The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1907-03-16
THE LABOR SITUATION IN GOLDFIELD

I'll LAOOk H. VII II
The differences between the various labor organizations IF aoidheld have
become SC extreme and violent hat 1t seems the en.le Is ABOUT 70 DC
thrown into a condition bordering IN civil war; unless sharp m decisive a"0n
is taken.
At thu Jour of this writing, every nan OF the stret-and the streets are
crowded, is a walking arsenal; evay stores and office is guarded; every mine M
business house. preparing to CLOSET its doors for an indefinite period until II
late ~ s smanon is in o wise due to n differences between capital and labor
between employer AM employee. Wages are at the highest, hours are tn most
satisfactory and work more plentiful than e before in the history Of te camp
HI futureo of the camp vas expanding most goriOuay Strike after strike "a
,aro made M peone and money were beginning to pur in as neve before
Everything pointed to al unprecedented year Of prosperity growth. N aOuna
mt reward. All at oncet HI camp is thrown int nfuao ana ascora' aa ousl
ness paralyzed to the point of complete suspension, INC man is phted against
man, neighbor against naghbor with the whole town in terror
To what is this situation attributable, and what is the duty of the business
,an- the Law and order element of thisc community in this rsis7
The business and mining interests # aoldheld have not brought his STATE
81 anals up0n 1nsns"s's Am 10y oarant stws n npe and neither minstones
and vii be ground to piecesu unless there is a change for the fight is between two
great labor organizations hereditary enemies which seem to ha chosen Gold
whatsver nav o the business and industrial interests of aoldaed- But the
men IF aldhad have rights-vast interests, that aust be protected and
it looks as if they will AVE to look ut or themselves in this emergency.
It is a happy condition that tn mining. and business mel Of aoldheld tor
oughy understand each other and are sc harmonious IN al their actions m re1
tons To such a degree is this tn case mat II mao never Den iounu nsessIs
to hv any business or mining mems organization for offensive oil defensive
purposes When emergencies had arisen a single word passed along tn Inc met
the occurrence of ALL and produced united acuon' % j" IS Au WIZ o' ~ inc
present emergency.
anaNze the incidents mi forces that AVE led u to the present emergency.
There are two distinct national labor organizations in thu United States
whose objects and methods are almost Numerically opposite Both profess to be
organized fol III welfar of h working classes One believes that the best well
fare # The working mantle sproaucr'-as he is called, ns in a state of
society known as socialism, where there is % distinction in thu ownership of
property. and where al people are reduced to ne political social N property
level To accomplish this state Of socialism, they would bring about a union f
all thu socaned working classes of III country, under n leadership. And to
bring III working clases Il hi one nm eveL they would destroy the 1ndv1dual
trades union and aus the apen'e prn'ers macnnS's am o.nel sAnsa
trades to loe their identity by merging themselves with common laborers into
me vast organization known as the Industrial Workers of the World. With such
a. gan ma amu..var ~ = "canitausttc class !" as the choose to cal them. they
would bnng about a general conhict-a civil WARMTH the sole purpose of
changing h political character n system II our government, n reduce the
snnsIc to a form Of socialism. OF course this means revolution; nd force"
al in all revolutions, is the very essence of the programme At the head If this
organization is Eugene " Debs
Tn. other national labor organization, is known as the American Federation
of Labor This great aggregation has at its head such men as Samuel aompers
and John Mitchell, known m respected throughout the world. The purpose Of
this organization is to organize every skilled trade in the country into iss epar
ate union, and federatet the various unions under M general organization with
the sole purpose of elevatng labor generally and of protecting their people
against unjust aggresdons OF employers, and settling them in the enjoyments of
the FULL recompense OF their labor. Their motto is Arbitration" This is a
patdotic organization. loyal to the vernme and exstingin institutions. The
American Federation of Labor is lot political in any ense but is organized to
secure III best station possible for the hboring man. under a just equation and
thu prevailing political conditions.
The Industrial Workers Of the World were Ii first upon the ground lin the
camp of Goldfdd. This was natural. as the miners arr members If the l. w. w.
and TIL miners monh here is a strong and constituent element of that organza-
tin They began early their programme of forcing all wage workers int their
union. They went III into the highways and byways and urged all to m in
the miners OIL the hills to the denizens of the forbidden districts from
the BAN clerks, stenographers n store clerks to the shwashers M scav-
ing.ls in the back alley; all were invited yes, forced by intimidation, to join the
movement.
But there were ONE skilled trades that had their wi organization ant were
a past of either their own national and international orders, or we're amiated
With Thu American Federation of Labor. The L W. W. leveled their gus upon
these. md for months have brought the whole force of their combined strength
penters. masOns ct al, and the printers, who nav an International organization
of the1o wn-the grandet, mos powerful and most benehcent of them all. As
members If their W national organizations they could not if they would, join
any other
These skilled trades remaining obdurate and independent. then began the
urual programme If the L W. w-fome. boycott, intimidation. warning letters
eportatons and-murder. In the meantime. various trades and occupations
v+ n+iion after petition to he American Federation If Labor to send in an
rq,uizr that they might find shelter under a general organization whose
usthcas we're peaceful md whose principals were patriotic and law abiding
The reare sentatiye of the American Federation arrived upon. the ground, an the
inevitable clash and conflict began A criss vas at hand. and it vas up to the
of the camp mine owners an operators and the business men-up
To them 70 act
the had little Of 10 dtmculty in arriving at a course to be pursued. II was their
duty 10 themselves and % the community to tai active n decisive steps as
against the element that had disorganized business M brought tn camps to the
= sNf defepset hsy declared AGAINST the Industrial Work