Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-11
THE CASE AGAINST THE
WESTERN FEDERATION

Elsewhere in this issue we publish
the Colorado Mine Operators Asso-
citation OF the lawless and criminal
deeds which have followed the invas'
ion OF this state by the Western. Fed
Grafton OF Miners during the last de-
cade, and we hope that every citizen
who wants to be fully informed on this
important subject will read every
word OF IL. long as IL is.
We have held from the first that the
Western Federation of Miners was
little II anything short OF criminal
conspiracy against the labor and cap
ital, the peace and prosperity of Col.
orado, and we are sure that calm and
dlspassionate study OF It's record dur
Ing the last ten years fully sustains
this view.
Doubtless a great many of the uii-
would be peaceable and industrious
citizens II left free to follow their ma
tural inclination, but the management
hHe Nron lawlcss and revolutionary
UH ulsei nra - Yc-44-
cious acLivILy has cost the people oil
Colorado millions In losses, not to meb-
tion the many innocent lives II has
sacrificed 10 Its vicious rule or ruin
policy.
Thanks TO the wise. firm. patriotic
course pursued by Gov. Peabody dur
ing the past year in the maintenance
OF law and order, the power OF the
Western Federation OF Miners has
been broken In this state, and 1t il
now up to the people whose homes
and hopes are centered here to see 10
1t that 1t shall never be re-established
In any camp or community.
The suppression OF this conspiracy
against the public welfare has been a
costly proceeding for the taxpayers
but even II 1t had been ten or nun
dred times as expensive It would Ne
worth all Its cost to free the state from
the danger and the destruction which
Is threatened.
Having accomplished SO much the
honest people of Colorado cannot now
afford TO take any step backward. They
must make sure that the good achiev
ed shall remain secure 10 themselves
and their children and to IA. good cit
liens who may make Colorado theiI
future home.
II anything, labor Is even more vi
ftaf rhfbdthht bsdftfhtaa tbh W Ihls question thar
with industry and enterprise.
The Western Federation of Mineri
must abandon Its fixed policy of VIC
lence, bloodshed socialism and anar
stay out of the state.
This Is the Issue that must be set
tied In the pending state campaign
and there can be no neutrals In the
night. Either the same and beneficial
policy pursued by Gov. Peabody. by
which peace and security have been
firmly reestablished in the disturbed
mining districts must be endorsed and
sustained by a majority al the polls
IN November, or the state must risk
another decade OF injury at the hands
OF those who apologize for and con,
done the criminal tendencies and the
deeds that how as naturally from the
management of the Western Fedora.
ton OF Miners as the sparks fly up
ward.
Even those who through misinform.
alton or other bias find it difficult to
approve ali the methods employed in
dealing with organized law-breakers
during the past year, although they
were both lawful and merciful, must
recognize the important fact that ii is
better to stand by the men and meas
nres that have brought back peace and
progress and prosperity than to favor
a new experiment with those that pay
more attention to the demands of the
Western Federation of Miners than to
the constitution and laws of the state
or the liberties and the welfare of the
people.