Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-01-06

Beico Statesman,
1t 10 probable that very few people /
in the country longer confuse the issue /
which confronted Governor 6teunen- |
berg In the Occur d'Alenes. II was not
unionism against which he wagcd such
determined war, but = clique Of dec.
perate men banded together to control
the unions Of that section and rule un.
der regime Of terr0rism.
These men, acting through central
organization known ~ the Inner cir.
cle," seiSed control OF the unions and
were their absolute masters. They had
Z system Of rewards and punishmenfs.
Those were eligible for advancement
In the management OF . union who
demonstrated they were disposed TO DO
the will OF the real masters. and thus
II came about that the spirit OF union
ism was destroyed In the management
Of those organizations.
Hundreds Of nne men belonged. paid
their dues, attended meetings, did sen
orally a. they were expected to do. ana
went along peacefully about their oc-
cupations. But the grip Of the law
less element In control was 10 strong
that. at the command Of the leadern,
a thousand men joined in the destruc-
ton and violence OF April. 1899. There
were hundred of well.meantng men
concerned In that outrage because they
bid, 90 thoroughly had It been demon-
strated that those who should not obey
orders would be terribly punished. One
member of the mob who had expressed
J dissent before the descent was made.
was killed by his companions during
, the attack upon the mill and 1t was
boasted by some OF the leaders at the
time that he was slain because OF MS
/ opposition to the plan.
ii Thus 1t came about that the Occur
d'Alene unions were distorted until
9 they were AZ far from the principles
. OF unionism az one pole II from the
e other. The autocratic power of the in
ner circle was exercised against union
men AZ relentlessly ~ against those
not members Of the union: Whenever
: a union man showed disposition tc
O criticise, he was ordered out -0f ths
= country, and men receiving such or.
:, ders nearly always went. Those thai
u failed to heed the admOnitiOn were
It dealt with terribly.
: The methods Of the Occur dAlenei
% permeated the management OF the min
er's organizations In some other places
: and has found apostles in the centra
II organization. men deeply imbued witt
that spirit holding high positions In thu
federation. and. when the troubles oc
Cured In Colorado in 1895 and agar
3 In 1904, the same methods were IN
1t yoked that had made the Idaho distric
"a a scene OF lawlessness for such lonl
:. period.
.. When the climax came In the Coeu
81 d'Alenes and Governor Steunenberf
e realizing he was dealing with caba
OF desperate men controlling a larg
number OF others through their pecu
GO liar methods, called for troops and too
ne hold OF the situation with determi
D. nation to make that district suitabl
an once more for any who wished to 9
there, the leaders-the members OF tn
o. inner circle-and their tools at once q
i? up the cry that union labor was bein
he oppressed. The mistake was then mad
or in many sections Of the country OF at
cepting that view OF the matter. an
We the lawless elements in the mining dis
by trict that the governor was seeking
on bring under control received encoul
90 agement and assistance from all set
TONS Many honest union men wei
e- led into the belief that 1t was cor
test against unionism.
he Honest men Of every class and COZ
- dition now know what the truth Wi
OIL and there II none such who condemn
all Governor SteunenberR for what he d
led then. They realize It was necessa
MD and that he would have been recrea
to duty had he not pursued the cour
he did.
Still the fact must NOT De oVeriooN
zen that there were a great many men
Inv, Ion cling to those unions who adopt
the theories of the leaders and lie
10 themselves gladly as willing tools
=? the carrying out of any scheme OF VI
ery lence that was assigned to them
~ perform. OF the thousand men "
descended upon kellogg on that drea
ms full April day. there were large pl
nay portion who fully approved such met
be DDS and revelled In the wild spirit
=. riot and murder Those lawless m
80 who laid the foundations Of the syst
yer. had thus absolutely distorted the sp
cost OF unionism in the minds OF Rr
less number Of the men coming under tn
.ver sway.
wei That class OF leaders and that cl
ing of followers still exist. and 1t Is to
and hoped that every man. whether uni
for or non union. whether he belongs to
organized trade or occupation or Is G
ployed in one that Is not organized.
ne ready to lend his influence to re