The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1907-07-27
THE FEDERATION AND wATcHMEN

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The proposition voted upon by the local miners union, Thursday, vas not
whether the new constitution of the Western Federation Of Miners should be
sustained, but wal directly upon ne proposition embodied in their fundamental
law, towit; that all men employed about a mine Including watchmsn) must be
under the Jurisdiction Of the Western Federation Of Miners.
That is all there is to it, The high graders have been grumbnng or som
time because tn mine operators have put watchmen in the mines TO prevent high
grading as much as possible and they have been trying to force the mine opera
tors under threat Of strike. u employ men to their w liking, demanding that
they be members of the Western Federation But the mine owners have not
seen it that way. and they refuse to see it that way. They win employ watch
men of their W choice to watch their property Or they will Close down the
mines 1t is a monstrously absurd proposition that thieves should choose the
men who are 20 stand guard over them.
The VOTE Thursday evidenced two things; one. that a large proportion of the
members Of the local unona ire honestm en and object to turning their union into
a Western Federation O. Thieves They voted against the entire constitution,
rather than approve the clause which makes of the union a fence for high
graders They know why that provision was inserted in the constitution which
gives the union Jurisdiction overa all men working in and around the mines There
was no principal Of mionism in it. It was merely that the owners of the mines
should lot be able to place anyone upon their property who would in any way
with free and easy looting. .High grading made easy. - is what they
would like to force the banks t0 employ watchmsn who are members in good
standing of the Cracksmens' order, which would insure another and parallel case
property to organized piracy; and they are sustained by that large and respecu,
entire constitution rather than sanction a certain rotten part of it.
Another thing the vote Of Thursday showed. It showed that the miners
want to work rather than to strike. It showed concudvey that there could moi
be and will not be any strike ver the matter of watchmen. A. before stated, a
large proportion voted against their constitution in it's entirety, rather
than seem to approve of the high grade'' clause. More than n ethhd of the
entire membership SO voted. And as it takes a twothnd VOTE under he new
constitution to order a strike, they can't make it. And much less could they
make it, upon the specific proposition recited above; for many swallowed
the constitution a a whole 80 sustain the union,' who would vote against the
high grading section, if put separately, AMI who would vote against any strike
that is based upon this proposition as a grievance.
assertion. W believe W represent the spirit IF the mine owners OF Goldfeld, and
that Is, if the miners want 20 strike because they can't dictate to the mine WI
es WHOM they shall employ as watchmen in the mines, they can strike and be
banked. for the min owners will let Their mines go to rot before they will &C.
qiesce in such preposerous demands. But, of course, they will lot suspend in
definitely. They will shut down their mines for a time, but only until they
can reopen with a force Of their " selection; and II also might IS well be IN
cerstood, that If the miners Of Godfed stnke upon such a prMext al that
named. that when the mines are reopened it will be without taking the Western
Federation # Miners intoc consideration While heretofore the mine owners have
attempted to do business with the Federation, have made agreements with that
organization only TO be broken at their fancy, and have otherwise taken the
worst of it, they draw the line N this watchman's proposition, absolutely
and brazemy dishonest as it is; and if the miners union orders a strike O this
pretext, it is all of between the Industrial Association of Nevada, representing
the anime owners and operators of all camps # the state, and the Western FEEDER
aMon O Miners Its the lasts straw. And this is moi to b construed as a threat,
but as a statement of fact. The course of the line owners is laid ut and is
as straight n, the rifles course. There will be N o deviation from it.