United labor bulletin. (Denver, Colo.) 19??-1915, 1910-06-02
WHAT OTHERS SAY.
A Denver Union Labor Man Discusses
Trades and Eator Assembly
(R. e. croskey in Pueblo Industrial Re-
vievy

(R. e. croskey in Pueblo Industrial Re-
View
The Denver Trade Assembly for the
first time in months held good business
session. They got down to trades union
affairs and started something that will
be for the benefit of the affiliated organi-
cations, and adjourned at o'clock In
stead of prolonging the jangling until
well along into the evening. OF couse
there was some echoes of the election
that has Just resulted, no thanks to the
Trades Assembly, in such a glorious vic
tory for the people and the principles
that organized labor has always stood
for. The ludicrous part of the discussion
was that the men who had put the as
sembly in bad were the ones that had
the superlative gall TO Spread Eagle"
over the fact that the initiative, refer
endum and recall amendments to the
city charter were carried.
Delegate Mum in particular wants to
again put the assembly in bad by pro-
posing that an ordinance be petitioned
for making it mandatory for the city to
employ nothing but union men on all its
work, but when we stop to consider what
sorry spectacle Organized labor made
of itself in the campaign just closed,
thanks to Delegate Mum and his fake
committees, prudence alone would die
tate that organized labor in this town
keep very quiet politically until some of
the stencil of the rOttenness of the as
sembly's water committee be blown away
or forgotten by the populace and their
confidence be restored by good behavior
before any favors are asked that the
people as a whole viii have to favorably
vote upon to become effective. Organ
lied labor and the Denver Trades As
sembly never had better opportunity
to make killing" and place itself on
high pedestal of esteem of the people of
this city and state than that presented
in the municipal election just closed, and
through the manipulations of few
grafters all the glory and prestige of
such a victory was thrown away.
The original warer committee of the
assembly started out by accomplishing
wonders. data on the water plant was OBJ
tanned by them thai no other citizens
committee could gel, and they were the
standard around which the various citi-
zen's committees rallied. Then came the
few traitors who skillfully manipulated a
split of the labor committee with the
other committees, and the putting up of
a separate ticket, TO divide the vote of
the honest people presumably, and plas-
ter the ballot with set of fake PROPOSE
iions to poster ami bewilder the voters.
| Ii is charged and never disproved that
this work was paid for by the Denver
Union Water company. and. notwith
standing the fact that the assembly at
the last hour succeeded in repudiating
this work and their committee, the odor
of this rotten work still remains and
will take considerable time TO wash
away
Had the affairs Of the assembly been
entrusted to wise. honest and compe
/ tent committee it would be now enjoy.
\ ing the fruits OF Tie great victory Of the
people because it would naturally be
heralded as the lighting point of the
whole campaign We would have an or
\ ganized labor man elected as one OF the
utility board. and this would have in
sHred the unionizing of the coming mu
nicipal owned water plant, and the pres
| tige thai organized labor would have
| gained would have redounded to the ben
eft OF every union in the city and state
There is no doubt but that the members
of the unions were a great factor in the
victory gained. because few grafters dc
not represent the rank and file of organ
lied labor. and it IS beyond question that
the membership as a whole voted for the
citizens Propositions. including the mi
I iiatire. referendum and recall. But this
! fact will not give organized labor what
is rightly due the membership for sup
porting these PROPOSITIONS.