The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-06-13

Responsibility For lndepend-
enee Deaths Denied.
Denver June Is. The executive
board Of the Western Federation Of
Miners has issued statement regard
ing the situation in Cripple Creek 10
reply to the statements made by Gem
eraI Sherman NJ Bell and Secretary C.
G. Hamlin Of the Cripple Greek Dis
trict Mine Owners association 1t is as
follows:
The cause Of the strike Of the West.
sfn Federation Of Miners in Colorado
Is one Of long standing and involves
the failure on the part Of mine mana
gers ii some parts Of the state TO live
up to their own written agreements.
As far back as 1884 as q result Of the
strikes at that time the mine owners
agreed that eight hours should consti
tute a days work, that the minimum
daily wage should be So and that there
should be no discrimination against
union men in the hiring and discharg
Ing Of labor AT the outset Of the pres
ent trouble Manager MacNeil Of the
Standard min at Colorado City peremp
torily discharged forty-are men, mem
bers Of the Western Federation OF Min
ers, FOR no other reason than that they
had become union men, An Of these
were old employees Dc from two to six
years standing. Mil men are affiliated
with the Western Federation Of Miners
and are entitled TO ali Of the protection
that goes with such membership.
To-day the only questions Involved
are the enforcement Of the eight hour
day, the right Of men to organize IN
the unions and 10 prevent discrimina-
tion against union men Of an kinds
Placing the Responsibility.
"The responsibility for the lawless
ness connected With the contests 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 hy District
Judge Theron stevens. who denounced
the military nsurpation III Telluride in
strong language from the bench by
District Judge ] Walter Dixon. Re
publican. who openly condemns Gov
ernor Peabody and severely eritieises
his acts. involving the deportation of
men from the state without trial or
other chance Of herring: by ex Gov.
ernor Charles s Thomas. who plainly
points 10 the Mine Owners association
and Citizens alliance as beng respon
sibie for the many outages committed
on the persons Of helpless and innocent
miners by tile recent Democratic
state convention, which denounced the
line Of policy pursued
"The events Of the present week In
the Cripple Greek district justify every
accusation contained above The fol.
lowing crimes on citIzenships have fol.
lowed swiftly upon ONE anether
"1'he resignation Of Sheriff Robert.
son 81 Teller county. forced by q moi
at the point 81 pistol and con 81
rope the enforced resignation Of Coro
ner DoiHu of Teller county. ST the city
marshal Of Victor, OF various aldermen
and justices of the peace til the dis
trict the entire official directory Of tie
city Ct Goldhed, assault upon and de
m0lition Of the union hail iii Victor,
forcible entrance into the four union
cooperative stores ard destruction OF
the contents. destruction of the Vic
Tor Record by al armed mob, invasion
Of DunnYlle outside The military lines.
by an armed force under military com
mand; arrest Of men At their work and
incarceration within the military lines
hundreds Of men confined in unsanitary
bun pens. foreible shutdown Of the
great Portland mine. employing union
men, by order Of the military com
mandant on the nlea Of military neces
sity and subsequent deportation Of the
men therein employed
Photograph Charge Denied.
photographs az marked miners re
ferred 10 by General Bell who. he
claims were marked for death, must
be regarded as All invention 81 lis own
brain. The photographs in question
are those Of strike breakers and were
kept for the purpose OF publishing
scab list with the pictures Of the men
accompanying their description. "a that
members Of organized labor an over
the country would become thoroughly
acquainted with these men who have
committed treason to themselves and
70 their class The pictures are moth
ing more than those having charge Of
the strike in the district have publicly
used Tor months.
Charges that miners are not allowed
70 vote "a questions of strike are 1T
terry absurd IS a matter Of fact. ac
cofding to the constitution Of the west
ern Federation ct Miners. Il Il abso.
lutely impossible FOR The executive
board to call 4 strike or It's own voll
ton. Tie present strike is result of
direct vote of the unions in the dis
trict- which left them entilsly il tie
hands Of properly delegated anthori
ties for adjudication ana settlement.
The twelfth annual convention. rs.
Gently held 10 Denver, appointed q
special investigating committee con.
sisfing Of Malcolm Crillis OF Butte
Mont; Fl r. Seaman Of Rosslana