Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-10-17
RELATION OF STRIKE
TO THE DEFEAT OF
THE EIGHT HOUR BILL.

Parties who have lately visited the
farming sections OF the western por-
ton of this county and across the
ton in Montrose county. report that
they find some who. while they dep
recate and denounce the anarchistic
methods employed by the Western
Federation. are yet disposed to con
done the strike and sympathize with
the strikers, upon the false premise
that the strike was called because OF
the failure of the legislature to pass
an eight hour law. in conformity with
the constitutional amendment. whose
adoption was accomplished by the
failure of majority Of the voters
10 express themselves on the propo-
| sition.
Recently the Journal received a
..'. ,.--.-- ---,u Iacts to be used in refu-
tatlon of these arguments.
The Journal has been to some trou-
BILE and pains TO get the absolute facts
and accurate dates of the calling of
the strike originally, and as to the
status of the eight-hour bill at varo-
ous stages while it was before the
legislature. These are absolutely cor
rect. being taken from the legislative
records. and from the history of the
strike. and they serve to emphasize
and prove conclusively that the strike
was not precipitated by the defeat of
the eight-hour bin, but that 1t was
called temporarily settled, and again
put on before the fate of the eight
LOT
all indications were favorable to its
enactment into a law.
The strike in the Standard mill at
Colorado City. which led up to and
precipitated the strike in Teller and
San Miguel counties. occurred on
February IA. 1903. The eight-hour
bill was killed during the closing
hours of the last day of the session OF
the legislature, which was April 6.
1903, fifty-one days after the strike
was ordered.
Upon request of the sheriff of Ell
Paso county the militia was ordered
to Colorado City March 3rd, 1903. I'M
mediately following this President
Meyer of the Western Federation.
threatened to call out all the men in
the Cripple Creek district. working
in mines shipping ore to the Stand
ard mill at Colorado City. in order to
force the mill owners to accede to his
tMoyer'sl demands. On March Isl
Meyer carried out this threat and 600
men quit work on his orders. At this
time the labor leaders, in and out OF
the legislature. were confident that a
satisfactory eight hour law would be
passed. Such bill had been intro
duced by Representative Stephens. a
Republican member of the legislature
from Colorado City. and was being
lavorably considered by the legisla-
lure. This bill was drafted by the of.
ticers of the State Federation of La
bor and of course met with their full |
1t was confidently believed by the |
members of the legislature up to prac-
tically the last day of the session. that
a satisfactory eight hour law would |
he enacted. But the measure was be- |
trayed in the house of Its professed |
friends--ihe Democratic majority in |
The legislature.
It is therefore clear that Mr. Moy-
er's first strike at Colorado City and |
cripple Creek, had absolutely no CON
nection with the eight hour question
-'lnless 1t operated to disgust some
1f The supporters Of the measure with
he sponsors of the labor interests and
create a doubt as to the sincerity of
their professed desire to avoid a con-
lic'. If the eight hour question had
been factor in this contest Mr.. Moy.
'r would most certainly have so
stated In his proclamation to the pub
ic.
The fact Of the matter is the eight
iour day had been In force at the
mill at Colorado City for
many years. In all departments ex-