The sun., 1903-12-13
came 80 self-aseertive and so arbitrary tina.

the Governor was almost daily annoyed by
the troubles tha. ensued. The new Adiu-
tant- General was so full Of fight when the
militia went down to Colorado Springs last
winter that In a few days Gov. Peabody
had to call him back TO Denver and assign
other officers in the guard to the field COM
mand. No one could muzzle Bell, how
ever, and his ill-advised ute RANGES were
published daily in the local press, TO tho
delight of the labor leaders.
Extravagant in words. Bell soon dis
played an equal ability to be prodigal with
the funds. An early investigation OF the
ways in which the military funds were being
used revealed the fact that Bell. among
other bills contracted. had purchased great
quantities OF candy for the soldiers. When
this matter came up Bell replied that Roose-
velt had once said that soldiers :n a cam
paign needed candy. and that was sufficient
advice for him.
Bell was 80 arbitrary that he soon had
his general stafl, many Of whom have
proved their worth in previous campaigns
disgusted, Inundated and resentful. Some
resigned: others took issue with him. and
Gov. Peabody was required to take UP
these dissensions and attempt settlement
OF the many petty troubles.
Since the campaign in Cripple Creek
opened last September, Bell has spent
most OF his time in riding back and forth
between field headquarters and the Gov
ernor's Office, either to lodge charges
against his officers or to answer directly
to Gov. Peabody for troubles of his own
making. The recent court martial of
Brig. Gen. Chase was generally agreed to
be as ridiculous as II was serious, COM
ing as it did at a time when calm judg-
ment and careful handling OF the troops
and the strikers were urgently needed.
But Gov. Peabody has not yet suppressed
his Adjutant- General, and the daily utter
ances OF Bell make capital for the labor
leaders. Neither has Bell hesitated to
intimate that he has pull" which even
Gov. Peabody dares not oppose.
In Cripple Creek, where Bell is beet
known, the strike managers keep him in
hot water all the time: whenever he com
mits an ill-advised military act they pounce
upon him through the courts, and when
the courts rule against the military as
acting beyond its sphere, the labor leaders
win sympathy by asserting that the mill
tary power is destroying the liberties of
the people.
Members Of the mine owners association,
feeling assured that Gov, Peabody will not
change in his policy to keep the State on a
war basis until lawlessness shall cease
openly assert that the strike troubles will
Miners is destroyed and until unionism
in all forms is driven from the State.
1t is natural to expect that labor through
out the State is gradually being arrayed
against the Governor and the military
and against the mine operators and kin
dred associations. In this time Of turmoil
1t was an easy matter to make other labor
ers restless, provoking the coal strike,
although at the outset the coal miners
generally had no particular grievance.
into the matter advised against strike;
but upon a second and more personal in
vestigation, after the temper OF every
body was at the straining point, and after
he had been told Of the many rash acts
Of Sherman Bell in the field, and, possibly
Owners Association to break all union
organizations in the State, he has since
seemed to have given countenance TO the
coal miners in their strike.
There Is yet another feature in the un-
fortunate situation In this State and that
is the so-called Citizens Alliance, secret
organization OF leading business men in
a number Of cities and towns which is
pledged 10 nght, by union methods the
unions themselves. This developed into
the methods Of a vigilance committee in
the Idaho Springs case, last July, when
members OF the miners union there were
driven out OF the camp and warned not to
come back.
The --latest phase Of this matter comes
in the announced organization Of / quasi
vigilance committee made up Of strike
leaders, to what end 1t is yet too early to
predict.
1t is a serious contest, which daily grows
more menacing. Military law controls for
a day, and then civil law, through the courts,
upsets the actions OF the military power.
Personal interests are conflicting and citi-
zens are arrayed against citizens until
there Is no clear understanding OF the real
issues involved. All lines Of business are
becoming demoraliEed. Nor does there
seem to be any clear prospect OF even q
compromise between the warning factions.
Unless there shall soon come truce, or
an expressed willingness Of the opposing
leaders. the mine operators and corpora
ton managers on the one side. and the
officials of the Western Federation OF Miners
and the coal mine leaders on tho other,
there will be nothing left but for the Federal
Government to step in and control the
situation.