The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-26
WELLMAN'S INDICTMENT

union All wore content All. were working unoeT t"s
.oea'sd Waite agreement thes force about nine years
The minimum wage was 50 day for eight hours work.
local newspaper man told me he had made . careful
Of the entire district shortly before the trouble
about tn. mines was ,s.ss day. and =. had the eight.
hour day.
world where labor conditions better thar they are
The are the work
eight hours is the longest day. the work clean and
nice nothing ke so. mining there !. no rsaamp !" n:
the air in the mines as know from visit to the 'sve
sweet as outdoors o the men do not have to live in
houses, at many mines, but their neat Itse
from with low fares;
living but little dearer than Chicago single mon get
ting good board for IS So week; there are
plenty ausemsnts recreatons; good schools
at hand for the children; the climate heathfu and
AS the eghthour excuse Mr.. Wellman makes it
clear that this question had nothing do with the strike
1T widely published that this trouble due
the of the labor people the defeat of the
eight-hour law in the Legislature BY a large majority
the people adopted constitutional amendment to the
effect that the Legislature shall enact eghthour law
aea to 90 so is as c .hai es sh
laton do doubt this is true and there is 40 Ian
enough adequately condemn such crimes
by the rich The Legisa ire had one Republican branch
and one Democratic. 1t engaged in long and bitter
struggle senatorial election Under such circum
stances for the corporations manipulate
things defeat the eight-hOur law.
"eut the mine not interested in that prop
oston. They had the eishthour day for
The eshhour defeat had nothing to do with bringing on
afterthouah Even the strike Colorado City ordered
weeks before the Legsa.ure adjourned and while tho
And as to the responsibility for the Independence sta
ton horror he says:
That federation responsible for the appalling
crime at Independence station there doubt The
mine owners declare some OF the men engaged IN hat po
are known, and all prominent unonsts who have fed
the country. given the of these suspects in
confidence and there still hope of bringing them to just
ice Judges lawyers others with whom talked agreed
that the union had deliberately created reign Of terror
trying to win through intimidation a fight which could
the Justice OF the This the Optn
ion of Democratic leaders in this community men who
who therefore favor the federation great extent
as their conscences will permit them to do
"A judge the bench, though in politics opposed to
Peabody told me was true the unions bossed
convict unonist Of any crime minor offense.
| He then jusies the severe measures taken by the
! Il have inquired carefully into this whole question,
and conclusion is that the deportations jusha
cance in what Secretary Hamn of the mine said
to me: 1 not willing to take the responsibility Of
hanging lot of men was willing to take the respons
bility of depouing them
Most of the 2as deported dangerous
guilty Some were innocent Of any wrongdoing. 1t
is not denied that mistakes are made and they are
establish himself An innocent hanged has
ticket.
when came to Colorado it with feeling that
these depor,aons were foul blot upon our civilization
Now, think the conditions made it necessary. Bansh-
ment of men has raised great outcry in the East but
w by pe.bedv 70 th the
the citizens and much to praise. They
with great emergency and they it braveiy
humaney as they could
"What else could have done?' business
men here. You might have kept the pris
oners That would only have prolonged trouble.
would have made them martyrs. Attempts might have
been made to them That would have led riots
1t is serious question how far in interfer
ing with the rights of others while standing
alleged constitutional rights We carefully all
this. We believed deportation the effective,
humane We stand by it act of good public policy
1T has been said they had right
nails loose other communities But the
were not criminals at heart and of them all
Their presence here crime. In
other community they would be good citizens
Of them had been here Most of these simply
unfortunate. the victims criminal system. The real
culprts the reckless leaders of their organization
and the inner circle of dynamards who planted
internal machine and pulled the which exploded
Mr.. Wellman then ndcts Messrs. Meyer Haywood
in the following terms:
"Hence | arragn Charles H. Meyer and William Has.
wood the who to be held responsible
crime against organized labor, this offense
civilization, and offer to convict them before
Of the leaders of decent labor oraan
cations Of the county.
1.-THE Western Federation is composed for the
most part of honest and is their
duty to repudiate these evil reckless
gerous il not Before the Federation can
hold its head the useful
organizations Of the United States purge itself of
anarchy and crime against its followers against
society.
"noyer ard Haywood forty in the East solicit.
ing subscriptions from sympathetic union They
receiving $1,000 Ncek challenge to make public
statement of their disbursements.
why should support this organization under
its present leadership In his annual address
President Meyer declared: Trade unionsm has been