Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-01-30
Work of Mine Owners Too Coarse
Even for the Strenuous One
Sparks Called Down
Commissioners Say Federal Troops
Were Called Out to Reduce
Wages of Miners

been made to blow up some power
poles. As the job was so clumsy on
the face Of it, and as a miner would
hardly have taken a hundred sticks
of dynamite to blow up one little pole,
and then have failed and left the pow
der strewn all over the ground, the
commissioners reported that there was
reasonable doubt as to the genuine
ness of the attempt.
Roast on Mine Owners
The entire report is a roast on the
mine owners and said that they had
summoned the troops, not for what
had happened but for what they were
afraid would happen when they COM
menced to do their dirty work. They
commenced to carry out their program
when the troops arrived-to reduce
wages and to break up the union,
which, as the report said, was contrary
to the statute of Nevada.
Before the commission Sparks re-
fused to convene the legislature or to
organize the militia. A conference
with the civil authorities brought out
that while they desired the presence
Of the troops, they would take no re.
spHasibility to keep them there, and
were perfectly able to maintain order
if they wanted to.
Injunction Hearing.
The injunction suit of the mine own
ers against the Goldfeld union still
drags along in the federal court. The
evidence is all in. Judge Byran has
completed his plea for the mine own.
ers and Attorney Tilden is now talk
ing for the Federation.
Bryant pleaded for three sorts Of
relief, (1) an ordinary injunction with
special stress on the picketing, (2) for
special court watchers or deputies with
their acts enforced by the court, and
| (3) to enjoin the meetings of the union
because they were a common nuisance.
The attorney cited in his plea the pro.
carnations of three governors against
the Federation-of Idaho, Colorado
and Nevada. The same attacks were
made with which we have become so
familiar at Boise. There was a whim-
pering complaint because the union had
adopted the socialist platform, and the
socialist declarations adopted were
read as a cause for dissolution. The
great grievance was that the union in.
sisted on political action, and extracts
were read from the Miners Magazine
One would think that these stupid
antediluvian thinkers would catch on
after while that wherever they
read these extracts they strike q
nobler note for higher civilization
and produce just the opposite effect
from that intended. 1t was quoted al
a special grievance that this unior
taught the abolition of master ant
slave, and that il was always causing
strikes. IL never seems 60 dawn upoi
the benighted intelleets of this phrase
mongers that the owners might oc
casionally cause a strike, or that mel
have a right to quit work il the terms
don Z suit them.
Could Not Secure Contracts.
Complaint was made because con
tracts could not be secured from III,
union, and that IL was affiliated will
the Industrial Workers of the World
an organization that controlled al
crafts.
A recital of the present difficulty
was given, and the report Of Roose
welt g commission read. Bryant seem
TO be giving most Of his argumen
from the miners side. He declared tn,
, statute on blacklisting unconstitution
al and seemed TO think that that ough
TO settle IL no MATTER IL IL was a law
Orchards affidavit was quoted a
, part Of the evidence against the union
1t was considered as a great griev
! ance because the Goldfeld unioj
taught the doctrine of the class strug
, gle. The mine owners were especiall.
/ aggrieved because they could not hav
Z one moment Of industrial peace. Ca
pitalism must surely be shaking whe