United labor bulletin., 1909-12-03
Comment on Events
in the Labor
World.
BY r. e CR OS KEY


the A. F. of L. unions have practically
gained strictly union conditions in the
matter of membership and hours and
wages. The miners at Lead City asked
nothing but what they had fought and
won for the other unions, that every
miner should belong to the union, giving
plenty of time for the nonunion miners.
who were enjoying the fruits of the union
mems struggles, to so join.
The answer OF Superintendent Tom
Greer to this reasonable request was to
lockout the men and issue an order that
the Homestake mine would cease to
employ any union men after January
LIST, 1910. The citizens of Lead naturally
resent this high-handed action and at a
mass meeting held in the opera house
the following resolution was adopted:
Whereas, The Lead City Miners
Union, an organization composed of the
workingmen employed in the city of
Lead, South Dakota has at all times in
the past been known as liberal and
conservative organization, and at no
time in the past have the members of
this organization ever been known to
advocate anything not in accordance
with equity, law and justice, and,
Whereas. During period of more
than 80 years the Lead City Miners
Union has at all times and upon all occa-
sions been charitable and benevolent
association of workingmen, which has
never at any time been guilty of any
violation of law or has ever sanctioned
ldisorderly conduct -upon-the part of its
members; therefore, be it
Resolved, By US. the citizens of Law
renee county, in mass meeting assem-
bled, that we condemn the present &C
ton of the management of the Home
stake Mining company. protesting against
the same as malicious, ill-advised and
detrimental to the welfare and best in
terests of all the people in so far as it
appears TO be the policy of the said com
pany to discriminate against the en-
ployment of union men in the future,
which action, if persisted in. WILL we be-
lieve. result in nothing but ruin and des-
olation of the people residing in this To-
cality"
Copies .of this resolution were ordered
What the answer of the Hearst family
will be to the families of the men who
have for so years been pouring golden
stream into their pockets remains to be
seen but it does seem as though the
people who have been producing this
wealth should have some rights in the
premises. Under our present laws the
rights of property are supreme. The
right of the individuals that produce the
wealth does not exist The moral OF
which is. that it is time that the work
ing people commenced TO realize their
position and change things around
little
The condition that permits few stock
jobbers to play football with the welfare
and lives OF thousands of human beings
needs some changing.
President Chas. H. Meyer and Vice
President Mahoney have left Denver for
Lead City. They will do all in their
power TO effect settlement of the trou-
BILE. and look after the welfare of their
members. Should it be necessary. com
missary stores will be started. but not
so if the business men remain friendly
to the interests of the workers.
Meanwhile Bob Boykin. with his trusty
swashbucklers, will be living on the fat
of the land without working. and will be
itching for chance to legally murder
some inoffensive miner.
This fellow Boykin started his career
in Denver by killing negro while he
was on the police force. Being white
washed of this crime he left the force
and was engaged as the bouncer in a
race horse pool room. II Is commonly
known that he stuck up the proprie-
tors of this joint. took the bank roll and
left. presumably to Texas He was away
some years but came back in time to get
a job guard" at Burnham during
the ID. 4 X. C. r. Il. shopmen's strike
last year. where he succeeded In making
himself particularly obnoxious to the
strikers who had to keep guard upon
him all the time TO see that no Job"
was pulled OFF by him. It Is safe 10 say
that one would have TO rake through
hell and sift the ashes TO duplicate him
and his gang"
And these WORTHLESS are to be the pre-
servers of Law and order" around Lead
City