The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-06-08
Labor Leader Declares Governor
of Colorado Personally Re
sponsible for Riots.
CALLS HIS ACTIONS LAWLESS.
Voluntary Arbitration of Miners
Disputes and Legislative Inves-
tigation of State Officials
Suggested as Remedy.

1
Washington. June 7.-Samuel Gompers,
| president OF the American Federation of
Labor. sitting in his office to-day. de-
nounced in terms Enthusiastically bitter
| Governor Peabody of Colorado and blamed
him as the one man above all others re-
sponsible for the reign of terror in that
| State.
| In an interview given to The Republic
| correspondent he called the Governor a
fagrant violator of civil laws and human
rights. and made him directly responsible
for all the rioting and bloodshed.
| Governor Peabody said Mr.. Gompers.
| "has done more by his acts 10 provoke
| bitterness than all other elements in Colo
rado combined. If he acts the outlaw him.
| self. the highest officer of the State. is
the unfortunate situation surprising?'
Voluntary arbitration of the labor Cliff
| culties and special session of rhe Leg
| islaturc to investigate the Governor. Cen
eral Bell and the officers of the Miners
Federation, Mr.. Gompers suggests as a
| solution of the situation. As for the dyna-
mite outrage of yesterday, he had only
words of denunciation and said that he
couid not conceive that 1t was the work
Oh any organized body of men.
D1SCREDITS PLOT THEORY.
pers. that such an act Of lawlessness was
the result of any prearranged plan of any
body Of miners. II must have been an
individual act. The Western Federation
OF Miners is not affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, but can
say that 1 do not believe that such an act
can pc traced to any union.
Il have watched the Colorado situation
with great care, and was on the ground
Ior two weeks this spring, and had op-
fny
am to-day more than ever firm in my be-
lief that the acts of Governor Peabody
himself were originally and eolely re-
sponsible for the present situation.
"As the highest official of the State. he
Is creature of the smelters and mine
owners. They were responsible for his
nomination and election. and he promised
them that he, as Governor. would prevent
the enactment of the eight-hour law No
one denies this. He is either given credit
for it on the one side. or denounced for
| the fact itself.
THE eisht-hour law in Colorado. you
will remember was declared unconstitu-
tional by the courts. The Legislature
then submitted constitutional amend
ment which was adopted by the people by
a large majority. not only empowering.
ss sSs 1he tST to
/ was entirely constitutional. but Governor
Peabody kept his word TO the mine own
ers, and prevented the Legislature from
MARTIAL LAW.
"That was oily the beginning of the
| trouble When the miners. Independent OF
the legislative action, asked for an eight
hour day, Governor Peabody again ap-
peared upon the scene with high-handed
acts of lawlessness such as have never
heard of in any chief executive Of any
pretext, and without request and without
any authority. he declared martial law.
There is hardly a constitutional provision
in favor of individual liberty or personal
security that he has not violated Men
have been imprisoned without warrant,
held without charges and no opportunity
for hearing granted.
"Others have been driven from their
homes and forbidden to return on pain of
personal violence or death. A citizens
home is almost the highest citizens right.
Men have been deported from their homes
in groups without process Of law and with
out being directly charged with any Of
tense. In one case an attorney. employed
by a miners union was shot because he
resisted such deportation.
HOSTILITY PROVOKED.
''In short, the acts Of the Governor a ,o
the manner of his acts have all tended TO
provoke. rather than to allay. hostilities.
Under such circumstances the present sit
uation of lawlessness Is not surprising. II
civil law is to be trampled under foot by
the highest officer OF the State. sworn to
enforce such law, no one can deny that
citizens themselves are encouraged there
BY TO spirit of disregard for law and the
body has violated plainly and most shame
lessly all legal and human rights and is
directly responsible. His own acts are
nothing less than anarchy.
Il wish also to say that from my per-
sonal observations in Colorado found that
| the so-called Citizens Alliance was pro-
Tps Tqker rS,i Of trouble rather than a pacifier.
| OF capitahstic anarchists. There Is nothing
that has been charged against organized
lab labor ha that Its It's members ne themselves have
How do you view the action of the
troops yesterday ,e: in diepersing the mass
II regret and criticise that az much as I
do. the dynamite outrage. The right of
speech at such meetings Is often a safety
xave more rdt a5d to pre9yent # often causes
| ence?"
This IS not an interstate matter" was
| one State. The United States Government
Is not involved, as was the case in the
Chicago strikes. and ] cannot see any
ent for the United States Goys.un,ent TO
| take hand in this matter. This ca, only
be be, brought r about by an appeal to the cen
| or. If the Legislature is not in session Inv
! the Governor. do not understand that
there Is any prospect for such an appeal"
Governor Peabody Returns.
Governor Peabody of Colorado left st.
Louis ON the Chicago Burlington and
Quincy train at 2:15 o'clock yesterday aft
| ernoon for Denver. Before his departure
the Governor said: "Telegrams received
| this morning show that the situation at
Victor Is very much improved, and that
comparative quiet is maintained The
| Lieutenant Governor has the situation
very well in hand. but 1 have deemed 1t
| best to return at once, in, case other COM
| plications should arise"
| Sleeper Washington