La Junta tribune., 1914-05-23
I xlndei o. he Coloraio Col strlke

One day last month Congrsssman
Kipdel enlightened the house Of rep
.sssentatives with some observations
~ the Colorado coal strike which
wal strike responsive chord in The
neArt Of every man who wants to see
'Oolorado redeemed from blather-
'skic aEitators and the curse OF rot
;tAn politics. He says:
\ The question at issue in Colorado
y not the question Of wage. because
the mine owners are paying higher
wages than anywhere east OF the one
hundred and fifth meridian. There
~ only one state-the state Of Wy
'oming-that is paying higher wages
than We are.
Now, am not here to defend the
mine owners. They have done many
Things in the past that they should
BE- ashamed Of. But since we have q
democratic governor and have DEM
ocrauc force in control the question
with me is why We do not make them
enforce the law and get things right!
Our state is practically bankrupt.
And why? First. ] contend that the
labor condition Is one OF the serious
Things, inasmuch as the labor unions
VIII make you employ union force,
and today II you want to operate a
mine you have got to have every man
join union. pay $40 initiation and
~ per month at the end of each
month to the treasurer OF the union,
or you can not operate. II Is not a
Question OF wage, but a question OF
unlonism.
This is not the first time that
Wholesale murders have been com.
mitted by Western Federation OF
Miners in our state. II IL time that
this thing be stopped. II you elm
tna'c the agitator OF the Mother
Jones type. We will soon get on. but
until YOU do we will not get on. The
fouudation OF this trouble Is politics,
and rotten politics.
No one deplores the loss of life
more than do, but what can you ex-
pcct when We have such weakiing
for governor. He Is democrat He
came to Washington last week to ties.
tify IN land deal and dismissed the
militia from the coal fields. and in
the meantime these murders were be.
Ing committed. We have a demo.
cratic governor aud all the state off.
GERS are democratic. and We have the
Initiative and the recall. would
like TO have been governor ON an oc.
casion like the present one and ie,
them tell me could not enforce the
Law. would either do or die. Other
than this. ! would have no ambition
l(p that direction.
7" lnr. Biatx. Will the gentleman
yield,
Mr.. Kindel. Yes.
Mr.. Baltx. Who does the gentle
man from Colorado hold responsible
for these troubles?
Mr.. Kindei. The aeitntors and IN,
people who stand for Il. n ! had moi
lived through some OF these sam,
experiences myself. I would not fee
the interest that ! do. We had Il
our own city Of Denver one Of the fin
est plants. the so-callcd Grant Smell
ter Company. which cost several mil
lion dollars. A strike occurred. IN,
strikers would not let others work
they killed people. shot them down
and the result Of II all was that III,
owners got discouraged and remove,
aud dismantled the plant. The onl,
thing We have left II the big $4,000
sm0kcstack To indicate that there
was once n smclter there.
That In what IL happening 10 th'
coal interests. Between discrimina
tive freight rates aud the murderoul
agitators We can not progress. Tha
II why We are bankrupt. We are no
allowed an equal chance with othcl
states. All that the people OF Colo
rado want. all that they ask for In I
square deal. regardless Of who ol
what insurcs II 10 them.