The Dolores star., 1904-01-08
: JOB FOR TIE pE.aopasTs

"A crisis has been reached in this
state, which demands that the mem-
beFs Of organized labor shall no longer
remain mute aud silent The rights,
the liberties and the citizenship Of
labor have been a..ailed with wanton
cold blOOdcd prcmeditated brutality
that finds no parallel in the crimson
page Of Russia blood curdliug history:
The land Of the free and the home Of
the brave. has been converted IL. to a
Siberia. where gubernaroriaL czaifism
has climbed to the lOftiest summit Of
despoiism; where military might rides
rampant over Constitution aud law
The labOrer'. home, which !. the castle
Df the poor man, Is no longer sacred.
The hearth-tone, the family fireplace
l. invaded and desecratcd hy m,liisry
outlaws, and citizenship subjected to'all
the indigniJie., humiliation and re-
prOach which corporate cunning and
power can suggest and devise, aud
which armed iuiamy can execute;
Civil authority has been strangled. and
free press and free speech have been
suppressed The member Of organized
labor who strikes, has been declared a
vagrant and to he Union man merits
the dynamite Of the corporation to de-
-troy his home and tha penalty Of in
carceratiOn In a military bull pen,
without charges, warrant or due pro-
cess Of law. Never before in tho history
Of this country, have such scenes been
witnessed, as here in the heart Of the
Rocky Mountains.
The aboye is the first paragraph Of Il
circular letter bearing date Of December
30, 1903, sent out to union men Of the
state calling attention to meeting Of
the Colorado State Federation Of Labor
10 he held in Denver January II, 1904.
A copy Of this istter is sent to each
union in the state regardless of atlila-
ton with the State Federation.
Although we belong to a labor organi-
zation and believe every conscientious
mechanic, who can, should join the
organization Of his craft, we are not in
favor Of the sending out Of letters
bearing such strong language; some
thing milder would have answered the
same purpose.
The danger Of such letters lies in the
truth they contain. If the contents Of
this letter was an idle falsehoOd it
would carry no more weight than "A
summer zephyr Every citizen Of
Colorado, who has been keeping him
self posted on the doings in his state
for the past few months, knows that
there is far too much truth In this letter.
We don't believe in bowling "calam-
ity." We believe that everything
works out in the end for the good Of
the majority. And we also believe
that the present undesirable conditions
will set our people TO planning and
working for better government,
There are two antagonistic forces at
war with each other in our state. The
Citizens Alliance and the Federation
of Labor. One is using a political
party and some of our chief state
officers as tools to further their cause
while the other Is being used byla politi-
cal party that is trying to get into
power.
The present conditions can only be
adjusted by the ballot, and we can
not hope for good from either Of the
contesting parties. The lawabiding
citizens Of the state must work together
in one party and put up honest men,
not "boodlers," for office. II looks
now as if this task would fall on the
Democratic party. If men who are
known to be honest are nominated
for election next fall they will receive n
hearty support from the honest mem
bers Of both the Citizens Alliance and
the Federation of Labor, and there are
lots Of honest upright citizens belong
ing to both of these organizations.