Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1905-03-01

SChAiNhSnt auSWSl llS uuCSNlOn lIOH
what source you were influenced.
Let your actions answer the ques-
tion whether you we're influenced by
the good of the organization or by
its enemies.
Your representatives at the beheSt
of the Northern Coal company, and
acting under your orders, called the
northern Colorado strike committee
together and went into a conference
with the officers of the Northern
Coal company.
We had struch for an S-hour day,
and 20 per cent increase in wages.
The Northern Coal company re-
fused to give us an S-hour day. and
offered us only a few more cents per
ton at Lafayette, and only a frac-
ton of cent more per ton at the
other four camps in northern Colo
rado-Louisville, Erie, Marshal and
Superior. You ordered us to ac-
cept such an offer and return to
work, but the northern miners re-
fused to betray their southern broth
ers for bribe of fraction of ton.
Why, Mr.. Mitchell, did you or
der men who had struck for an g.
hour day and 20 per cent increase to
go back to work without an 8-hour
day and only fraction of a cent in
crease, when everything pointed to
complete victory for the union?
A few days later the strike COM
mittee was again called together by
Mr.. Reams, Mr.. Mitchell's represen-
tative, and James II. Blood, the at
torney for the Northern Coal com
pany and the Denver citizens alli-
ance. Messrs. Reams and Blood
induced the strike committee to take
back another offer to the northern
miners and recommend its accept
ance.
This offer was for a few more
cents per ton and an S-hour day
provided the southern miners won
their strike. Again Mr.. Mitchell or
dered us to accept this offer and re-
turn to work. Again the northern
miners refused to accept, and for
temporary gain, betray their fellow
workmen in southern Colorado.
In the Denver Post of November
10, 1908, is the following concern
ing the prominent part played by
Mr.. Reams to torch this settlement
upon us by the Northern Coal COM
pany:
Officials of the Northern Coal
and Coke company we're apprised of
presence and activity of the influence
Saturday morning and acted upon
the information. They at once in
tercepted John f. Reams, one of
Mr.. Mitchells men, who was en-
route to Trinidad, and induced him
to go back to the northern field and
try to offset the effect of the powers
working to defeat the settlement"
This was twice Mr.. Mitchell had
endeavored to force the northern
miners to return to work; each time
they had refused, and we supposed
that you would be satisfied with the
result.
But you were not The deal had
been arranged and you were deter
mined to force it upon us.
Your next step was to order Mr..
Reams to visit the different locals in
northern Colorado, and endeavor to
induce them one at time to go on
record as favoring a settlement-a
thing they had refused to do in a
body. An act and a policy that no
one but an autocrat can approve of;
and act that was the work of disrup-
ton and not of true unionism.
Our district president, Mr.. How
ellis, having heard of such underhand
work, called a mass meeting at Lou
isville. Nearly every miner of nor
thern field was present at the mass
meeting, and all day we heard the
question of returning to work arg
ued by Mr.. Reams, District Presi-