The Grit-advocate., 1905-02-03
CONDEMNS BOTH
MINERS AND CITIZENS ALLIANCE
Report Of Commissioner Of Labor Car.
roll D. Wright on Strike Trouble
in Colorado

w. ~S'SseoS.
Washington. Jan. 2S.-President
Roosevelt sent to the Senate yester-
day the report Of Carroll d. Wright,
commissioner OF labor, on the strike
trouble In Colorado.
The report is very voluminous and
gives an entire history OF labor trou-
bles in that state. together with all the
correspondence that has passed be-
tween the President and the Depart
ment Of Justice. the Department Of
Commerce and Labor and Governor
Peabody Of Colorado. Also partial re-
ports made by Commissioner Wright
and pamphlets by various parties con-
nected with the strike.
Commissioner Wright said in his re-
port. dated in September. that the
strike was over and that work was be-
ing resumed at the mines.
Commissioner Wright says there can
be no doubt the cause of the strike was
to establish the Western Federation Of
Miners In the smelters, including re-
duction and refining mills, as it al
ready had been established in the
mines.
In summing up the situation, he
SAYS:
'Lawlessness has accompanied the
strike as a labor weapon and it has
accompanied the actions of the alleged
law and order element as a weapon
against the strikers.
The faults in the organization Of
the union by allowing strikes to be de-
termined by a committee instead Of by
a referendum. and the faults in the or
ganization Of the Citizens Alliance by
allowing irresponsible mobs to repre-
sent it have disturbed the peace of the
counties in Colorado in which the con-
tlict had been waged to such an extent
that people outside of Colorado wonder
if there is any law or any law-abiding
citizens in that state. 1t is fact, how
ever, that order is being restored, for
there is a third party now interested
which is claiming the adherence of
the best elements in Colorado, and it Is
insisting that deportations. whether by
the Western Federation of Miners, or
under the instructions of the mine
owners association or citizens alli-
ance, shall cease"
The commissioner says the injunc-
tion granted recently by the United
States Courts to prevent interference
with the return of the deported min
ers may bring up the whole question
of the right to deport or whether de-
portation is crime under state or fed
eral laws.
The strike, as strike, is prac-
tically over" he says, and adds that
the character of the mob which con-
Quoted the deportation has opened the
eyes of the people of Colorado and Of
the country. And wholesale deporta
tions," he adds. probably never will
occur again In the unhappy history Of
the troubles in that state"
In the correspondence is letter
from Attorney General Moody to the
President, stating that he has the re-
port Of special attorney from the De-
partment Of Justice, who investigated
the Colorado troubles, but he was hold.
ing 1t subject to the order of the Presi.
dent.
Mr. Moody says the complainants
counsel did not ask for any specific
presentment to the grand jury, but
from the Withholding Of the report 1t
is inferred that recommendation for
prosecutions is made by the special at
torney.
The report Of Commissioner Wright
is dated September 16, 1904. President
dent Roosevelt in letter to the com.
missioner suggests that the report be
sent to him that he may send it to
Congress and make it public.