Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-04-22
MILITARY OUfRAdES IN COLORADO.
Herbert N. Cass0n, in Chicago American.

Is Colorado in America, or in Russia? Thou
sands tof American flags are now being circu.
lated in Colorado with this question printed on
their white stripes.
You will ask the same question when you
hear the story OF the outrages that are being
committed on the peaceable miners of Colorado.
The facts, as / have received from J. w. Sulli-
van, one of the, brainiest labor editors in New
York, are as follows:
Two years ago, the people of Colorado voted,
by 1000 majority, to amend their constitution
by inserting an eight-hour day clause.
When the legislature met last year, it refused
to put the elght-hou law in the constitution.
1t was a Republican legislature-a gang of
purchasable loafers and call-boys.
The governor is man named Peabody-one
of those men who get to the front in politics
after drawing the BOBBY prize in legitimate
business. He opposed the eight-hour law, and
has acted from first to last as if he were an Off
cal of the mining corporations.
The Colorago miners saw that they were en-
titled to an eight hour day. They asked the
temptuous answer. There was nothing else to
do but strike, so they struck-35,ooo Of them
and they are on strike yet.
linen came Oh eXQlOltlOu VI TIC pIutC loiCS
of Organized Capital.
Peabody was ordered by the mining corpora
tions to call out the state National Guard, and
he obeyed. He was ordered to increase the
number of soldiers from $50 to 5000 men, and
he obeyed. He was ordered to send them into
the mining towns to break up the unions, and
he obeyed.
The officers of the labor unions were dragged
ont of bed and thrown into filthy jails without
trial. Two OF them were waylaid by thugs and
half murdered. Labor papers were suppressed
and the editors locked up. Free speech has
been prohibited, and for months the mining
corporations have prevented the Americon peo-
pie from knowing what was being done.
In mining town called Telluride, eighty
citizens, who were either union men or union
'sympathizers, were torn from their homes by
an armed mob at midnight, and sent on
special train to the next county, more then
seventy miles away.
These eighty citizens of Telluride owned
$4,000 worth of property in Telluride. One
of them was an old, white-haired merchant,
who had served the towl as alderman for years.
Yet, these men were exlled by force.
Some of them were beaten with cowhide
whips. They were dumped off the train and
left to starve in distant county. They were
ordered never to sreturn to their homes, and
they are at the present time exiles and outcasts.
When they threatened to 60 back in body,
Peabody, the call-boy governor, at once sent
a SQUAD of soldiers to Telluride to protect the
mob that had driven the eighty peaceable cti-
zens from their homes.
More than this, women have been abused be-
cause they were the wives Or sisters OF union
men. 'Mother" Jones, the "G.and Old Wo-
man" of the American labor movement, was
called the foulest names. Finding that Islander
could not daunt her, the mining corporations
ordered her arrest.
"Mother" Jones was thrown into Jail like
criminal, and then taken with guard OF SIX
soldiers to distant county and turned adrltt
among strangers. She was absolutely penni-
less.
Elk Congressman Glover was shot in the arm
and jailed because he protested against these
outraees. Joseph Valleance, miner who
owned his own home, and could not be evicted,
was shot dead by an armed mob, and his vile
and children turned out of the house which ne
had bought and paid for.
Up to the present time, the $4,000 miners
have been patient and peaceable. They have
not done one cents worth of damage to the
mines. Not one criminal act has been proven
against them.
In Kishineft few of the rioters were arrest
ed. Some of them are now in jail But not
one rioter of politician has yet been arrested
in Colorado. All the mine owners are at large.
Governor Peabody is at large. The mining
corporations and their Hired rioters are in pos
session OF the state
Such is the "war news" from Colorado. Is
it any wonder that Western people are asking
the question, as Colorado in America, or IN
Russia?"