The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-08-17
REFLECTIONS ON THE
IRON RANCE TROUBLES
Pertinent Comments on the Situa-
ton by Little Falls
Herald.
Contrast Between Acts of Steel
Magnates and Common
Miners.


Little Falls Herald is one OF the keen
est and most fearless editorial writer's
in this state. In recent issue he
penned the following pungent, but alb
solutely truthful observations about
matters and things on the Mesaba
Range:
There's trouble on the Iron Range.
Some years ago there was an in
tensely exciting campaign in the ma
ton. Everybody got worked up over
the issues, and many good folks
thought national honr and prosperity
would be wrecked if a certain party
won. Nowhere was the contest more
intense than in what was then the
Sixth Minnesota congressional district,
which included the Iron Range.
The contest over governor and con-
gresham was as fierce as over the
national ticket.
A certain party won. The steel
trust was on the side of that party,
and the several thousand miners. on
the range voted as the steel trust de-
| sired. That's a matter Of history as
we'll as the methods used to intimi-
system by which tickets of a certain
color presented at the polls showed
the election judges that the bearer
thereof should have the great privi-
lege Of voting as his employer wished.
And so thankful were the winning
party over this vote, that in their pro-
cessions celebrating the result Of the
most corrupt election ever held in
America, banners were borne with the
inscription-'God bless the Range.
The vote of the unlettered miners
elected governor and congressman.
And all was well.
But now dangerous men have ap-
peared. They urge the miners to get
together for purposes of mutual bene-
fit; they point to good results else
where from co-operation; they are abb
surd enough to say that if the great
| may combine, so may the little; they
have peculiar ideas as to economies
which they inculcate, ideas which we
may not agree with, even despise, but
which are the privilege Of everyone
who uses the brains the Lord gave
him, and which, while they may shake
established order a little, will become
dangerous only as attempt is made to
sit too hard on the safety valve.
Therefore, there is trouble" on the
range, and familiar talk Of anarchists
The starry banner is the best and
most beautiful Of flags, thank God
beautiful for what it means as we'll as
in its red, white and blue, but it is not
much worse for some miner to wave
dirty piece of red cloth than it is for
commercial pirate like Hartman and
Morgan, and some of the eminent
gentlemen in the steel trust, to wave
the American flag so that people will
forget what they are trying to do to
the land which is symboli5ed by the
flag. The miner must be taught that
to faunt a red cloth is unnecessary,
foolish, wrong and absurd as a remedy
for ills he thinks exists, that educa-
ton and cooperation and intelligent,
use Of the privilege of suffrage, is the
best means toward Improvement,
economic and civil, and that the star
spangled banner means protection to
him as we'll as to the monopolist.
Some dangerous men have been
members of the Western Federation
Of. Miners. Very likely. And we all
know that. some very dangerous men
are interested in the great steel trust.
Corporation on that account is no
worse for one body than the other.
In the west the federation has forced
child labor laws, better sanitation: In
mines and shorter work hours. Moth
ing very bad about that: But ''busi-
ness wants things quiet; prefers a
benevolent despotism," forgetting that
men prefer freedom to favor from
despots, BENEVOLENT or otherwise:
wants vested rights protected. and
while shouting for law and order,
threatens to tar and feather "agita-
tors" said agitators being individuals
who have certain opinions which are
disagreeable to the powers that be-
There should be common sense on
the range, no anarchy, no threats, and
no hysteria. ss III
Mr.. Union Man: -N otify your cleth-
Ter that the Bell Phone - Untair.s