The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-14
The Colorado Lawlessness.

IS too familiar. {, IA
The Colorado Lawlessness.
A Denver dispatch quotes Governor
Peabody as saying that the war be-
tween the union miners and the mine
owners Is about over and that no more
trouble may be expected. 1t is de-
voutly to be hoped that the governor
is justified in his opinion.
AS the conflict has cost the interests
affected, during the last ten months
the mine owners, the miners IN wages,
the state of Colorado for repressive
measures, the public in interruption
of business sum approaching $780,
100000 something over the value of
a years output of the gold mines of
the state, it would seem about time
for the law-abtding element to as
sert itself in the strongest manner.
| The plan adopted by the Colorado
government of 'deporting by the train
| load the union miners who are found
identifying themselves with the reign
| of lawlessness, and p dumping them
W1Ii1lIl lle UoIo S1S VI
states, can hardly be commended as
rational process Of restoring public
order. Already many of the deported
have come back to the region of dis
turbance and, if the purpose is to get
rid Of them, it has failed in large
measure. Governor Peabody has him
self, in letter to the secretary Of the
| ~ ~.
| ization which has condemned his
measures for the restoration of order,
characterized the miners of the law
less element as "assassins, train
wreckers' and dynamiters," and the
question may with the utmost propri=
ETY. be asked, if the governor believes
it Is good policy and in the interest of
peace in Colorado and neighboring
states, to send these "assassins, train
wreckers and dynamiters' by the
trainload into New Mexico, Kansas,
Utah, Wyoming.S Does he expect them
abiding by the transfer to other states
and territories? The recorded acts of
lawlessness would seem to justify the
governors description of the men he
has ordered .deported. The wanton
J.. ASSASSINATION of mine superintendent
and .nonurion miners and destruction
of property belonging to the proprie-
tors, the notable, wholesale assassin
alton of nonunion miners at Independ-
ence, and frequent acts of violence OF
the same kind in Teller and Fremont
and other counties, make up record
similar to that Of the desperate MOLLY
Mcguire" organization in the anthra.
cite coal region Of Pennsylvania
which, in 1876, introduced a reign OF
terror and subjected considerable
, portion Of the state to the behests o.
assassins, fre-bugs, train-wreckers
, etc. At last the officials Of the Phila
: delphia & Reading railway, after pri
) vately securing absolute evidence O.
: the criminal activity of the leaders O.
the lawlessness, caused the heavy arm
t of the law to swoop down upon then
: suddenly. They were arrested, brough
to justice, regularly tried, convicted
and, in due time, hanged, and Moll.
: Maguireism has not since reared 1t
bloody head in Pennsylvania. In Col
orado, the process Of deportation ha
. probably sent out of the state some o
the most desperate and reckless Of tn
Il criminals, instead Of OBTAINING them
4 securing evidence strong enough t.
convict and dealing with them strictl
n according to the evidence. The Yves
IN
3 any responsibility for the assassina
0 tons, mine-wrecking and genera
IS lawlessness Of the criminal elemen
e Of the federation. Of course
!. labor unions - do not care
assume responsibility for the act
Incorporation on that account, bu
certainly, in the case Of the Weste1'
Federation, the officials ought to sho'
their sympathy with the law-abidin
: element by doing all they can to assis
!. the Colorado authorities to bring tn
= real criminals to Justice. Trades ,ir
!, ionism suffers in the public estima
!, ton in proportion to the inclinatio
: Of the members to defiance of law an
order. The right of labor Ito organ
! lie is undisputed, but the public viii
q more and more, demand that organ
Is lied labor shall organize and stay OF
J. garized, in subsection and in obed
n ence to public law and not assum
under any circumstances that 1t
e not amenable to public law. The sir
/, Of capital in it's lawless moods, full
d nish no justification whatever for ou
~ breaks Of lawlessness on the part
IS labor Both revolt against the la
,r and the decided trend of public opir
he ion to-day is that both shall be strict
lie brought under the effective operatio
r of the laws.
is ---------- - a
,r We used to laugh at the Englshme
20 who put up at New York hotel for
It few weeks and returned to write boz
"a on America. Here is still better on
a The editor Of the Lawrence (Kan) G;
re- zette says that when a political CONVEX
re- ton was billed to take place at the opsr
A. house, one Of the university professo
), came to the editorial rooms and ask,
D. for private conference, After the do
had been carefully closed the man
TO learning explained.
n 1T would like to attend that convent,