United labor bulletin., 1913-03-13
BELLESFIELD LAUDED.
Labor Should Support Pueblo Sen
ator For Postmastership.
(By R. E. Croskey.)

(By R. E. Croskey)
After twenty years of fighting, be-
trayal, treachery and, 1 must add, some
stupidity. we are now. through the
splendid, efficient work of Senator
Sherman s. Bellesfield of Pueblo, about
to get genuine eight-hour law for min
ers, smeltermen. ETC.
The history Of trying to obtain this
particular law by the labor people Is
too well known to need reciting here,
but we fully expected after the passage
Of the Hurd law by the eighteenth as
sembiy that at last we had won the
fight. However. the fates were again
against us. The initiative and referen-
dunn. another measure that labor has
fought consistently for, was used as
weapon against us, and the Hurd law
was referred and another fake law was
initiated by the enemies of this kind OF
legislation-the big corporations. The
result was, both being on the ballot at
the last state election, and the labor
people not being sufficiently conversant
with the status of these two laws, and
it looked liked a hopeless tangle, when
Senator Bellesfield came to the rescue
with solution of the tangle by intro
ducing another eight-hour law repeating
all previous laws, and at the same time
getting through the legislature resolu-
opinion regarding the status OF the
eight-hour laws and defining the power
of the legislature to alter or repeal an
initiated law and also the power of the
legislature to place Saving clause"
in any bill that is passed for the pur-
pose of protecting life and health.
Naturally. the Direct Legislation
League took issue with Senator Bellies
fields resolution and contentious. A
-
for and against the right of the legis-
lature to interfere with initiated laws
passed by the people and also the right
to place Saving clause" in bills SO
that they could not be referred. How
ever, on the day of the hearing Sher-
man Bellesfield, although not a lawyer,
appeared before the supreme court
judges for two hours session and con-
Quoted his case 30 skilfully that he won
every contention that he advocated. The
decision of the court is that measures
designed for the protection OF public
safety, life, health, ETC., can be withheld
from the operation of the referendum by
the legislature placing the saving
clause" in them. This was the conten-
ton of the labor unionists. so ably ad-
vocated by Bellesfield. The result OF
this decision is that Senator Bellesfeld
pushed his eight-hour law through the
Z
by the house, and the chances are
bright that we shall at last get gen
uine law on this subject after some
twenty years of fighting.
"Sherm" Bellesfeld is a trade union
ist-one of the ablest and best that the
labor organizations have ever had In
either house of the legislature. He mas
plenty of ability, is good speaker and
has shown on numerous occasions that
- Col a
of the factory inspection law, the loan
shark and many other labor laws, and
he has always ably backed up every
labor man or measure consistently our
ing his legislative career.
/ hear that he is an applicant Tor
some reward in the shape OF the post
mastership at the city he has so ably
represented-Pueblo. II the laDorlhe
people of Pueblo, desire to reward an
honest and faithful servant they will
see to it that he has the endorsement OF
every labor body in his city. He has
earned this consideration many times
over, and as | understand that ne is
the only labor representative applying
for this position. The union people
should get behind him unanimously, ana
| sincerely hope that this will be done.
Let us, for once at least, not De guilty
of the charge of ingratitude-
are making progress towards enactment
is the miners inspection act. which has
passed the house and is up for second
reading in the senate. The assumption
of risks act has passed the senate, anu
the workmens compensation act mas
also passed the house. With the hne
work being done by Senators Garman'
Metz Burris, Tucker, Tobin and others
the labor bills stand an excellent chance
.f
house has so many good labor men and
friends that are members this session
that there should be little chance FOR
labor to lose anything in this body.
.he headlight and full train crew
bills of the railroad men are both
through one house and up for consid-
Grafton in the other.
Nobody knows when the legislature
will decide to adjourn, but from present
appearances it will not be for another
month at least.
Ed. Anderson Commits Serious oHense
Edward Anderson of the free en-
ployment Office at Pueblo came into
town last week looking like he had
done something wrong. Upon 1nvestl-
cation it was found that he had violated
all the rules. not only of the labor de-
partment but also of the civil service OF
the state, in that he had took to him
helf very much better half, without
getting the written consent OF the de-
partment. The happy bride is the Tor
mer Mrs. Ida Whitaker. The only thing
that now puzzles his friends is, what
means of persuasion he used to OBTAIN
her consent to become Mrs. Anderson.
Somebody remarked that it Is funny |
how these homely-looking men always
cop the best-looking women"