The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1914-01-08
TERRIBLE SUFFERING is IN
STORE FOR THE COPPER
MINE STRIKERS
TRUE SITUATION IN MICHIGAN

sula of Michigan have proven once
more that as always, in the struggle
between capital and labor it is the
most helpless, the little children of the
poor, that bear upon their frail bodies
the bitter scars of privation. And
often in the history of industrial con-
flicts it is the thought of a hungry
child at a fireless hearth that has
weakened the courage of the fighter
and lost him his victory in the
struggle for his own.
Yanco Terzich, executive board
member of the Western Federation of
Miners was in the national office dur
ing his recent visit to Chicago on busi-
ness connected with the strike in the
copper district. Speaking of the pros
poets of continuing the struggle he
said:
Prospects are better than at any
time since the beginning of the strike
five months ago, and the boys are de-
termined that it shall be fight to the
(Which has caused the emmisaries of
the company to charge him with being
foe to law and order) relative to his
injunction against parading by strik-
ers, and by which the hundred and
thirty-nine strikers found guilty of
violating the injunction were released
without fine or punishment; the as
surance of a congressional investiga-
tion-these and other encouraging fea-
lures of the struggle have fired the
hearts of the miners with renewed
hope and confidence.
"But it is tremendous conflict and
labor must come to the rescue of its
own; the Calumet and Hecla company
threaten to resort to one Of the worst
weapons of capitalism-eviction. All
property In the district is owned by
the company and if it should succeed
in evicting the strikers for non-pay-
ment Of rent, rs per cent of the popu-
lation would be homeless, for there
would be no chance of housing the
thousands vitality concerned in the
struggle. Ten or twelve in a family
is the rule rather than the exception
among the striking miners of Michi-
gan-thirty thousand children home
less!
president Meyer is now before the
grand jury and fifteen others have
been subpoenaed to appear before that
body. For the first time in fifty years
a grand jury has been called, and this
one is composed of men working for
the company. And every one of them
is a member of the Citizens Alliance.
This organization was formed in the
copper district some time during the
month of November, it's avowed pur-
pose being to hasten the end of the
strike by forcing the officials of the
Western Federation of Miners to leave
the district, claiming that they were
agitators and menace to its future
welfare and prosperity Mahon and
Wadell are at the head of the organi-
zation Those who remember the In
dependence depot explosion in Colo
RADIO some years ago, by which sixteen
strike breakers died horribly, Will re-
call that a member of the Citizens
Alliance in death-bed statement con-
fessed himself guilty Of that atrocity.
The grand jury is called for the pur-
pose of Investigating so-called crimes
of the strikers. The fact is that the
Alliance has made every attempt to
incite to violence in their purpose or
discrediting the strikers and the West
ern Federation of Miners and to this
end thugs and gunmen have been inn
ported. Judge O'Brien has granted an
injunction to the Western Federation
of Miners against the Citizens ALI
ance which prohibits the latter from
making any attempt TO force the Of
ficials of the federation to leave the
district
Last week President Meyer propos-
ed that the company should select two
men, that the miners should also Sc
lect two, neither of whom should be
Of the local union or the fed
Grafton, with a firth TO be selected by
the governor Of the state or by the
president Of the United States, but this
company refused 10 consider as It
has refused to consider all other pro
posals for arbitration.
and so the fight goes on. The
Western Federation Of Miners is
spending $4,000 every week TO main
tain the struggle Appeals for aid 80
far have resulted In contributions
to approximately 100000,
Of which sum about $4,000 has been
contributed by organizations Of the
Socialist party