Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-25
WALTER WELlMAN's REPORT
ON COLORADO LABOR
TROUBLES

o.
In another column on this page The
Chieftain prints the final report OF
Mr. Walter Wellman. well known
newspaper writer who has been in
vestigating the conditions in Colorado
under commission from the Chicago
Record Herald. the New York Herald
and one or two other prominent news
papers.
or the competency of Mr.. Wellman
to make such an investigation in
spirit OF judicial fairness there Is no
doubt, and there is no doubt that his
work has been prompted by the spirit
OF fairness and OF honesty.
In the letters which he has been
sending TO his employers he has en-
deavored to give a fair statement oI
the actual conditions and a record oil
the actual events. and he has pre-
sented the facts impartially and with
out regard to whether they favored
one side or the other.
The Chicago Record Herald and the
New York Herald for which Mr. Well
man has been writing these articles
are not devoted bllndly TO the support
OF either OF the great political parties.
nor do they favor the cause OF any
particular class or section OF the
American people. On the contrary
they have gained n well established
reputation TOR impartiality, truth and
justice. No more impartial inyesti-
CATION could be imagined than that OF
such newspaper writer directed and
supported by two such newspapers.
summing up his conclusions Mr..
Wellman declares that the war IN
Colorado WAS precipitated by series
Of blunders on the part of the West
ern Federation OF Miners, blunders 50
wicked and atrocious that they may
sairly be called crimes. and that these
crimes were directed against society,
against the prosperity OF the state.
against capital and industry. against
organized labor. against the cause OF
unionism, and most OF all against the
union men and women OF the Cripple
Creek district and OF Telluride.
And over his signature the indie
pendent, impartial newspaper writer
arraigns President Meyer and Secre-
tary Haywood al the men who are To
be held morally responsible Tor these
crimes against organized labor and
against civilization.
There Is one aspect of the case up
on which Mr.. Wellman as a non-par-
tisan observer could not touch. but
which the people of Colorado ought
to have constantly in mind.
The Democratic party OF Colorado
is now seeking an alliance with the
radical element of the state. 1t is
Offering a defence and refuge for
criminals and revolutionists. Ii Is
obstructins the enforcement Of the
laws and denouncing the officials who
have enforced the laws.
The prospect OF Democratic sue
cess offers the only possible chance
for a return of the conditions that
have now been destroyed, and the
only opportunity for the schemes of
the men of greater or less degree
who have been planning, perpetrating
or condoning crimes against life and
property in this state.
cause for shame in the publication
of the exact facts and Mr., Wellman,
as we'll as other competent and fair
minded observers, has done us great
service In making the truth known
And the Republican party of the state
has no reason to fear the judgment
OF the people II that judgment Is
given with a full knowledge Of the
real facts, conditions and principles
involved.
The publication of the Wellman
articles will have most important
effect in making known the truth con
corning the Colorado labor troubles
and when the truth is known 1t will
result first in destroying the sympathy
and financial support that has been
extended by the labor unions and by
individual members of them TO an
organization that is utterly unworthy
OF their sympathy or their aid; and
second, in the approval by n vast ma
jority of the people OF the state of
Colorado of the actions Of the COVER
nor and the state officials In meeting
extraordinary crisis by extraordinary
means and in exercising the full
measure of power conferred upon
them by the laws and the constitu-
tion In enforcing law and order. in
preventing crime, in suppressing riot
and insurrection and In defending the
government and the constitution
against the attacks of those who open
ly bosat of their purpose of social
revolution. Chieftain.