The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-04-06
.EUGENE DEBS PRESENTS ~:
k|DNAP'| Nc OF MINERS
Greatest of Labor Writers
Discusses Status of Idaho
Conspiracy.
Presents Virile Pen Picture of
Most Brazen Crime
Against Justice.

AA6SSAAASV " SS~OAO~s
"The trial of Charles H. Mover.
William D. Haywood and George H.
Pettibone, national officers of the
Western Federation of Miners, on
the grave charge of completely in
murder, is pregnant with great pos
sibilities for the labor movement.
"That three men so high in Of
ficial station and so widely and ia
vorably known in labor circles
should be accused of the crime of
murder is in itself sufficiently ex-
traordinary, but wflen to this are
added the sensational KIDNAPPING of
these men by armed force and their
secret abduction by the governors
of two sovereign states 1t can be
readily understood why the whole
world of organized labor is aroused
as never before in all its history and
why the trial promises to mark dis
tinctly an important epoch in the labor
movement.
1T is to present this case briefly to
the labor unions Of the country and to
show them that there is in this con-
spiracy an tnsidious and dangerous at
tack upon organized labor that this
article is written.
Conspiracy Against Labor.
1T is we'll understood that there has
long been a state Of active warfare
between mine owners and the organic
ed mine workers of Colorado and other
western states. This warfare has been
marked by a long series Of outrages
and crimes, most of which the mine
owners have sought to fasten upon the
mine workers, but not one of which
has ever been successfully proved in
the courts or otherwise against the
unions or their leaders.
ION the other hand, a number Of
crimes against labor have been proved
against the organized mine and smelt-
err owners, the western allies of the
Standard Oil company, chief Of which
was their bold and bodily purchase of
the legislature of Colorado, which has
been commanded by a popular ma
jority of almost $4,000 votes to enact
a law providing an eight-hour work
day for men employed in and about
mines and shelters. This law had
been enacted by previous legislature,
but declared unconstitutional by the
supreme court at the behest Of the
mine owners. 1t was then submitted
to the people of the state in the form
Of a constitutional amendment, and
the election returns show that it was
carried by an overwhelming majority
but in spite Of this the following leg
islature, instead Of giving heed to tho
voice of the people, basely betrayed it's
trust, and it is a matter of common
notoriety that the cause of their apost-
acy was their cash purchase at so
much per vote by the mine and smelt-
er combine.
Mine Owners Crimes.
"This corruption Of the legislature
and defiance of the peoples expressed
will was the starting point of most
Of the troubles, including the strikes,
which have occurred In Colorado dur
ing the past few years, one of the In
cidents Of which was the kidnapping Of
the officials of the Western Federation
of Miners not because they were guilty
of crime, but to fasten infamy upon
their names, discredit their union and
thus destroy organized labor.
'These men have been charged with
completely in, the assassination of ex-
Governor Steunenberg of Idaho in De-
cember, 1905. AS a matter of fact,
they could have had no possible mo-
and they were almost a thousand miles
from the scene Of its execution.
mot withstanding this fact an
affidavit charging them with being on
the ground when the crime was COM
mitted was made by the prosecuting
| attorney as a basis for a secret requi-
| sition for the extradition of the de-
| PENDANTS from their homes in Denver
! to the place where the crime was COM
| mitted and where the greatest preju-
| dice had been aroused against the
| Western Federation and it's officers by
the public officials, including the gov.
ernor Of the state, who were vel
known to be in sympathetic alliance
with the Mine Owners association.
! Infamy Of Prosecution.
| "The requisition thus issued was
honored in secret by. Governor Nc.
Donald of Colorado, himself a mine
owner and intensely hostile to organic
ed labor, and, awaiting a favorable
opportunity, the secret service me1
of the two governors bounced upon tn
three labor officials in the dead hour!
of the night, and without giving then
a chance to ask a question, utter {
protest, consult lawyer or even sent
word to their families they were Sec
reilly locked in separate cells of thu
county Jail, and at o'clock in thu
morning a Union Pacific special trai1
which was provided by the railroad
company rushed them at a high rate
Of speed to Boise, Idaho, where they
were placed In separate cells of the
state penitentiary under heavy guard
'This is the story in very brie.
form but every word of it is absolutel,
true and can be easily verified. In
deed, there has been no attempt t.
deny it, even by the kidnapping gov
errors themselves or any of their nu
merous mercenaries.
| 1.-THE constitution Of the United
States was fagrantly violated whe1
these men seized and deported by
| orrood foroo ard doniod oil tho ,,rixyi1