The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-30
REIGN OF ANARCHY
In COLORADO
w. H. Leonard. a Former Barre Boy,
Gave Address on Military Des- .
potism In That State.


evening on Military Despotism in Colo
rado' The meeting was also taken ad-
vantage Of to apply the lash to the marble
owners Of Rutland. After TIKI conclusion
OF Mr.. Leonard's speech set OF resoIu-
tlons was adopted BY the meeting calling
on the president Of the United States to
restore law In the state of Colorado and
to right the wrongs Of an outraged people
who are now being coerced, outraged, de-
famed and deportedp
d. A. Cook, president of the Barre Cen
trail Labor Union, presided, and seated on
the platform were several of the presidents
Of the unions atfiliated with the Central
body. Philip j. Halvosa spoke first on
the conditions in Rutland, calling on the
union men Of Barre to rally to the support
Of the strikers there. He stated that the
union there is only four years old and
consequently their treasury is not heavy
He repeated the demands OF the men.
Referring to the Proctor system be de-
clared that the employees are born In
Proctor houses, rocked IN Proctor cradles,
married in Proctor churches and bnried in
Proctor cemeteries. He thought union
men should see that such 'unfair" men are
exploited in the pulpit and In the press,
and that Senator Proctor who has SO
'lmaltreated" his employees is not desery-
ing OF political prelerment. "If Proctor
does not grant the demands Of the men it
is time for the union men to sink him into
the sea Of political oblivion
Mr.. Leonard's speech was a fervid ap-
peal In behalf Of the mine workers OF Col
orado. la nopening he told OF the wonder.
ful changes that have taken place in Barre
since be left 20 years ago. Preiacing his
address on military Despotism In Colo
RADIO" he referred to the growth Of unions.
| He then refuted the statement that the
union men Of Colorado are low-down byI
| saying so per cent Of them are American
| born, many from the New England states,
some graduates Of universities He said
that the miners ask for the right TO organ
ize and that the will of the people be
granted
Ia 1899 the legislature passed an eight
hour work day, but the owners refused to
grant II carried the Law to the state su.
pTeme court which declared the law un-
constitutional identical law as that in
Utah which the United States Supreme
court had declared constitutional. Then
another bill passed the legislature giving
the people the right 10 vote on three con-
stitutlonal amendments. BY majority of
over 10000 the people declared In favor OF
the eight hour day, The next year a bill
Was introduced Ia the Legislature but was
luggled and not passed--One Of the great
est crimes ever committed against body
Of citizens We then demanded our rights |
and the militia was ordered out TO crush
the men and order them back to work. 1t
was told about that we were dynamiters
and murderers, and yet not one law have
we broken.
When the men wouldn't be forced back |
to work the military prison or "bull-penn |
was instituted and the leaders of the un.
ions Imprisoned. The @bull-penn is a |
stoekade, encompassed with fence with /
a canvas top, with little straw on the
ground and a few filthy blankets TO cover |
the men, when the Thermometer ranges /
from zero TO - degrees below. There,
said the speaker, the men languished with |
no charge whatsoever against them The I
writ Of habeas corpus was sc0rned by Ad- |
lutant Bell and the right Of trial by Jury
was denied. Martial Law prevailed. Our
houses were searched under pretense of /
seeking for firearms by those .'brass-but- |
toned inhuman thugs. "
The speaker referred to the big explo- |
sion at Independence, June 6, BY which l3 !
lives were lost. He explained how the |
miners were not and could not have been |
responsible for 1t as charged. He told OF I
the deportation ofIthe union men by scores, |
of their being separated from their faml. |
lies and left on the sand-plains of Kansas |
he declared that the militia as first made |
up would not do the work cut out for |
them and that the ranks were then tlled |
with thugs, under that brute Of Bell Y |
He referred to the fact thnt there were
Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights Of Pythias, |
Woodmen and Redmen In the Organization |
but when it came to a question between /
the workers and the capitalist the "broth- |
eFsn forgot all their fraternal vows and |
went with the capitalists. 1t Is time, he
declared, to put cur money In an order /
which Is fraternal.
The speaker said that President Ro3se- I
welt had been appealed to and that he. had
replied he had not the power 10 interfere
yet be lnterfered IN Arizona and had sent |
American war vessels TO Morocco TO pro-
teet worthless man.
Mr. Leonard paid his complimentsltoJoh |
u ItOCkI6ilcI III uHHlotakhBkt lhukuhkSs I
referring to him as that most Christian /
criminal IL is be that is back Of the /
trouble in Colorado Such men as he have /
lost all human feeling. While be IL preach
ing to his Sunday school class to be good /
his hired assassins and thugs in Colorado
are throwing women and children into the
street and numbering men. Gov Peabody. I
Yermonter, was raked over.
Referring to the conditions there he
said that all .days are alike to the men;
they have no Sunday. They have but two
HOLIDAYS, Labor Day and Christmas.
Smelters work Is hours before hot fur
mace and gets $3.50 The best life Is 7 /
and one-fourth years The poisonous va
p0rs kill vegetable life for half mile
about the mines.
Befor the audience departed the follow
ing resolutions were adopted.
ssWhereas, the miners of Cripple Creek,
Victor, Telluride and various other towns
hi the state Of Colorado are being treated
IN ali Inhuman manner, being denied the
God given right to labor, trial by jury, |
constitutional rights and representation |
by counsel, and
whereas, their grievances ma no re-
dress In the so-called halls Of justice IN the
state Of Colorado, owing to the terrorism
f.onNfpued an Fourth Page.