The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-04-19

and that Haywood Is a little BETTER,
was his reply.
Within an hour another gentleman
whose means of Judgment were equal
ly good replied to the same question:
"They are the worst maligned men
in Colorado"
could not meet Mr.. Meyer: he is
still, as l have said. In military con-
finement at Telluride. The offense
for which he was last imprisoned was
the desecra ton Of the American flag.
This dissertation consisted, as jour
nalist told me, in printing upon the
flag a variety of most atrocious. anar-
chistic sentiments. The same report
was in general circulation, and 1t was
believed by all with whom 1 talked
even by those in sympathy with the
this offense was of a
heinous character.
Later l succeeded in obtaining a
copy of this document. and here tran
scribe the entire inscription:
"Is Colorado in America?
Martial law declared in Colorado!
"Habeas corpus suspended in Col
orado!
Free press throttled in Colorado!
"Bullpens for union men in Colo
RADIO!
Free speech denied in Colorado!
Soldiers defy the courts in Colo
RADIO!
wholesale arrests without warrant
in Colorado.
Union men exiled from homes and
families in Colorado!
constitutional right to bear arms
questioned in Colorado!
Corporations corrupt and control
in Colorado!
Right Of fair. impartial and speedy
trial abolished in Colorado.
Citizens alliance resorts to mob
law and violence in Colorado!
Militia hired by corporations to
break the strike In Colorado
The tenth and thirteenth of these
statements might be disputed; the
rest, as will appear in subsequent let
tiers, are indubitable facts.
Away from the stimulating atmos-
phere of Colorado their anarchistic
character will not appear; and the
Imprisonment Of man for having
painted these sentences on the stripes
of an American flag seems a strange
procedure.
Mr.. Haywood. who is equally i'm
plicated in this alleged crime with
Mr.. Meyer. said to me with deep feel
ing: II believe that I venerate the
flag as sincerely as Governor Pea
body does and would no sooner desc
crate it."
l confess that this exhibit compell-
ed me to suspend my judgment upon
the sweeping charges of anarchy
brought against the Western Fedora
ton and It's leaders.
One gentleman whose business it Is
to be we'll Informed told me In ex-
planning the deportations that the
conditions in the mining camps had
become intoierable: that dynamiting
of mines. wrecking of trains and as
sassinations were OF constant occur
renee; that no man dared to sit In his
house at night with uncurtained win
dows for fear of being shot: that no
man knew whose turn would come
next
Not many minutes later. In the
same conversations. in protesting
against the stories which had appear.
ed In eastern papers. he said that the
reports of lawlessness had been great
ly exaggerated; that there had been
but one murder in Cripple Creek with
In tho last year and that had nothing
to do with the labor troubles: and
that one mine superintendent in Tel
luride had been shot. probably by
some miner. There had indeed been
many assaults and beatings of nom
union men, but no such carnival of
crime as had been reported.
There have, undoubtedly. been many
acts of turbulence and violence. less
than my informant represented in his
exordium, but more than he was will
ing to admit I'm his peroration.
Such a body of men out of work
are likely to do some desperate deeds;
those who persuade them to abandon
work incur. for this reason, a heavy
responsibility.
A strike, in such community, is
apt to be war, and war of the most
Internal character. The miners lead
crs maintain that they have done
their utmost to keep the peace, but
the reports make 1t too evident that
there has been no adequate endeavor
on their part to prevent and punish
violence.
FATALITIES. IL not crimes, have been
wnked at; terrorism. moro than rea-
son. has been depended on to win the
strike.
One hideous explosion of an In.
fernal machine in a deep mine. which
resulted In two deaths, and several
attempts to wreck railway trains have
occurred In the Cripple Greek region
within the past year 1t is probable
that these were the deeds of des-
peradoes for which the union is not
responsible.
But unless unions an create a
sentiment which makes such deeds
infamous. unions must not resort to
strikes.
The unions must know what ele-
ments they have In their member.
ship, and II they are harboring reck-
less and criminal characters they
must not OFFER them the opportunity
and the provocation OF violence.
This is the responsibility TO which
public opinion should sternly hold la.
Dor organizations. Unless they heart
lily assume 1t and enforce II upor