The Elbert County tribune., 1906-03-01
MURDER WILL OUT, TRUTH WILL
RISE AGAIN.


Whatever may be the final outcome OF
the arrest of Meyer and Haywood and
other officers Of the Western Federation
of Miners in connection with the assassi-
nation of former Gov. Steunenberg of
Idaho, there is every reason to believe
that the whole truth about the plots
against life and property aud the reign
of lawlessness that was melted with
view to compelling Colorado mine own,
ers to surrender the control Of their
mines into the hands OF the organization,
will ultimately come out Of that tragedy
The peace officers who have been work
ing on the Cripple Creek murders un-
tiringly from the day of the revolution
which grew out of the Indignation Of the
people over the Independence depot out
rage have only begun after all the
months to make substantial progress
toward the discovery OF the culprits.
The very impossibility of Jealous work
making the least appearance Of progress
until the arrest of Orchard for the Steun-
enberg assassination provided long
needed key to the crimes, shows how
completely the organization must have
done its work, how closely bound were
the perpetrators of the assassinations
and how effective was the organization
in its lawless, devilish operations.
Nothing is more to be desired than
the truth about these murderous plots
and the organization that is now gener-
ally held in the public mind to have been
guilty of their perpetration. No ques-
ton has ever so divided the people Of
Colorado as that of the right and wrong
of the Cripple Creek and Telluride
strikes and the means the state was com
PEELED to employ to put down an insur-
rection of law breakers who hesitated at
nothing that would help them set aside
all law and all authority.
There was never in the history OF any
state such another bitter contest waged
against its authority, and yet, strange as
it may appear, SO industrious had aiders
end abettors of this lawless element been
in representing to the public that they
were patriots engaged in holy fight for
the rights of downtrodden workingmen,
that large share of the people who love
only right and justice and have nothing
in common with lawlessness enlisted
and joined them in their abuse and de-
fiance of the state. Made for political
purposes. this false sympathy cana NJ
too near completing its disruption OF law
and order by fastening this lawless
organization upon the state government
A calamity that would have been ire
parable was all but brought about Law
loving citizens all but placed their own
welfare and that of the state whose laws
they revere and whose upbuilding they
hold dear, into the keeping of men who
respect no law, revere nothing and mock
for justice, for good government in our
republic.
Politicians and the political organs Of
that most persistent of Colorado politi-
clans, Senator Thomas NJ. Patterson, by
their sympathy and support, were re-
sponsible for prolonging war into
which the state was forced in order to
preserve its integrity, for many months
after the lawfully constituted peace Off
GERS might have put it down but for
their zeal in aiding the lawless element
and arousing the people into false posi-
ton with their Misrepresentation Of
facts about and the purposes of the ag.
gressors. The Cripple Creek and Tellur-
ide outbreak against law and property
possession would have been quelled in a
week had not these political self seekers
urged on and supported the lawless
State and people would have been saved
millions of dollars in business and in
actual expenses of conflict. The bust
ness of the people would have been re-
stored months earlier and the prosperity
we are now enjoying would have been
all the greater had the state been per
mitted to exert its power and lawful
authority without hindrance
Out of the arrest OF the officials Of the
Federation the truth will come. Wheth-
er or not they are guilty, their trial
should clear up much and lead to the
discovery of the active agents OF the
crimes. The fact of their arrest, after
two months of diligent pursuit of the
pathway to truth opened through the
arrest of Orchard, is itself step toward
discovering the true inwardness of the
plots, and promises important light on
the past troubles.
Murder will out. Truth will rise
again. The day is not far off when all
will know the facts about an era of law
lessness of which many good Cnlorndn