The sun., 1903-12-06
UNION VS.. THE STATE
Colorado's Labor War and
What It Means.
DYNAMITE AGAINST THE LAW.
A Reign Of Terror to Enforce the
Miners Will.

Story of Years OF Outrage and Assasslna.
ton, Which Have eliminated In Open
Rebellion by the Miners Union Against
state Authority-Quiet Governor Who
Has Surprised the Politicians by DOING
His Duty to Preserve the Peace-Will
the People nc willing to Pay the
Heavy Cost OF supporting His Policy?
DENVER. Col, Dec. 4.-For stirring events
amusing incidents and sensat ional devel-
opments. the first half of the administ ration
OF Gov. Peabody, now closing, rivals that
OF Bloody Brides" Waite Not that Gov
Jim so willed it, for he is quiet citizen
no happened to stumble in the way Of
Glbcrnatorial G honors when no prominent
member Of the Republican party in the
State coveted the questionable honor of
leading a forlon hope.
1t Wa a surprise to politicians of each Of
tie dominant political parties to see the
Republicans win last year. and the Rsptb-
lican managers were disgusted when they
i''il 'hi 'dpOhy bdiIhei III a litlic COuIl-
Try town and pract ically unknown outside
OF lD small social and business circle,
esCt"' to the Gubernatorial chair.
Cav. Peabody is no spouter Outside
OF his inaugural address, made up Of Wig
orous pronunciamentos. none OF which
vas seriously regarded by anybody. he
has made no public addresses. has written
no State papers and has proclaimed no
resounding policy. Yet Gov. Peabody
has done better than any of his predecessors
in combating the sinister policy OF the
labor union managers. He has not truckled
to them and has used all the police power
at his command in an endeavor to main
tain peace and good order in this union
ridden State. thereby earning the COM
mendation OF all who love real liberty and
sbhcr anarchy and bloodthirsty lawless-
nese
Little news Of the conditions in this State
gets into the Eastern newspapers, and
without q connected narrative OF the his
tory OF the eight hour war which now
wages In Colorado the present situation
cannot be understood. President Roose-
velt recently turned down the appeal Of
Gov. Peabody for military assistance. but
after the President reads what his special
military envoy has to report It may be
E,at no more invitations to secret encour-
asers Of dynamite and boycott, Of arson
and murder, to dine at the Executive Man
sion will be extended.
The story Of this eight hour war goes
back several years. Tho miners union,
by the Use Of dynamite and the torch, by
midnight murders and brutal assaults
under cover Of darkness, long ago gathered
the independent workers in the Cripple
Creek district into the union and forced
the unwilling assent Of the mine owners
to an eight hour system In the mines and
mills Of the district.
Gov. Waite sympathized with the miners
IN that struggle and promised them i'm
munity from punishment In a speech made
one night in Cripple Creek, even intimating
that executive pardon would not be un-
willingly granted should any member be
sentenced to the penitentiary. Subsequent
political campaigns were managed on the
basis of conciiating the labor vote, and
although the Cripple Creek miners failed
to rally to Gov. Waite's support when he
was standing for reelection and although
they repeatedly turned down the very
politicians who had truckled to them, still
the party managers continued to traffic
for that vote. Meanwhile the unions
dictated to the mine owners OF Cripple
Creek and to all local civil and political
authorities and influences.
AS the years went by, the sinister effects
of the influence Of the union managers
cast a darker shadow upon the district
Mine superintendents were assassinated,
workmen were manned, shot, or beaten
and driven out of camp. If. perchance,
some hapless chap was detect ed in crime
and sent TO the penitentiary, leading at
torneys protested before the pardonine
power that an injustice had been done,
and pardon or a communication of sentence
was forthcoming. There was always
plenty of money available to hire expert
enced attorneys with sufficient political
pull to influence the Governor on the side
OF mercy.
AS the reign Of terror continued it gradu-
ally became an accepted fact in the Cripple
Creek district, and its baneful example
was followed in other mining camps. In
Lake ity, the miners decided that it would
be good thing to rid that camp of Italians,
and the edict went forth. A Governor
sent down troops. The miners blandly pro-
tested and said there was no trouble;" con-
sequently the troops returned. The italian
miners decided shortly aftelward to 60
sewhsre. A few 4dagos" died mysteri-
ously, but they did not count.
Meanwhile the Miners Union propa-
ganda under the guiding hand of the men
who had conducted the reigns Of terror
In Butte and Idaho until disturbed by
Federal troops grew more insistent and
declared that an eight hour law must be
Passed Naturally the political parties
took up the matter and the plank was put
IN all political platforms The then inoom-
ing Governor was pledged to sign an eight
hour bill, although he was personally op-
posed to such q law. Such bill was passed
after struggle, and the complacent Gov
ernor signed it with the remark: what
IL the odds, the Supreme Court will knock
it out"
The law was eventually declared un-
constitutional. The Judge who wrote the de-
cision, the other Judges concurring. was
soon aiterward a candidate for renomina-
ton by his party, but the convention, under
the fear of the union influence, refused to
renominate him, and his defeat was under
stood TO be another victory for the union