Iron County register., 1906-04-26

men robbed of their constitutional
rights by courts issuing injunc-
tions at the command of corpor-
ations owning the courts. But we
hare not yet seen innocent men sent to
the gallolcs to oblige organized capital.
And if that sight is to be Witnessed
in America it will not be because
of this newspapers failure to put
the facts before millions of Ameri-
can men-men able to prevent
such a horrible judicial crime if
manhood is in them. The governor
of Idaho having got these men in
his power by illegal means, now
disgraces himself and his State by
declaring them guilty of murder in
advance of any trial. 1t is known
to what extent the mine owners
o,en him. And it is known how
deeply those mine owners desire
the conviction and the hanging of
labor leaders whom they have not
been able to conquer in manly |
fashion. If by any chance the
men are guilty-and ,Ue ITO not for
one moment believe that they are-this |
newspaper will be firstto announce
the fact, upon presentation of evil
dence, and to demand their pun
ishment By hanging. For the man
who would injure the cause of
labor by cowardly murder should
be put out of the world. He is the
vilest and most dangerous crimi-
nal. On the other hand these men
shall not be railroaded to the GAL
lows on the perjured testimony of
any purchased liar and self-con-
fessed murderer. If there is man
hood in America to protest, these
men that gave their strength and
their fighting courage to defend
their fellow workmen and the sacred
ness of the American ballot, shall not
be hanged for crime of which
they are innocent in order to oblige
cowardly corporations that would
Stubborn perjury and commit legal
murder, in order to cut down the
wages of ten thousand workers.
Capital is powerful and manhood
has at times sunk pretty low in
America, but we haze not get reached,
let as hope, the stage of hanging the
innocent to oblige enthroned capi-
tal."
A few more words, from the pen
of Robert Hunter, l feel to be alb
solutely necessary to complete
this article: "No member of the
Western Federation has been con-
victed of any crime since the
strikes began. On the other hand
many detectives in the employ of
the Mine Owners Association have
been sent to prison convicted of
crimes, ranging from larcency to
homicide. Although the whole
machinery of justice is in the
hands of the mine owners; al
: though Meyer was kept in bull
pen for three months without trial,
and although indictments have
been drawn in large number and
with endless repetitions against
7 the officers of the Federation, the
! court records show only long
succession of failures to convict,
and of failures even to carry the
cases through to the point of a
, verdict. Union men are again ac-
cused of most outrageous crime.
And as they have in previous in
+, stances shown themselves inno-
= cent, l am convinced they will also
! show themselves innocent in this
instance. But two friends, in
= whose word l have absolute con-
s fidence, have gone to Denver
= especially to investigate this mat
v ter, and both report that there is a
conspiracy on the part of the mine
owners, or their agents, to hang
these men in order to disrupt the
Union. This is strong language,
but when an association has beer
q caught doing that sort of thing be-
Q fore, one begins to believe it may
/ again be guilty. This is the story
of a previous confession of a
similar character: Fl. H. McKin-
1 ney in December, 1908, made a
q confession to a detective of the
Mine Owners Association, charg-
ling three prominent members ot
the Western Federation of Miners
II with having been active partici
: pants, or accessories before the
u fact, in two attempts at trair
i wrecking. Later, he repented and
}. made another confession, stating
d that he had been promised i'm.
r. munity from punishment, $1,000 in
' cash and transportation for him
o self and family to any part of the
g world, if he would make it appear
g that the three innocent men were
= implicated in this terrible crime
: 1t was finally proved that McKin.
ney and agents of the Mine Own.
g ers Association had themselves
n committed these crimes. (See
Carroll D. Wright, Labor Troubles
in Colorado, pages S9-19O. Wher
an association offers a man, kno WI
to have committed an outrageous
:. crime, immunity from punishment
~ thousand dollars in money anc
n transportation to any part of the
a world, provided that he will bea,
It false witness against perfectly in
: nocent Union men, SO that they
may be imprisoned or hanged
: that association is capable Of any
h thing. 1t looks from such light al
= we have on the present case tina
# the mine owners are up to their ole
methods, namely: of conspirinl
to implicate innocent men becaus,
j. thew are U1oiOn rneno