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

IsltuaIlOn, urgeu US not 10 Ictuin w
work, saying that if we did so we
would discourage and defeat the
southern miners.
Mother Jones told us TO use our
own judgment and decide ourselves
what was best for ALL but she said
that the organization had led the un-
Organized miners of southern Colo
RADIO to believe, that If they would
only quit work and strike, the union
miners in northern Colorado would
stand by them until victory for all
was won.
For going against your orders and
refusing to become a part in the be
trayal of the southern miners is one
of the reasons why you, Mr.. Mitch
ell, have forced Mother Jones from
the organization that she has labored
so faithfully to upbuild. Mr.. Mitch
ell, Mother Jones' white haired head
will soon be laid at rest; her voice
so eloquent to plead the cause of the
Oppressed will soon be hushed; her
heart that beats SO warmly in SYM
pathy for suffering humanity will be
stilled in death. But when she is
laid forever in the grave, no one can
say that she ever betrayed, that she
ever played false, the toiling and
disinherited masses who are fight
ing the battle for labor's emancipa-
ton.
The mass meeting voted two to
one to remain on strike. This made
the third time, not counting Mr..
Reams' abortive attempt, they had
refused to betray the southern min
ers at your orders.
We supposed that you would now
be satisfied with these three votes,
Mr.. Mitchell, but again you were
determined to carry out the deal
At this time, the Denver citizens
alliance became franctic, as they
saw coal up to sI2 per ton in Den
yer. The Denver citizens alliance
realized that unless something was
quickly done to get the northern
miners back to work, the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company and the Vic
tor Fuel company, the two compa-
nies controlling southern Colorado,
would be forced to surrender
Should the coal companies of south
ern Colorado be forced to surrender
and make terms with the union it
would mean defeat for the citizens
alliance, Peabody and the Mine
Owners association. With their de-
feat it would have placed the Cripple
Creek and Telluride miners upon the
road to victory. 1t would have
meant a victory for both the coal
and metaliferous miners of the west
and the rout and ruin of Peabody,
Parryism and militaryism.
To give you an idea of how the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company
and the Victor Fuel company and
the Northern Coal company were
playing the northern miners against
the southern miners, let me quote
from a statement made by Charles
Ellington of Erie, at the last annual
convention of district IS. He is no
friend of mine, but an admirer of
John Mitchell. He was district ex-
ecutive board member for northern
Colorado during the strike, a mem
Der of the strike committee and did
everything possible to carry out Mr..
Mitchelps policy.
On page So of the report of the
fourth annual convention of district
IS he says:
Il believe at the time that the
northern coal companies were in
conference with us to bring about a
settlement, they were also confering
with the large companies OF the
south. | have been informed that
they were holding these conferences
between our sessions, and | believe
the matter was fixed up so as to
make reasonable settlement with
us, so as to put our coal upon the