The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1907-05-16

In many respects the most interest
ing case, and the most important that
has ever taken place in the United
States, is the trial of Haywood, Petit
bone and Meyer in Boise City, Idaho,
on the charge of numbering ex-Gov.
Steunenberg of Idaho. These men
are citizens of Colorado, and they
were not in the State of Idaho when
the crime was committed. 1t is ad-
mitted that none of them personally
was interested in the deed, and there
has never been any proof that they
were implicated in any other murder.
There has been a fight of several
years standing between the Mine
Owners Association and the Western
Federation of Miners. The latter
have been trying for some time to
secure an eight-hour day This be-
came several years ago a State issue,
and both political parties favored 1t.
But when the matter came up before
the legislature, the Mine Owners AS
soeiation corrupted enough legisla-
tors TO kill it. This was the begin
ming of the real trouble. There were
crimes committed just as there were
in the anthracite coal strike, and just
as are now being committed in San
Francisco. We don't defend anything
of this kind. But the career Of the
Mine Owners Association has been
stained by the commission of a series
of crimes almost unparalleled in
history.
Not very long ago a Democrat was
elected governor of Colorado over a
Republican who was mine owner.
There was absolutely no doubt of the
election of the Democrat, but fiimsy
contest was gotten up and the case
was thrown into the legislature. The
Democrat was prevented from taking
his seat; but even corrupt leglsia-
ture did not dare seat the Republican.
AS a result a Republican lieutenant
governor served out the term to
which a Democrat had been elected.
This knave was a plant tool in the
hands of the mine owners. There
have been many accounts of the ca
-Yeer of crime of the Western Fedora
,tion of Miners in those papers that
have always been bitterly hostile to
the poor and working classes. One
of these was published recently in
the New York Evening Post, and 1t
provoked the following pertinent let
ter from Upton Sinclair:
''Sir-I have read your account of
the alleged crimes of the western
Federation of Miners. Will you per-
nit me to suggest that fair play now
requires that you print an account
of the career of crime Of the capital
istic class of Colorado. This will in
ciude the repeated defeat, by open
and fragrant bribery, of the people
in their attempt to establish an eight
hour day; the seizing by fraud of the
branches of the government, and the
suppression of every constitutions
right - freedom of speech and Of
press, and liberty of person. 1t viii
include the breaking of a strike by
military force; the wholesale deport
ing of men and women for no offense
but that of "agitating"; and the pro
curing of designations of elected off
cials by means of ropes about theil
necks. 1t will also include the kid
mapping by official acts Of two mel
accused of murder upon evidence
procured by torture.
Upton Sinclair.
New York, April 27.
The response of the Post to thi
letter was evasive and was PRACTICAL,
a confession of guilt. What we wisl
to make plain, however, is that tn
Mine Owners Association is a crfmi
nal organization, said to be controlle'
by the Standard Oil crew of pirates
and that there are more know
crimes credited to it than the FEEDER