The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-15
MINERS STATEMENT.

MINERS STATEMENT.
Western Federation Defends Its Course
in Colorado Troubles
Denver, Col, June 15.-Acting under
instructions given by the twelfth an
nual convention of the Western FEEDER
alton of Miners, recently held in this
ization has issued a statement regard
ing the strikes in Colorado and the re-
| cent disturbances in the Cripple Creek
district. The Western Federation of
Miners" the statement begins, has al
ways counted and invited the utmost
publicity in all its acts and the acts
of its members in matters affecting all
| its dealings. 1t is declared that not
withstanding persistent reports to the
contrary, every local union voted upon
| the proposition before a strike was
! called. The recent convention sent a
/ committee to Cripple Creek to inVesti-
gate the situation. This committee it
| is declared, found the representatives
of the miners ready and willing to lis
ten to a proposition of settlement.
Before any further conference could
he held" it is asserted, the Citizens
/ Alliance interfered in such a manner
/ to Illustrate further efforts in direction
I of settlement, the interference of the
alliance being no doubt prompted by
the bitter hatred of the merchants
against the four cooperative stores IS
! tablished and maintained in the district
/ by the fedora ton"
The statement continues:
We are fully convinced from infor-
nation by trustworthy persons that the
original explosion and subsequent out
rage perpetrated are not only the work
of the Citizens Alliance, but are thor
| oughly of the opinion that the whole
| matter was planned in advance. Per
haps no single occurrence has so much
bearing on this conclusion as the forci-
Bile resignation of various regularly
elected officials in the district.
What public necessity justified
the mob to compel the resignation of
these officers we will leave the reader
to Judge for himself. To set aside the
expressed will of the people to depose
officials named by the majority to con-
duct public affairs is of itself a crime
against citizenship that we cannot
pass without severe criticisms. Beside
this all other crimes are puny-are
parlor jokes or comic opera
After referring to the impriSOn-
ment and deportation of union miners
and the refusal of the Citizens ALI
ance to permit any merchants to sup
ply provisions to the families of such
men, the statement continues:
THE very fact that union men are
deported by the military is of itself
sufficient to show that no evidence has
= | been obtained against these men, for
! if evidence of crime was at hand does
any reasonable man or woman sup
pose that the military commandant OF
the mob sheriff would be simple
enough to deport to other parts the
guilty persons? No, indeed. What
: evidence tn ere is acquitS the miners
, but apparently fastens the crime upor
the heads of hired assassins ano
thugs in the pay of the Citizens ALI
Il ance.
1.-The apparent success of this line
Z of action at Telluride has evidently
prompted the recent acts of violence
in the Cripple Creek district The
lawless mob at all time had access tc
the state guns and ammunition Wher
the mob had committed outrage'
I without number the power OF thF
l great state of Colorado steps in, take!
/ up affairs where the mob left of, de
ports union man, abuses others ant
/ brazenly heralds to the world th'
/ palpa BILE lie that the miners unions
are criminal organizations ana mus
/ be wiped out. At no time during al
/ / this struggle has the military power
/ or the civil power, ever been used e
/ / protect our members in their right
/ of citizenship.
gwen at tie present time no deter
/ mined effort is being made by the au
thoritfes to discover the real perpetra
/ ! tor of the Independence explosion
L | Nothing is attempted to be done eA
cept the one thing that is to faster
this unholy crime by lmputauon an
II innuendo upon the heads of our lnno
cent membership.
LAS was plainly shown SOM
1 months ago in trial where Tn
1 Western Federa ton of Miners wa
accused of wreeking a train, the fed
/ Grafton was innocent. So 1t Is clea
4 that none of the present outrage
/ T were committed by our members A
/ was plainly shown then that tn
! crimes and outrages were COMMITTEE
( by hired detectives and thugs for tn
! purpose of bringing discredit upol
union men, so it will be shown tina
the present outrages, even the ruth
/ + less slaughter of the unfortunate vic
| tins of the explosion that killed six
| teen men at the Independence depo
| on the morning of June s, was tn
| work of these same hirelings, wh'
simply enacted the first part of tn
plot that was to furnish the excuse 70
| all subsequent outrages. We denOunc
the verdict of the coroner's jur
which holds the federation respon
sible for the death of these men, a
/ unjust and ridiculous, and we asser
that when the truth is known elf it /
/ ever divulged over the combined op
position of all county and state Off
cialdom) it will be found to be a
1 stated above, the work of detective
and thugs hired on purpose to com
NIT a deed that might be laid at on
- door and offer the excuse for tn