The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-06-26
RULE OF TYRANNY
DepIorable Case of the Colorado
Coal Miners.
VICTIMS OF CRUEL GREED.
Montana Congressman Relates Tale
Of Oppression and njustice-Human
Life Counted For Nothing That
Wealth Might BE Served.

M0HSSUH congressman heIa1eo ale
Of Oppression and njustice-Human
Life Counted For Nothing That
Wealth Might Be Served.
In an editorial discussing the cause
OF the deplorable conditions in Colo
radios mining districts the New York
World says:
The present degradation of the state
OF Colorado has been brought about
by itself. 1t has permitted the great
mining companies to usurp govern
ment They rule whole counties. They
control the commonwealth.
In the official government report of
the testimony taken by a committee
OF the national house of representa-
tives Congressman Evans of Montana.
who Is familiar with conditions on the
Rockefeller and other properties, said
of typical mining town:
The company owns all the property sur
rounding the town. The town is incorpo-
rated. 1t has a mayor, usually the super
Gil. consisting of other employees OF the
mine. 1t has a road running up the can
yon. these towns all being situated In
canyons. This road. having been there
for many years, Is abandoned by the
board of county commissioners as pub
lie highway and thereby becomes only
private road. On that road a gate is es-
tablished, so that every one who goes into
that Incorporated town or out of Ii must
get pass or permission OF some kind. go
The mayor OF one Of these towns testi-
Ned that there was a man living in the
town who owned his own house, and he
had his family there. and this man agi-
tated too much about a union. and the
superintendent and mayor ordered the
man to go down the canyon" and he
went sss
/ myself had TO get pass to enter one
of the incorporated towns of the state OF
Colorado situated upon property of the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company, and
had to get a pass TO get out.
1t appears further from Mr. Evans
statement that during the two years
and three months preceding April l.
1912, there were 232 violent deaths in
Las Animas county, $50 OF them being
due to mine accidents; that there is no
record OF coroners' inquests In 202 of
these cases. and that in no instance has
a mining company been held for neg
ligence
Besides owning all the land. houses
and highways and holding all the pub
lie offices, the mining companies main
tain armed forces. II their labor is
dccile, everything goes well, according
to the Rockefeller theory. If, grown
desperate at length by the increasing
burdens of this bondage, labor at
tempts to organize or to strike for its
own betterment. 1t is eyicted, driven
down the canyon" forced to live In
wretched camps and abandoned to dis
ease and death.
The bloodshed that has resulted from
these unspeakable tyrannies has
been largely due to the sham govern
ment, for 1t has neglected the weak
and taken sides with the strong. 1t
has interfered only to make matters
worse. Never yet has 1t moved wisely
and courageously In support OF its own
dignity or to establish justice.
These are the reasons why section
C1 LuS AuileU SIdteS uIiAS hdS DStu
detached to restore peace in Mexican
tied American state.
Federal troops may be lawfully en-
ployed in state jurisdictions to repel
inyasions, suppress domestic violence
and restore republican form Of gov
ernment There has been no invasion
OF Colorado except by cheap labor I'm.
ported by the Rockefellers. The do
mestic violence results from the policy
of the Rockefellers in forcibly exclud-
Ing unionism from among their EN-
ployees.
1t is absurd. on the face of things, to
suppose that the Rockefeller company
is at peace with it's own men, as might
be inferred from young Mr.. Rockefel-
ler's statement 1t Is absurd to sup
pose that his company is at war only
with outsiders and only in defense of
the inalienable right of its employees
to work independently OF union If
/ they so elect. 1t is absurd TO suppose
labor war OF this reach Of bloody
violence could arise over an Issue OF
unionism when. as he implies, 90 per
cent of the men would quit their Jobs
rather than submit to union dicta.
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