Denver labor bulletin., 1915-10-02

deaths OF thirteen women and children
and five strikers, three OF whom were
murdered by the militiamen, and mine
guards while being held as defenseless
prisoners II describes the virtual re.
bellion that followed.
I'm closing it, discussion of the militin
the report says;
1T seems of vast Importance that IL
should be understood how nearly the
situation in Colorado approached con
dition of absolute prostration OF gov
ernment and of actual revolution. This
j. apparent not 80 much in the record
of battles and skirmishe- fought and
lives lost. as in the evidences given
above OF the state Of public feeling. 1t
wns apparent in the frankness with
which strike leaders admitted that they
were gathering and distributing arms,
in the open admissions made by many
strikers that they or others whom they
named had taken part in one or the
other of the various attacks. and in the
refusal of the district attorney of Las
Animas county to take official notice
Of the killings which followed Ludlow.
The rules OF civilized warfare formed
the only criterion for public criticism Of
acts ON either side during this period.
Collapse of State Government.
Enlightened public sentiment existing
in Denver and other Colombo oommuni-
ties found itself helpless of effective
expression. Tint expression or course,
should have come thru the state. This
leads to the direct causes Of the failure
OF government and of all the horrors
thnt resulted from IL. Their considera-
tion is vitality important because there
j. no guarantee that the same cause may
not operate again in Colorado or other
states. and that some day they may pro
duco a situation far more serious even
than that under discussion.
"The state OF Colorado thru its mill
tary arm was rendered helpless to main
tain law and order because that mill
tnry arm had acted, not as an agent Of
the commonwealth, but ms mn agent Of
the parties in interest, an agent. that
is. of the coal operators, ns against the
strikers.
only those who hope and pray for
bloody revolution can contemplate the
record of the Colorado national guard
and fail TO see the need of measures
that will make this branch of the gov
ernment as representative Of the peo-
| pie and Ms subservicnt to the peoples
| will as other governmental agencies. To-
dav there is ample evidence in Colorado
! to prove that the national guard is an
instrument of oppression maintained for
the purpose of intimidating and crush
ing workmen who go on strike In an
effort 10 improve the conditions of life
| for themselves. their women and their
children. and to secure for themselves n
larger measure of freedom from arbi-
trary power"
System of Company Stores
The report quotes at length from the
testimony of the Reverend Eugene s.
Gaddis, superintendent of the sociological
department of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron company, to show that the com
pany's store system; its method of rent
ing property to liquor dealers, and its
hospital system. contributed to the un-
rest Of the miners, and to the intolerablc
situation existing in the camps.
Tho companies are scored for their
use of political power to control coron.
cr's juries and other officials dealing
with cases of personal injuries in the
mines in order to prevent miners from
recovering damages for personal injuries
in the courts.
The testimony of former under. sher.
iff is quoted to show that the mine
SUPERINTENDENT is always consulted In
making up a coroners jury. and that
the sheriff of Huerfano county boastcd
of being n Colorado Fuel and Iron com.
ptny man.
Continued next wcek.)