The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-05-31
Miners Union Protest.
DOE RUN, Mo, May ~,

W. Il. NJ, Denver, Colo.
Dear Sir and Brother; Your com
muuication Of the 18th inst. TO Brother
Daniel T. Farmhouse. Secretary of Local
No, $50 W. +. NJ, in reply to our re-
quest Of May 9th, wherein we demanded
the removal OF Brother O'Bryne, as an
organizer, from the Flat River district,
is at hand and has been referred to the
undersigned committee for a reply.
We have carefully noted what You
say relative TO the situation, and we
still stand by our demand, and in reply
will say that the basis Of our contention
is, as you say the article published in
the Miners Magazine over the signature
of Brother O'Bryne, and which we say
is a misrepresentation of the facts; and
YOU claim il is not iustihable, and eX.
press the belief that the majority of this
article would stand the test OF being
truthful and a fair outline OF the con.
ditions that exist in this district; aud
that with our polluted ideas, million
aires minds, pauper pocket books and
our serfdom--with all these hereditary
or acquired faults, we are still in posi-.
ton and competent to Judge right from
wrong and we know when we have been
placed in a false position and suffered
an injustice. And we say most cmphat-
ically that the article referred to is an
injustice to the laboring men of this
! district and a reflection on their man
hood and intelligence; and Brother
! O'Brync, honest though YOU say he is,
has deliberately misreprcscnted the con.
ditions that exist in this community.
We say and will leave it to any fair
minded man, that conditions in this
district are rs good, If not better, than
any place YOU can name. our people
are well paid, well fed, we'll educated
and as intelligent as you will find any.
where. They do not live in caves, as
did prehistoric man, nor do they 20
naked, as Your representative would
have you believe, and differ from him in
that they respect churches, schools and
society, a sense of which he is utterly
devoid. Talk of your polluted ideas, il
Brother OBryne is not a shining eX.
ample OF scrfdom and what not, we
would like, Just for once, to catch a
fceting glance Of first class specimen,
Talk of scrfdom; past conditions are
preferable to being scrf under a biased
Car O'Bryne.
1t is disgrace 10 your organization
and reflection on organized labor and
to the intelligence aud manhood of the
State and community that such a mar
row minded representative should be
allowed, by YOU, to remain in this dis.
trict, is to he regretted. aud every man,
woman and child will recognize and
demon nee the ialsity Of his statements
and will resent the reflections on our
people and its institutions You say
that you cannot withdraw Bro. O'Brypc,
that this is the only protest, aud that
several encouraging reports have been
received. We presume from this that
the information, like the published
article, is to your mind reliable If il
comes from O'Bryne. II you will take
the trouble to investigate you will find
that conditions are not as favorable as
YOU are led 70 think.
We are union men and believe in the
principles and advancement of union.
ism but wish to inform you that Bro,
O'Brync's usefulness is thing of the
past, as far as this community is con.
cerned. lie is a Socialist and is more
interested in spreading that propaganda
than he is in advancing the cause of the
laboring man and unionism. On ac-
count of his Misrepresentation as to the
facts as they exist in this district, we
ask his recall, and wish to inform you
that we will no longer submit to his
dictatiou nor accept his advice on mat
tiers pertaining to our organization,
whether YOU remove him or not.
Fraternally,
{. A. Downs.
Il. R. HoRroN, Committe.
J. NJ BAUGH.
Resolved, that a copy of this letter be
sent to the Miners Magazine, OF Denver
colorado, and one to each of the local
papers.
r. II. WEDnLE, Pres.
ALvA PoLITTE Scc'y Local No. 23o.