United labor bulletin., 1911-02-23

The case is an extreme use OF the
power of corporations and corporation
judges to control a strike situation. The
act of Judge Whitford Is so brazen, his
refusal to grant a change OF venue SO
fills the minds of the citizens with sus-
picion. and the act OF the supreme court
so undecides the case in the minds OF
the average citizen that the governor
will be asked to pardon the men at once.
A short review of the events leading up
to the falling OF the men would not be
out of place here. II follows:
Nearly a year ago the miners union
went on strike. asking for small In
crease OF wages.
The mine owners refused. combined in
an ironclad agreement to fight and began
. importing strikebreakers.
In the late summer. the mine owners
appealed to the governor to send troops
to the district They represented to him
that the coal fields were in a state OF In
surrection and anarchy. They protested
that the military was needed.
Gov. Shafroth himself determined that
their declarations we're false. maliciously
SO. and made for selfish purposes. He
made this decision after Secretary OF
State Pearce had visited the district and
made n person. inspection His official
report to the governor was that the coal
districts were more qulet and orderly
A than In normal times when ready money
Nnrnishsd temptation TO occasional
ts-sreachas Of ponce.
\ On that occasion the governor himself
passed on the claims OF the mine owners
who wanted TO use the states troops TO
fight their battles. And his actions and
refusal stamped the mine owners plea
Us false.
Then came the appeal for an injunc-
ton. hearing was had after the min
ers had objected to whitford's jurisdic-
tion and Judge whitford granted tenn
porary writ The main case has not yet
been heard.
Under this temporary writ the ie men
we're summoned 10 Denver charged with
contempt OF court and with participation
In a street riot
The evidence against these men was
furnished, In the main. by three men who
swore they had been assaulted.
Against their evidence. the 16 men
produced men and women who have
lived long at Lafayette and who swore
that at the time OF the alleged riot, these
men were nowhere near that scene.
In giving his decision. whiuord said:
"The evidence is very conflicting. Some
body has failed to tell the truth" Then
he pronounced all guilty and sent them
to jail for n term much longer than could
have been inflicted in the criminal courts
had the men been found guilt by jury.
The appeal was taken on the ground
that whftford had no right to issue the
injunction and lacked any Jurisdiction
The supreme court, by vote of four
to three said he had Jurisdiction and the
men must stay in jail for another ten
months or until Whitford sees mt TO
grant" them their liberty.
The Anti-Injunction League held a
meeting at the Trades and Labor Assem-
bly, hall Sunday afternoon and decided
to ask the governor to pardon the men
now in Jail The meeting was well at
tended and enthusiastic. The governor
has not yet been formally asked to take
the desired action. but will be in day
or two-just as soon as the facts can be
compiled and laid before him in an in
telligent manner.
That the governor should set the men
free there is little doubt In the minds
OF the average citizen. The indecision
of Whitford as to the guilt of the men,
and the equal division OF the supreme
court as to the right of Whitford to jail
the miners certainly should leave douDt
in the mind OF the governor as well as
every citizen of the state as to the JUS
tice of their. Imprisonment.
There are those who say that the gov
ernor has not the right to pardon in con-
tempt eases-and there are papers that
advocate this view because they are sub
sidzed by the interests; but there has
come time when the plain citizen will
no longer sit idly by and see citizens of
the state thrown in jail without jury
trial.
The time is at hand when men must
act II they desire to retain their rights
OF freedom under the constitution OF the
United States. II you are Interested in
your future and want to see the miners
now in jail given their freedom, write to
Gov. John r. Shafroth at the state house
and ask him to act. . Do II now.
Z WANT CHILD LABOR BUREAU.