of property are evident
ly more sacred in the eyes Of GOV
ernor Peabody than the privileges OF
home and fireside, for when the en-
ployers of Colorado Springs applied
for troops to protect their property
during the previous strike, he did not
refer them to the local authorities
but Immediately supplied the troops
This action may have been entirely
justified by the facts. and if SO, no
just criticism can be lodged against
the governor for his course. but the
extreme bias and prejudice of the
Colorado governor is shown by sub
sequent events. The miners applied
to District Judge Overs and received
protection to enable them to return
to their families, and in published
interview Governor Peabody made
the following statement:
Il anticipate no trouble, however,
neither here nor at Cripple Creek.
The miners are beginning to under.
stand that they cannot violate the
law. They cannot assassinate men.
neither can they destroy property.
Not even if they do have the protec-
ton Of District Judge Overs"
The governor directly charges the
miners with being assassins and de-
StrOyers of property, while he
charges a district judge with protect
ing them in such crimes. and the
only basis for such charge against
the Judge appears to be his action in
restoring the men to their homes
after they had been driven out by a
mob. Possibly the men, or some of
them. were guilty of destroying
property. but they were at least en-
titled to fair trial before convic-
ton. In the mind of Governor Pea
body there is evidently quite a dis
tinction between the mob of miners
bent on destroying property and the
mob of employers bent on driving
men from their homes. The former
he calls assassins while for the lat
ter he has no word of censure. AS
matter of fact one mob is just as
dangerous as the other, and in refus-
ing to recognize that fact Governor
Peabody is an anarchist of the worst
type.
Judge Overs appears to have made
no distinction in favor of the capital.
list law-hreaker and for that reason
he is CHARGED with giving protection
to assassins and law-breakers
As between Anarchist Peabody and
Blood to the bride reins" Waite
the latter is much to be preferred as
being the less dangerous of the two
What is needed in Colorado as vel
as in every other state is an execn
tive with the courage to enforce the
laws against the corporations in the
same manner as against the poores
individuals, and when this is done i
will be found that long step ha.
been taken toward abolishing tht
mob spirit among the people.