Arizona republican., 1904-07-31
Gov. Peabody on the Late
 Colorado Situation
THE STORY OF THE STRIKE
The Governor Says He Is Not Opposed to Unions, but That the Western Federation Is an Organization for Promotion of Outlawry.

Denver, July 30.-GcYerncr Peabody today issued an address explaining and vindicating his acts in dealing with the labor troubles and he refutes the allega- tion that the strike inaugurated by the Western Federation of miners at the ore reduction works in Colorado City early in 1903 was called because of the faE- ure of the legisll-ure to pass an eigh- hour law"
 "As matter of fact" he say's. the strike at Colorado City was called on .he 14th day of February, some five or six weeks before the adjournment of the legislature, which then had uEder consideration an eight hour law. This strike proving intellectual. I sympo- thetic strike was declared by the Fed eration in Cripple Creek tu cut off tue ore supply of the mills and every mine except one was effectually closed
 Governor Peabody then goes inJo the history of the Western Federation Of miners. which. re declares. has been re- plete with assaults, dynamite outrag@s and murder Tn time of strike" he says "its action has amounted to open insurrection against the stdte." In af- fording protection to men who desired to labor. the governor explains. Ut be- came necessary in my judgment to con- | fine certain men in the military guard 1 houses as one of the safest anI mos. ! expeditions methods of restoring order. | It was loudly proclaimed that .his Ny;IS without authority ot law. The question | was submitted to the supreme court and the acton of the militia n that respect vas fully sustained. The law abiding citizens of the state need nOU b. alarmed by the frenzied cry that the are h danger of incarceration if the governor Las such power. IL k d use full and necessary power anI the class that should dread it's exe~cise is net numerous.
 The general policy pursued in Grip ple Creek was followed in other plrts of the state and particularly .n TeIIu-
 ride. where the eXcesse< of the crime of the federation had been still moIe inhu-
 man than in any other distrct and the
 reign of terror was still more complete
 Order nov prevails there and it is pe-
 lieved the people of that district may
 at last enjoy peace and quiet Quiet
 has been restored in Grippe Creek and
 the troops withdrawn when the dy na-
 mite outrage was committed at the In
 dependence depot or June 9th, followed
 by the riot at Victor.'
 |. The governor places the responsibility
 for both these occurrences on the fed , eration. When the excitement hal somewhat subsided and the county was , still under .quasi-military rule" the
 governor continues. ''it was found that
 there were several hundred members of the Western Federation in the dist lft t
 who would not work and had resoIv d that others should net if by such rnetb- , ods as those employed at the Independ-
 ence station they could be driven away.
 l resolved that they should be dis
 persed and I dispersed them"
 Governor Peabody denies tn charge , that he Is unfriendly 10 labor unions in
 general and closes as follows: ''I have
 had to deal with an organization which I has no counterpart in, this country. Its t official proclamations, full of defia nc. Q and challenge issued from time to time n have amounted, as has been said. to d declaration of war. I have met tho n challenge with a policy none too viz
 orous for the outlawry I was caIIed or '. 10 oppose. But through it all I hay, s had but enc object. and that was t, - show to the people of Colorado that th. n laws will be upheld, and that z ! criminal organization cannot dictat. the policy of this administration. an; = that everywhere within the borders O q Colorado property shall be secure an,
 labor shall be free"