The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1903-06-18
ADVERTISING RATES.
PLACE BLANE WHERE IT
BELONGS


BELONGS.
The mining companies at MOrcnci
and Clifton are now busly engaged
in reapin9 that which they have
sown Mexican and Italian labor
have found a refuge in Morencl ana
Clifton, and have been given prefer
ence TO the American miner IN large
numbers. This foreign labor has
returned thanks to their employers
bv inaugurating "A vicious strike, and
threats of violence to the property
of the company are Of daily occurrence,
and the danger during the past
few DAYS has been so threatening that
all the deputy sherins in Graham
county and the entire force of Arizona
Rangers have been pressed INTO ser
vice TO protect life and property. NO
doubt the employers Of foreign labor
i'm the Clifton-MOrenci district have
had their eyes opened. The daily
nnass-meetiug5 of these foreigners,
where those assembled are addressed
in "A foreign language, have gwen the
supcrintcndcnts in that locality food
for serious thought. If, before the
present trouble j. ended, Morencl IS
the scene of raplne and murder, car
ried on by these same foreigners, the
recollection will long Toe in their mem
ory. The present difficulty in the
Clifton Morenci district should put
stop to the employment of foreign
labor. This is the first trouble. The
employers should not deceive them
selves by the notion that it will he the
last. So long rs foreign labor Is
allowed To remain in the majority
at Morenci and Clifton, trouble with
the employees will bc the rule rather
than the exception. Now ~ the Tune
To be rid of II ntinual menace. C'el
rid of the foreigners. Bisbee Review.
Tho attempt to throw the re-
sponsibility Of the labor troubles OF
this district upon the supcrintcnd-
cnts and foreign labor is unjust TO
both sides and is not warranted by
the facts in the ease.
For nearly thirty years Mexican
and Italian Labor has been employed
almost exclusively in the mines OF
this district, and while the wage paid
was less than in any other district,
the miners were we'll satisfied, and
no friction of any kind occurred until
the passage and enforcement of the
eight hour law. The miners did not
ask for the passage of this law,neither
did many of them vote for it. The
supcriutendcnts opposed the passage
of the law by the legislature, and
used their utmost endeavOTS to have
the governor votoc it after its passage.
They realized then that the law would
not only make serious trouble in this
district but also iii many camps
throughout the territory
1t was political measure introduce
cd in the interest of the democratic
candidate for congress. Tho platform,
which was populistic in the extreme,
was written by Colonel Wilson, and
by him forced through the conven-
ton. and afterwards ratified by the
democrats of the territory, though
many of them realized that it would
bring disaster to the leading indus
tries of the territory if carried into
effect.
During the campaign the ERA
warned the people of the effect of
this platform, and predicted that its
adoption into laws meant strikes
and perhaps riots and blood shed,
vet the Review, the Bulletin, and in
fact the democratic press, supported
the platform with a vim which ear
ricd it through with II small majority.
Many leading democratic politicians
condemned the platform as dema-
gogical, but they supported it under
Il protest, believing that the legisla-
ture would not attempt TO carry out
any of its Objectionable planks. Nor
is it likely that the Legislature would
have done so had it not been for the
continual clamor of the Review, the
Bulletin and the Citizen demanding
that the pledges made by the party
in the campaign be fulfilled. Finally,
aud as compromise measure, all of
the reforms promised in the Tucson
platform were sidctrackCd except the
eight hour law, from the effects of
which this territory will not recover
in many years.
And now the Review, which is more
directly responsible for the present
state of affairs than any other news
paper or individual except Colonel
Wilson, who was elected To congress
and has the good sense to keep quiet
would shield Itself by attempting to
throw the responsibility upon the
mining superintendent and the
foreign laborers. This is too thin to
go down with intelligent people who
read and think for themselves.
The responsibility rests primarily
with the political agitators, and next
with the democratic press, lead by the
Review. which was willing to win a
political victory nj the expense of the
varied industries of the territory, and
that in the very face of strikes, riots
and bIood-shed. These are facts, and
the ERA deties Mr.. Kelly, or the
editors of any of his newspapers, TO
refute them. The people will place
the responsibility where ii belongs.
AS to foreign labor, the ERA does
not hesitate to say that it would much
prefer to see only Americans employed
in the camp, but the superintendent