Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-01-21
HAYES IS CAUSTIC
IN COMMENTS ON
SHERMAN LAW
Vice President of Mine Work.
erS Declares Antitrust Act
Is Being Perverted to OPP
press Working Men,

opment Of the United Mine Workers in
non-unlon fields was commented on at
length In the report of Frank J. Hayes
vice president 81 the organization, at
the convention today lie spoke in
ldisapproval Of the labor situation in
West Virginia. was caustic in his COM
ment on the campaign Of the Colorado
mine owners in the western coal fields
strike, and was outspoken in his criu-
cism Of the sherman antitrust law
IN its application 10 organized labor
and lnslstent in demanding It's repeal
or amendment
During the last two years, we have
waged a vigorous campaign in the non
lunion fields" he said. and the cumi-
nation Of the campaign must and will
result In the complete organization of
the coal mining industry Of the land.
Within the last two years we have
added t2t426 new members TO our
union, and because OF our success in
recruiting new members, the Ameri.
can Federation Of Labor has exceeded
IAN past membership records and now
has more than 100000 members"
Regarding the West Virginia situa-
ton, Mr. Hayes said
"Thc subscrylency OF Governor
Glasscock, the tyranny Of the militia,
The Illegal imprisonment OF our people,
the upsetting of constitutional gov
ernmcnt the Intervention OF the fed
eral government through n senate
committee and the final settlement of
the strike are notable chapters in the
life Of our government"
on the Colorado strike Mr. Hayes
said
"rhe strike was q splendid success,
practically 95 per cent Of the men
responding TO the call Within short
time about thirty independent CONE
panies recognized The union. granting
the demands made by the Trinidad
convention and putting to work about
1000 men and helping materially 10
mould public sentiment IN favor Of our
cause,
"Thr strike IN Colorado has been
characterized by considerable bru-
tality. due to the anarchistic policy IA
vored by The operators In their war OF
determination At the beginning they
employed Approximately 700 men.
many Of them with criminal records,
TO whom petty larceny is considered
pastime and murder a skilled profess
sion Eight of our strikers have been
murdered by these paid assasslns. They
also purchased several machine guns,
a carload of rifles and thousands Of
rounds of ammunition for the express
purpose, AS general superintendent
expresses &C. "of wiping The strikers
off the map
Those machine guns shoot $50 shots
a minute ana have a range of two
miles They turned one Of these guns
loose on our little tent city at Forbes,
killing one striker and woundlng a l6.
year-old boy. shooting him nine times
IN the legs making him @ cripple for
life.
THE militia Of Colorado, as usual is
being used to assist the operators IN
fighting the strike Many Of our most
active men have been thrown In jail
nv the miltla forces. without any
charges being preferred against them.
No one Is allowed to talk 20 these MILF
tary prisoners and they are tortured
and starved by Officers in charge for
the alleged purpose Of forcing them to
make some sort of confession
Mr.. Hayes referred to the indict-
ments returned under the Sherman
antitrust law "Your officials have
been twice indicted for alleged Viola
tlons Of the sherman antitrust law
said he zone of these indictments
was returned in West Virginia. and
one i'm Colorado. The particular charge
against us IN West Virginia was that
we were parties to a conspiracy in re-
straint of trade, l. c., that we had en-
tered into an unholy alliance with the
operators in the organized states to-
put the West virginia operators out
Of business.
GAS a proof Of the utter Stiffness of
this charge. wish TO say that not a
single one Of our alleged partners In
this so-ealled conspiracy, the operators
IN the organized fields las indicted
with us or even named. directly or in
directly in any of the charges
The charges. as every one knows
were preferred for the sole purpose OF
discrediting and retnrding cur move
ment IN the non-union fields.
John ID. Rockefeller the head OF
ono Of the largest trusts In America. /
Is the controlling factor in the largest /
coal company in the strike field. and /
il lis an interesting parody on the Sher- /
man ANTITRUST INV that he and his
subordlnatos IN that state escaped in-I
dictmonts under les provisions, espe- +
eiany In view of the fact that his coal +
company dominates the situation in +
Colorado. regulates the price of coat I
etc. sitting an competition violating +
laws Of state and nation and yet cs-
capes with few words of criticism
"ln view of The Indictment Of your
officials undcr this act advise mems
hers OF oWr union 10 take drastic mea-
sores for amendment of this so-ealled
antitrust law, SO that ties provisions
viii not apply to labor unions
Two attempts were made late to-
day to remove the convention of
Emitted Mine Workers Of America
which opened this morning. from this
city, but both failed Ii IS probable
that another effort Will Ne made
IS hen the reenfnffona aa.Y,, .,,tf4as 80