The sun., 1903-11-26
The Miners Union and the Flag OF
the Union.

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As a result Of a miners strike state
Of affairs has been brought about in
Colorado which is perhaps as critical
as that which in Idaho, in 1902, culml-
mated in the Ceur Alene riots and in
such a reign of murder arson and gen.
eral anarchy that an entire county was
formally declared by Governor WILEY
to be in open insurrection.
In recent news despatch from Denver
those who are in a position to under
stand the gravity of the crisis are quoted
as comparing it with that which pre-
ceded the bloody period Of mob rule
at Cpur d'Alene, and as expressing
their belief that it will so appear to Gen.
BATES, who, as military expert. has been
sent to look over the ground with
view to reporting on the necessity Of
sending force Of United States troops
to the scene of trouble.
These Ceur dAlene riots of eleven
years ago last July still rank as having
reached the high water mark of out
rage and violence in that department
Of organized labor which undertakes
to control the miners. The nominal
cause of the trouble was the refusal Of
the members of the Mine Workers Asso-
citation to pay unskilled laborers the same
wages as were paid to the skilled. There
was no hint or suggestion Of an intent
to cut the wages OF miners. On the
contrary the mine owners offered to
enter into an obligation to pay miners
the union scale Of prices.
What the mine owners did object to
was paying mere shovellers the same
high wages as the skilled men who did
the mining. The mine owners repre-
sented that it was in the Cpur d'Alene
mines alone that the union insisted on
shovellers receiving miners wages.
They refused to submit to the injustice
any longer. The miners union re-
fused to yield, and in the early part Of
January, 1892, the Gem and Union mines
ceased work.
There was no serious disturbance
until about May /, when four men at
tempted to resume work in one Of the
closed mines. Under the leadership
of JOHN ToBIN. president of the Miners
Central Union, a mob forcibly elected
these men from the mine. Two of them
refused to join the union and were es-
corted by an angry mob over the line
into Montana and warned never to come
back, under penalty of death.
Then followed the usual routine. An
Injunction was issued from a Federal
court restraining the union miners from
interfering with the operation of the
mines. Non-union miners were i'm
ported and an attempt was made to
operate the mines. The trouble began.
Gangs of lawless men boarded North
ern Pacific trains, terrorizing passengers
while searching for men supposed to be on
board and on their way to work in the
mines. The railroad company appealed
to the Governor Governor WILEY of
Idaho happened to be man who in no
way resembled former Governor STONE
of Pennsylvania. He did not consult
the political oracles. He went to the
scene and investigated for himself.
Then he issued a proclamation calling
upon the riotous bands to disperse and
threatening, If order was not restored,
to declare Shoshone county in state
of insurrection and to call out the State
troops.
The strikers paid no heed to the warn
ing. The waylaying and asssulting of
non-union men became more ana more
frequent. From the unions in Montana
the Idaho unions received constant
sympathy and substantial support in
their campaign of assassination. The
mines were barricaded and guarded
by armed men and were virtually in a
state Of siege.
On July II there was pitched battle.
In the town Of Gem that day an armed
mob made a systematic attack on the
Frisco mine, in which were seventy
miners and an armed guard. The battle
ragged for several hours and six men
we're killed outright. The defenders
of the mine held their ground stoutly.
Seeing that they could not be driven
out by open attack, the strikers got
together $50 pounds Of giant powder,
put it on Union Pacific car and sent
it crashing down the track to the mine,
where the powder exploded, blowing
the mine mill to atoms.
AS many Of the defenders of the mine
as were left alive at this point hung out
q flag Of truce. There was conference
and such formal surrender as might
have been made to lawful military
force. After giving up their arms to
the outlaws, the defenders OF the mine
were marched to the miners union hall
as prisoners of war.
When Governor WILEY heard of this
outbreak he acted instantly. The State
troops Of Idaho were inadequate 10 cope
with the situation, just as the State
troops of Pennsylvania, even under
Gen. GoBIN's admirable handling, were
inadequate to cover the wide theatre Of
murder, arson and anarchy in the an
thracite coal regions last year. Cover
nor WILEY instantly called upon the
President of the United States for Fed
erel aid. and the President, who hap
pened to be BENJAMIN HARRISON, in