The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-08-03
0ver-zealous Peace Officers Take
Law in Their Own Hands, and
Intimate and Attempt to pro-
woke Strikers to Disorder.
All Efforts Are So Far Thwarted.
Miners Appear to Be Peace
full, and Are Attending Strict
ly to Their Own Business.
Advise to Sheriffs of st. Louis
and 4tasca Counties, and to the
Officials of the United Steel
Corporation.

The strike OF the Western Feder-
alton of Miners for an increased wage
scale, shorter hours of labor and bet
ter working conditions on the Mesaba
range is still bristling hot. It occu-
| pies the center of the stage in the in
| dustrial affairs of the nation, because
! so much is dependent upon the cond1-
| tion Of the iron and steel market in
the prosperity Of the country.
The behaviour Of the miners, not
! withstanding reports to the contrary,
deserves the commendation Of all good
citizens. Even the most bitter oppo-
nents Of the Western Federation Of
Miners must acknowledge that the
public utterances Of it's officers tended
towards peace and the maintenance of
law and order.
The newspapers Of st. Louis county
which are opposing the miners, and
the officers Of the Steel Trust, who
feared at the beginning that there
would be bloodshed and destruction Of
property on the range are happily dis
appointed,-their fears were ground
less, and the striking miners have
demonstrated to the world that while
strenuous for their rights, they are
law-abiding in their methods.
The Labor World has carefully
analysed every newspaper report COM
ing from the range during the past
week, and we have failed to note
wherein the miners have taken any
part in the violation Of law. On the
other hand the evidence is overwhelm-
ing in proof of the fact that the over
Jealous officers of the law have been
the instigators of every crime thus far
committed.
The arrest of .Petriella was entirely
unwarranted. He was riding on the
public highway on his way to a meet
ing of the strikers. He was attending
strictly to his own business. He was
violating the law in no manner, and
the paid hirelings Of the mine owners
when they held him UP were aeting=no
less than highwaymen.
Unfortunately for the strike leader he
carried a pistol in his pocket This
was discovered after he had been ar
rested, and when he was taken to Jail.
Charges were then made against him
for carrying concealed weapons. He
was examined before justice Of the
peace, and bound over to the grand
jury. He was afterwards released on
$1,000 bail.
This arrest and the excessive bail
exacted Is conclusive proof o. the pre-"
judice Of the police officers on the
range, and Of the petty court which is
supposed to deal out justice We ven-
q %ho% -
person on the range WIN carried a.
pistol was apprehended there would
not be room enough in the ja!ls Of the
entire county to hold the prisoners It
is notorious fact that there are more
gun men" in the range towns re-,
ceiving the protection Of the police and
the courts than in all other parts of
Minnesota combined.
Petriella may have been indiscreet
In carrying a revolver. but II we were
In Petriella's position, and were sub.
ject to the same abuse from the range
newspapers, and the repeated threats
of tar and feathers and lynching, we
would not only possess d pistol, but we
would take good care that we would
know when and how to use it for our
own protection.
The chief of police Of Chisholm
whose name is Madden, is also curry.
ing favor with the '1aw and order"
element by acting in an over -officious
manner. His actions as a peace OFF,
Ger would be tolerated in~ no COM
munity where men sincerely sought
peace and order.
| We have commented elsewhere on
Sheriff Hoolihan. After writing our
opinion of his unwarranted actions,
we found that the great conservative
Minneapolis Journal had given vent to
the same expression. He is purely the
tool Of the mine owners, and is in no
way serving the ends Of justice. It re-
quires calmer and more just man to
act as sheriff at such q critical time.
No man Is big enough to act as a chief
peace officer Of county who can dis
tinguish between the rights Of man
! and the rights Of property.
Our own sheriff, w. ]. Bates, whose
reputation for making mistakes, has
spread far and wide, is still engaged
| In the same business. Yesterdays he
| swore In as deputy sherifrs 100 man.
| killing thugs, brought here by the
United States Steel corporation from
outside the state Of Minnesota. Ac-
! cording to press reports he claims that
he was unable to secure citizen depu-
ties. Rumors on the street are to the
effect that he would not accept the Of
fer Of a number Of citizens of Duluth
who desired to serve in the capacity
of deputy. ., :t...
If Governor Johnson. finds it neces-
sary to send the state militia to. the
range he would be justified in disarm-
ing every paid hireling, Pinkerton
thug and over-zealous sheriff and
deputy. While the necessity for the
presence Of soldiers in any community
is ;regretable, they would be infinitely
prsferable to the presence Of irrespon-
Stble and conscienceless hirelings the
continuance of whose Jobs depend upon