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

IueDlo, IOlorauo, June 20, 10 23,
1904 is the following:
Local union aao4, Majestic, Col
orado. Michael Driscoll came in
structed to continue the strike;
women and children very badly in
need of shoes and clothes, many of
them going around with gunny sacks
on their feet "
The fact is, and challenge John
Mitchell to deny il, that 70, 900 men,
women and children, engaged in one
of the most righteous strikes that the
disinherited masses Of this country
have ever waged, we're living on sra
600 per week, or 6S cents per capita
week. Out of 63 cents per week
those people who had been thrown
from their homes and had in many
cases lost their furniture, clothes
and bedding, were compelled TO buy
tents or pay rent, buy food, clothes
and coal. During all the long win
ter of 1908 and 'o4 70, 900 men,
women and children we're encamped
on the barren hills and in the DESC
lated canyons of Colorado, New
Mexico and Utah; 10, 900 men,
women and children pitting their
hungry stomachs against the iron
power of corporate despotism; To-
600 men, women and children cold,
hungry and dressed in gunny sacks,
while you Mr.. Mitchell, discussed
the labor question over the banquet
board with Civic Federationists and
the Denver citizens alliance.
From November, 1905, until July
1904. you allowed the miners of
Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to
starve, until one by one they had to
large extent been starved into sub
mission. Finally, on July {, 1904,
you withdrew support altogether
from the strikers.
The miners, having in district
convention decided that a victory
might vet be won. and some couceS-
sion gained from the coal companies.
decided to fight on-to go down in
defeat if it must be. but to never
surrender-and they sent solicitors
throughout the east to beg assistance
from the eastern miners. But Tohn
Mitchell, to crown your infamy. YOU
did everything possible to prevent
the eastern miners from giving as
sistance to the Colorado Utah strik-
ers. | believe if it had not been for
the traitorous actions of yourself,
Mr.. Mitchell, the eastern miners
would have been generous in res
ponse of the cry of distress from the
west.
Between the rank and file of the
eastern and western miners there is
no enmity, no jealousy; we have a
common cause, a common hope.
The time is coming when John
Mitchell and leaders of his type.
who have fastened themselves like
barnacles upon our organization,
will be scraped off and thrown into
the scrap pile, and the coal miners
of the anthracite district, the central
bituminous field and the far west;
and the metaliferous miners of Brit
ish Columbia, the Rocky Mountain
region, Missouri and Michigan. will
be united under one standard and
all together will struggle forward to
uplift the enslaved masses, and bat
tie for the overthrow of industrial
slavery.
Let me ask you, Mr.. Mitchell,
does the money in the local treasu-
ries belong to you, that you must
guard it SO zealously2 Let me ask
you why, after you had refused to
give them support, you felt impelled
by an overpowering sense of duty.
to prevent the local unions from
contributing
Is it any wonder, then, that the
defeated miners of Colorado, Utah
and New Mexico look upon you as
greater enemy to them than are the
brutal coal Companieso