The wageworker., 1907-12-13
UNJUST TO ORGANIZED LABOR.

UNJUST TO ORGANIZED LABOR.
The press dispatches from Goldheld,
Nevada, are, of course, misleading.
They give a false impression OF the
Western Federation Of Miners and put
organized labor in a false light. The
Associated Press dispatches do this
SO regularly and SO persistently tnat
it is quite evident there Is deter
mined effort made to prejudice the
general public against trades unions.
There was absolutely no reason
why federal troops should have been
sent to Goldfield. There had been
NO trouble, NO rioting. no assaults,
no incendiarism. The sheriff OF the
county declared that everything was
quiet. The merchants and profess
sional men of the city insisted that
there was NO disturbance.
But there was a strike on, and the
federal government was used to
break a strike that was well founded
and which was just. The Western
Federation of Miners and the Mine
Owners Association of Goldfield have
a contract mutually entered into and
which covers the matter of hours,
wages, paydays, etc. Under this
contract the Mine Owners are obli-
gated to pay of the miners twice a
t. 1,f fnc fa
by the miners in order to save them
selves from company scrip" ''pluck-
me-stores" and the like. When the
financial furry came on the Mine
Owners paid in cashiers checks
and bank certificates" The miners
asked for currency or gold and were
told that the mine owners could not
get it. Then the miners asked the
mine owners to guarantee the fiat pa
PER" This the mine owners refused
to do. Thereupon the miners whl
are members of the Western Fedora
ton Of Miners struck, the employer;
having violated the contract. The
Mine Owners Association then wen
over the head Of the sheriff and aske.
the governor to ask for federal troops
The governor, evidently creature O
the mine owners, requested the fed
eral troops despite the protest of thu
sheriff, and against the wishes of tht
people of Goldfield. President Roose
welt Immediately honored the request
There Is no evidence that any fed
eral statute was violated. There Ii
TO evidence that any federal cour
decree was ignored. There is no evi
dence that the mails were interrupted
interstate commerce interfered witt
or federal property endangered. The
federal troops are being. used as :
private police force-a sort of Pink
erton agency-to break strike thai
is founded on justice and equity. The
federal government is letting tn;
federal troops be used to play the
selfish game OF the mine owners ani
help them violate q contract. IL this
is a precedent, then any body ci
workmen may be coerced by fedora
troops, and any employer eager te
violate a contract can be assured o.
the help of federal troops.
The Wageworker holds no brief fol
the Western Federation of Miners. j
cannot confess to red-hot admira
ton for its general administration
But 1t is made up of men who have
learned by bitter experience that i
they would hold their own they mus
play the game with the same card
used by the Mine Owners Associa
tions of the different districts. To.
often these cards have been dynamite
and Winchester rifles, but the min
owners associations have invariabl
started the game.
Now that federal troops are to b
used for breaking strikes and t
assist inscriptions employers to vic
late their contracts, it would seer
high time that workingmen quit pla.
ing the part of political fools and tool
and begin playing the political gam
in their own interests.
To the eminent republican organ