The river press., 1904-11-02
THE COLORADO TROUBLE.

One of the subjects discussed by
democratic orators in Montana, es'
pecially in districts where the labor
vote is numerous, is the unfortunate
state of fairs in Colorado where men
have been killed and property destroy.
ed in the arfare between mine owners
and their striking employees. An at.
tempt IS being made to place the re-
sponsibility for this lawlessness upon
the republican party, but these facts
regarding the matter are worthy OF
consideration:
In Colorado a constitutional amend
ment was submitted to the people pro-
viding for an eight hour law. 1t car
ried by an enormous majority. Both
republican and democratic parties en-.
dorsed it and every member of the
legislature was elected upon the dis
tinct pledge that he would vote for the
necessary law to give effect to the con-
stitutional amendment. When the
legislature met the house was repub-
lican by majority of l3. The senate
was democratic by majority Of Is.
The eight.hour law drawn by the
State Federation of Labor was intro
duced in the house by a republican
and every republican voted for it and
it passed the house. The bill then
went to the democratic senate, which
refused to adopt it, but offered a SUBJ
stitute. A conference committee was
appointed from the two houses. which
was unable to agree and few min.
utes before adjournment the senate
withdrew it's conference committee,
thus killing the bill. This being the
last business of the session the house
adjourned and the senate, knowing
the house had adjourned sine die, APP
pointed another conference committee,
knowing, of course, that it was then
too late, but doing it simply for politi-
cal effect.
From the foregoing statement Of
facts from the record it is perfectly
plain that the democratic senate of the
Colorado legislature is solely to
blame for the failure OF the law and
for all the trouble and disaster and
all the bloodshed and loss which has
followed as a direct result of that
failure.
The democratic press and orators
are endeavoring to make it appear,
inferentially at least, that it was
President Roosevelt's duty to inter.
fere. Such is clearly not the case
There are but two or three contingen
cies in which the president may inter
fere in state aft airs. One is wher
federal powers are interfered with as
in obstructing the transmission of the
mails. Another is when a federal Law
is violated, and again when the gov
ernor of state asks for the interven
tion of the federal power. None O.
these causes have existed in Colorado
There has been no obstruction of the
mails: the governor has never asked
for federal intervention, and no fed
eral law has been violated such a:
would call for the presence of United
States troops. The president ha:
therefore had absolutely no lega
right to interfere. 1t is true murder,
have been committed, property de
stroyed and men forcibly deportet
without trial by jury IN Colorado
But murder is done, property unlaw
fully destroyed and men robbed 0
their just rights in many other states
These are state affairs to be settled b,
the state. There is just as much rea
son why the president should inter
ere in the southern states where col
Ored citizens are almost daily hung
burned or shot to death without trial
and where millions of them are robbie
of their rights as citizens by uncon
stitutiOnal laws. as that he should in
terfere in Colorado. And, besides,
he should Interfere in behalf of on
class in Colorado it would not be
week until he would be asked to inter
fcre in behalf Of the other class some
where else.
But it is said the president coul
use his personal influence as he did il
the anthracite coal strike. The an
swer to this is that the circumstance
are wholly different. The coal s,rill
had reached the proportions of a put
lie calamity. Its effects had passc
far beyond the borders of PennsyI
vania, and hundreds of thousands {
innocent people were being made t
suffer and the public peace and orde
of adjoining states was threatened
No such condition has existed in Cole
rado. The trouble there, while deplol
able in the extreme, has been confne
within the state. 1t has been purcl
domestic and has offered absolutely n
justification for federal interference.
One phase of the Colorado troub