Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-10

>HE arrest OF President Charlie
II. Meyer and Secretary William
d. Haywood OF the Western
Federation OF Miners. In Den.
yer, Colo, on Sunday night last ana
their prompt extradition into Idaho on
charge OF melting the murder of ex.
Governor Frank Steunenberg, the war
governor" Of Idaho. marks most as
founding and portentious turn in the
history of western labor unions In this
country, says Francis Benson in the
New York Evening Post.
The Western Federation OF Miners
extends its domain over six states and
territories, where mines aud mining are
strong factors In the welfare of the
people--ldaho, Montana, Colorado Ne
vada. Utah. and New Mexico. Polite
ally and industrially, the federation has
been powerful enough to be the arbltef
OF the destlnies OF every laborer IN
them.
Ii has been strong enough to coerce
allied business interests, and TO first
Cajole and then whip into line other
state ana national labor organizations,
and finally to stand alone whenever the
support OF Mr.. Mitchell's United Mine
Workers or Mr.. Gompers' American
Federation OF Labor has been with
drawn.
II has been so strong that few OF tho
thousands OF assaults. murders, and
mysterious disappearances that have
occurred In thS distrcta controlled by
the federation has ever been seriously
investigated. Police officials elected by
federation votes, did not care TO catch
one OF their brothers red handed, and no
man would have dared testify against
him II they had Accidents" were By
common consent the explanation of the
mysterious dispensations Of Providence.
calculated 10 put the fear Of God into
Che heart OF employers or non-union
men In roughly pcopled, isolated
mountainous country.
PRESIDENT MOVER a FIGURE
HEAD.
President Meyer 1t IL conceded. is bur
The figurehead OF the Western Fedora
tion. Secretary and Treasurer William
d. Haywood Is the brains OF the or
ganization. and a shrewdcr, more al.
dacious manipulation cannot be found
west Of the Rocky mountains.
Mr.. Meyer Is big, heavy-set, thick
necked illiterate. worklngman, conl
vinclng front for the structure he rep
resents. Secretary Haywood Is lltho
and tall, considerably over six feet IN
height, alert. cool, and plausible. He
could have been president Of the fed
Grafton at any time he desired but as
secretary--and treasurer--of the. organi-
zatlon. with a pliable president his
power and scope have been Infinitely
stronger. Secretary Haywood also
came from the ranks Of the men he
controls. An unskilful blast destroyed
the sight Of one eye, but a profile pic
ture Of Mr.. Haywood shows clean
type Of a man, one whose foresight has
beef--until ow-extraordipOry.
When the entire state of Colorado
was aroused by the Cripple Creek
struggle, and the whole OF the United
States and Europe was interested In the
outcome, Mr.. Haywood played his men
against Governor Peabody the national
Guard. and the desperate Mine owners
association without falter.
A cage" with Is non-union miners
was dropped i,400 feet down the dark
abyss OF the Independence shaft, AMI
mutiiated bits of human flesh strewn
along the dark walls for thousand
feet; Superintendent Mccormack and
Foreman Beck were blown to atoms
on the sixth level Of the indicator
and pieces OF the Internal machine that
did the deadly work were easily found
mn attempt TO derail a train with 21S
mem bers OF the military with their
wives and children, and 10 hurl them
down 300-foo preclpice was made
after midnight Of a winters night; the
dynamite fend was more successful "a
catching a night shift AZ IL waited for
the down train at o'clock one morn
ing, and IA non-union men were torn
limb from limb and flung to the four,
winds by the blast that wrecked the
Independence station. The fact that
the train was ahead Of time and came
whlstling UP while the rest OF the crew
were hundred feet down the trail, was
the only thing that prevented the
slaughter Of hundred more non-union
workmen. However, the fate Of the IL
was strong lesson. Every now and
then these things happened. until public
sentiment almost demanded that the
strike be yielded to the federation IN
the name Of humanity.
The governor of Colorado and his ma
tional guard worked overtime, mine
owners ragged and politicians oil over
the state took sides in a personal fight,
but Secretary Haywood sat In the Dem
yer headquarters OF the Federation and
ateered Its course so sklfully that
unions all through the east assessed
each member from ten cents a week to
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