Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-01-14
TROOPS TO QUIT
COPPER COUNTRY
Militia to Leave Strike Zone
January IL.
PLOT TO KILL PROSECUTOR
Dynamite Found In Office at L'Anse-
Governor Ferris Tells Labor Men
That Employers Must Rec
ognize Unions.

HoughtOn. Mich. Jan. 9-The strike
OF copper miners called July % was
opposed by the officials OF the West
ern Federation OF Miners This was
emphasized before Governor Ferris on
Wednesday by representatives Of the
union.
While the hearing was in progress
in houghton Adjt Gen. r. c. Wander
cook announced in Lansing that all
the state troops in the strike district
win be withdrawn January r.
Prior to this came the news that a
stick Of dynamite had been found at
LAnse in the building where the pros
ecuting attorney OF this county has his
office.
A fuse and cap Were found a few
fcet from the dynamite IL was the
theory Of officers investigating the in
cident that the persons responsible for
the plant" lost the fuse and cap and
thus we're unable to blow up the build
ing or cauTe the death Of Lucas. If
that was the object Of the plot Mr..
Lucas left the building few minutes
before the discovery to keep an ap-
pointmeht with Governor Ferris
Governor Ferris told the union men
that he expected to talk with the mine
managers, and asked them to give him
what they considered the crux OF the
situation. A reply came from James
X. Roach. personal representative of
Samuel Gompers Of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor
The companies are planning con
tinuatlon of their fight against trades
unionism In concert" he said Yet
they ask the men to deal singly with
a combination OF corporations 1t
strikes me that 1t is time for the com
panies to wake up
No man is more anxious for set.
tlement than !" said the governor q
believe that corporations generally
must come to the point where they
viii recognize organizations OF their
employees. There is no question OF the
right Of men to join such organiza.
tons.
The only question confronting me
now is whether !, as governor. can
right sort and permanent"
The union men stood on their prop
osition 10 Sohn h. Densmore OF the de-
partment Of labor. so far az "a settle
ment of tie strike was concerned. II
was revealed at the hearing that the
federation had proposed that the
hours of labor and rates Of pay posted
by the mining companies. December
be allowed 10 stand; that the one.man
drill grievance was not mentioned, and
that the question Of union recognition
was to DO obyiated By q non.diacrim-
inatlon clause.
In addition the union delegation em.
phasized that since the strike was
called only after referendum vote
had shown big majority OF the rank
and file inslstent on It, any proposal
for a settlement must be passed on by
the general membership
o. n Hilton, chief of counsel OF the
federation. told the governor that
neither he nor President Charles II.
Meyer nor any other official OF the fed.
Grafton had any authority to stop the
strike He indicated, however. that
the officers Of the union were willing
10 recommend to the men any basis of
settlement that would carry an afiirma
ton Of some kind of the right OF the
men TO join any society. union. church
or other organization that suited their
fancy.
In furtherance of their contention
that the miners federation opposed
the calling of the strike the union 3
representatives in the Inquiry asked
Governor Ferris to listen to miners
and TRAINERS who had worked under
ground for years. Ten of these men
then related the conditions under
which they had labored and told OF
the pay they had received
Dan Sullivan. president OF the dis
trict council OF the federation: Carl T..
Hietala secretary OF that body. and
William Richard and John Anttala.
president and secretary of the Calu.
met local. went on record as having
been opposed TO tho calling of the
strike.