Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-06-15
MINERS BEING
SHIPPED OUT
Special Trains Carry Federation Mem
bers to the State line-Warned
Not to Return.
APPEAL FOR FEDERAL TROOPS
Both Sides to Colorado Controversy
Issue statements-Record Thinks
the Strike is Lost.
What the Miners Say.

What the Miners say.
Denver, June 1.-THE executive
board of the Western Federation OF
Miners today issued a statement re.
garding the situation in Cripple
Creek, in reply to the statements
made by Gen. Sherman NJ. Bell and
Secretary C. C. Hamlin of the Cripple
Creek district Mine Owners associa-
ton. It Is as follows:
THE cause of the strike of the
Western Federation of Miners in Col
orado, is one of long standing and
involves the failure on the part of
the mine managers in various parts
of the state to live up to their own
written agreements. AS far back as
1884, as result of strike at that
time, the mine owners agreed that
eight hours should constitute days
work, that the minimum day wage
should be So, and that. there should
be no discrimination against union
men in the hiring and discharging of
labor.
AT the outset of the trouble Man.
ager Mcneil of the Standard mill at
Colorado City preemptorily discharg.
ed As men, members of the Western
Federation of Miners, for no other
reason than that they had been un.
ion men. All of these were old en-
ployes of from two to six years
standing. Mill men are affiliated with
the Western Federation of Miners
and are entitled to all of the protec.
ton that goes with such membership.
To-day the only questions involved
are the enforcement of the eight hour
day, the right of the men to organize
in the unions, and to prevent discrim.
ination against union men of all kinds
THE responsibility for the lawless.
ness connected with the contest rests
entirely on the shoulders of the mine
operators, the Citizens alliance and
their allies, backed up by the ready
power of the state government. The
responsibility has been placed on
these persons and organizations by
District Judge Theron Stevens, who
condemned the military usurpation in
Telluride in strong language from
the bench; by District Judge J. Wal
ter Dixon, Republican, who openly
condemns Governor Peabody and Sc.
verely criticises his acts, involving
the deportation of men from the state
without trial or other chance of hear
ing; by Ex-Governor Chas. s. Thorn
as, who plainly points 10 the Mine
Owners association and Citizens al.
lance as being responsible for many
outrages committed on the persons
of innocent and helpless miners; by
the recent Democratic state conven.
ton, which denounced in unscathing
terms the line of policy pursued.
"The events of the present week
in the Cripple Creek district justify
the accusation contained above. The
following crimes upon citizenship
have followed swiftly on one anoth.
er. The resignation of Sheriff Rob-
ertson of Teller county, forced by a
mob at the point of a pistol and a
coil of rope; the forced resignation
of Coroner Doran of Teller county,
of the city marshal of Victor, of var
ious aldermen and justices of the
peace in the district, the entire off.
cial directory of the city of Goldfelds,
assault on and demolition of the un-
ion hall in Victor, forcible entrance
into the four union cooperative
stores and destruction of the con-
tents, destruction of the Victor Daily
Record by an armed mob, invasion
of Dunville, outside the military
lines, by an armed force under mill
tary command; arrest of men at their
work and incarnation within the mil.
itary lines; hundreds of men confin-
ed in unsanitary bull pens; forcible
shut down of the great Portland
mine employing union men, by order
of the military commandant on the
plea of military necessity, and sub
sequent deportation of the men there
in employed.
Photographs of marked miners re
ferred to by Gen. Bell, who he claims
were marked for death, must be re
garded as an invention Of his own
brain. The photographs in question
are those of strike breakers. and
were kept for the purpose of publish
ing a scab list with the pictures ol
the men accompanying their declara
ton, so that those of organized labor
all over the country would become
thoroughly acquainted with these mer
who have committed treason to them
selves and to their class. These pic
lures are nothing more than those
having charge OF the strike In the
district have publicly used for many
months.