The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-12
THE TROUBLE
IN COLORADO
Continued from First Page.

have sided with the mine owners. The
owners are seeking to destroy the
miners organization, and have organ
lied themselves into what they call the
organization they are fighting the
miners lawlessly. The citizens have
banded together in Citizens Alliances
and say they are striving to suppress
anarchy. The governor, James I'll
Peabody, who, before his election, was
president Of bank, has sent troops In
response to every call of the citizens
ion leaders declare that conspiracy
exists between the state officials and
the corporations to extirpate the
union. and they find an argument In
the fact that the expenses of the mih=i
tia are being paid by the companies
November, the conditions under
which the miners lived would have ap-
peared almost perfect. But beneath
the surface there was growing dissat-
isfaction and a hope for further inn
provement. Among their desires was
their union became strong it took up
the battle.
Contest Started Peacefully.
Unlike many fights conducted by
unions, this struggle for an eight-hourI
day was at first a peaceable one. The
leaders started an agitation for the
twelve hours a day in the often pois-
onous atmosphere in which miner
has to work Is not fhuncanizing toll
proved effective. The question was
brought to a vote Of the people In
November, 1902. By a vote of 1880
against 1926 the people expressed
their desire for the passage Of the fol-
lowing constitutional amendment :s
The general assembly shall provide by
law and shall prescribe suitable penal
ties for the violation thereof, for period
of employment not to exceed eight hours
| within any twenty-four hours Except in
cases Of emergency. where life Ior property
| is in imminent danger) for persons en-
ployed in underground mines, or other I'M
foreground workings, blast furnaces,
| smelters and any ore reduction works or
| other branch Of industry or labor that the
| general assembly may consider injurious
or dangerous to health, life or limb. e.
In their platform both the demo-
cratic and republican parties pledged
themselves to execute the will of the
| people; the majority. of the Legislators
| were elected on these platforms Then
| these legislators deliberately refused
to enact the proposed amendmnt.
Will of People Thwarted.
| SoAiHietltAllS Oh ILLS .EIdy 0tannarQ
Baker, in an excellent article entitled
The Reign Of Lawlessness," in the
May McClure's, says: Rarely, indeed,
has there been in this country more
brazen, constituencies defeat Of the
will of the people, plainly expressed,
not only by the ballot but by the
pledges of both parties. And the great
corporations Of Colorado continued
smugly with their nine, ten or twelve
| 6qVC-aA q mo-
profit"
Another writer explained it thus:
THE mine owners, by lobbying, brib-
! ing and distributing other species 81
| graft, managed to thwart public SEN
/ timent by substituting the legislature
When the legislature convened lob
byists appeared, among them many
| prominent capitalists Of Colorado, who
/ did not scruple to go on the floor OF
! both house in their efforts to stife
| measures that would reduce their divi-
'dends.
i was 2juggled in both houses, having
been introduced simultaneously and II
each house being the first bill on file
Labor delegations clamored for action
but their demands were drowned tc
the ears of the lawmakers by the clinA
Of gold slipped into their hands by the
lobbyists. = To add to Colo.
Eidu0SS SndH1e There was no 41lVeSllSa'
ton Of the boodling, altho the pur.
chase of the legislature was a matter
of little concealment."
t. In this is found one Of the real rea.
| sons for the terrible condition that
exists to-day in Colorado. Baffled If
their attempt to secure an eight-houl
day by the constitutional method they
had chosen, the miners became des.
}. perate. The laws under which they
believed they could get relief ha6
failed them.
Socialism Becomes Rife.
At about that time there appeared
in the mining camps Of Colorado 6
number Of persons who preached so.
cialism and anarchy. The attacks or
the government fell on fruitful ground
The result, as Mr.. Baker, in the arti
Gle referred to, says: WAS that the
Western Federation Of Miners has de.
clared itself socialtstic; breaches the
socialistic doctrines, urges its mem.
bers to vote the socialist ticket The
public speakers and the papers thai
the central theme: Labor produces al
wealth.; wealth belongs to the pro
Queer thereof"
But the majority Of the miners were
} glad to have work, and kept at it dur.
ing their long hours. The power Of
the federation became centralized
How the men at the head held the
! large organization in the palm of thei1
hand is well described in Mr.. Bakers
article. These men, angry because
their effort to get an eight-hour day
!. had been defeated, planned a battle
against the corporations. They organ.
lied strikes, finding pretenses almos
everywhere, and where they could not
they arbitrarily called out disinterest.
5 ed and contented workers by the thou
, sands. Many Of the operators would
not deny non-union men work; II
other words, they did not recognize
4 the union. This the union sought tt
compel them to do.
!, Eventually at Cripple Creek, Victor
!, FTelluride, Durango, Colorado City ant
other places thousands were idle, "ren
: dering unproductive," as Mr.. Bake
t says, millions Of dollars worth O
, property, disorganizing one Of thu
greatest industries in the west, threat
ening the prosperity Of state"
!, Reign Of Lawlessness.
During this period lawlessnes
> reigned In the mining districts Of Col
, orado. Desperate and bloody crime
were committed with such secrec.
4 that the authorities were unable t,
determine who were responsible, AM
the people were terror-stricken. Non
Y union men who dared to work in tn
mines were taken by force and driver
from the country under guard o
unionists, compelled to leave thei
: wives and children behind alone
. Others were brutally beaten and fmur
VI dered in their homes, on their wa,
to or from work, or in the mines.
,,,fro a11parjntendent and hfa foreman