Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-18
The Trouble at GoIdfieId,

comes to the Journal through the kind
ness of a friend gives US some interest
ing light on the present labor troubles
in the great Nevada mining camp
Practically the whole ISSUE it is that of
Dec. I, is devoted to news and comment
on the situation which had then Just
led to tn" call on the national govern
ment for troops. The editor of the
that the worst things said in recent
years about the operations of the West
ern Federation of Miners in Idaho and
Colorado are none too bad to be said
about it's work in Goldfeld. He saws
that the closing of the mines and the
presence of the troops are the result of
a long series of abuses which the mine
owners and the business men of the
camp endured at the hands of this or
ganization until further liberation
meant utter ruin. The highest wages
in the world were paid and wages and
hours have never been a question. The
mine operators encouraged the union
for it was easier to handle the men
through an organization than as in
dividuals. Here is what happened as
the News tells it, and the News ought
to know.
But as time went by. it came to be
realized that the local branch of the
Western Federation of Miners was not
devoting itself to it's Fundamental p,lr-
poses of protecting its members and
seeking to better their welfare, but that
1t had resolved itself into a quasi-politi-
cal organization. socialistic and an
archlstic in spirit and principle. whose
END was the destruction OF all property
rights and the leveling Of all men to n
common property basis; and that in
stead of building up, it's purpose was
TO tear down. Its Haunted tenant was
that there was nothing in common be-
tween employer and employed, with the
practica! application of injuriny the in
terests of employer whenever and
Wherever opportunity presented
The well defined and announced pur-
pose OF the Miners union was 20 bring
about the final determination of the
mine owning aristocracy," and the con-
fiscation of the mines by the linen who
made them"
I" the final accomplishment of this
purpose. the Fedora ton sent into this
camp its most able radical and deter
mined leaders; men who had seen SER
vice in other mining camps and who
had directed affairs i'm other ''labor
wars They were pronounced social
lists. opposed to all settled conditions of
society. and who were not opposed to
the use of violence in the accomplish
nlent Of their ends. These men have
kept the Goldfeld district in con-
slant state of unrest and turmoil
They have engendered bitterness and
class hatred and encOura ged the vio-
latIon of law. They have been over
bearing. dictatnrial and insolcnt. and es-
SaNed to run tho camp and rule it with
an IRON hand. They took it upon them
selves as dictatOra to say who should
and who should not be permitted TO
come into this camp to mine or to en-
gage in business. Anyone who had
shown Independence in the conduct of
MS business elsewhere and had not cy-
hibitcd the proper Difference TO them
as the lords of labor, were met at the
edge Of the camp and forced to turn
back. Many man. upright and re-
speCted. who sought Goldficd as his
place OF residence and operation was
considered by the inquisition and given
notice to leave camp under pcnalt,-
of death. and many another man who
had acquired residence and interests in
trOIGtIplI n
displcasure of the union. was deported
ana forced to abandon his family and
his every interest. These so-calIed
labor leaders stopped to the most dast-
ardly forms of coercion They sneal<ed
upon their victims in the night. tore
them from their families. perhaps. and
marched theri out Of town, beating and
Kicking them at every step. or nrodding
them with sticks and guns and in many
instances torturing them until they fell
in their tracks In fact many q man
has entirely disappeared never 10 be
heard Of since. And the shame of it all
is they tcrrorized the minions of the
law, and there has never been a single
arrest or conviction of union thug
for deportations. SO much for the crime
and terror these men have brought into
tIliS CstHip
But the industrial conditions these
labor autocrats have brought about |
have been ever more intolerable Strike |
has followed strike until the business
of tho camp is almost destroyed and |
Goldficl1 has become district to be |
Stunned by every man with q dollar to
invest. 1t 10 Impossible for a business
man f" engage in any pursuit without |
The possibility of calculating ahead. y
merchant cannot lay in q stock Of goods |
and establish credit unless he mas an
assurance of what his business will be
from time TO time. A man Will not put
cent into building unless he car
figure out the probable future of his in
vestment. But with ono strike follow
ing another. with mines closing dow n
and til" current Of business interrupted
at frequent and unexpected times. upon
the ncrest pretaXt or no pretext
at all except to raise hnll and
keep it popping" there was only
ono inevitable result. and that
was ruin to all business and
mining cnterpriscs-cOmplete and IT.
retricvahle ruin. Because of these in
Tt-s, III I.t..