The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1908-05-02
THE FEDERATION COMES TO IT'S SENSES

RaANIzATroN is essential to the WE'LL being Of labor. This has always
0esn r @s' WESTERN y Federation of Miner. in it's inception was benshcsns
and was desined to great good If kept within It's original msen'. nj
also has always been maintained by The News
The aaht made upon the Western Federation in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada,
and economic purposes OF unonlsm ous =. .-.m.., nr.nosa ,rd
by a gang Of socialist aginns who had diverted it from its original purpose n
ountry. These leaders were not advocates q what is known as advances
socialism whose purpose is o bring about a sociala m political revoia.oa
through education. but they were radicals. approaching anarchists h preached
and pracuced force in III accomplishment If their ends And it was because of
ally found itself opposed not only by counter organizations o. employers ot by
a solid public sentiment.
Time and again did this paper. during the years preceding the final struggle,
warn thu local Miners union that the inevitable day was At hand, when the
Federation would lot only be disaedited before the people, but disodged and
destroyed in tn mining camps of the country, If it did not cast overheard 20
ciausm a q political tenet and its radical leaders along with their cause We
knew that tn ran and hs Of Federation men in this community were good
workmen and desirable citizens; we knew they were IN tho ascendency IN I'M
bers. and that If they would only assert themselves they could save their union
Tot muster the courage to fight their leaders who had so entrenched themselves
that + oppose them was worth the life of any man. Many Of them realized what
selves driven with thu asitators from he camp. If they allowed the crisis to come.
But they seemed helpless and poweriess, and the situation drifted n to tn final
and disastrous struggle, which ended just as predicted.
And nw W. see the sequel; and they see it and realize it; and after it is
too late are trying to correct their grievous and fatal mistake. Alter being
aa.Ms~ 10 ..naS doar ~ s,cted 1ot The radicals h bad nuued the house
down upon their heads. When it vas too late in the camp If aOldheld. the ra
tional element turned in and hred-bodny fred. the agitators, that had taken
nosessio = he union The St Johns and McKinnons and their stripe we're
harmless when shorn of authority, but because If the revulsion among their
former followers. who had con to full realization of what these gtatOrs with
their damnabe herssy Of socialism had brought upon them. and a e administa
ton was elected to try to recreato the union from the ruins.
And not only has the lesson been learned locally, but the result OF the three
campaigns in Al many states, has brought its lesson home to the general head
quarters of the Western Federation. At the last general convention the issue was
fought out to the bitter end and the Jonah, socialism, vas thrown overheard and
row, it uarspres, the notorious William D Haywood. secretary and brains of the
omcal order signed by 9 7. Mahoney acting president Of the Federation, in the
ABSENCE IF President Meyer, Haywoods running mate, summarny terminating
y IN delectaDe pMl, mas ns ac'eo as pres'aen' SINCE ms hpeauon Iron the
Boise prison. and both these men, whom the world holds responsible for the
murder Of Governor stsunenberg, md who have been thu leaders of the socialist
movemen In the Federation are down and out.
Now let the Federation revise its preamble which declares that there
nothing in common between employer and employee and return to its original
principles, and it may again enjoy the distinction Of its earlier career, of being
u If the best and strongest unions of the country.