Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-03-02
MILITARY SCORED
IN STRIKE REPORT
CONGRESS COMMITTEE ~ scATH-
ING EReAIoNmEsT Of col
oRAOo OFFICIALS
Ne Evidence % Conspiracy N Re
strairs % Trade 10 Found by
Inquiry However.


niuers and their families is contained
f~ "a toIlmiuoua report submitted %
--a house today By the mines and min
Jag s4b-commltt-e. Which Investigated
conditions in the Colorado coal fields
a-.-r "a resolution adopted year ago
.- January. While scoring conditions
r.-a-aIg lu the coal ae.ds and criti-
rre many OF the acts % the mine
Operators ilcillinE alleged violation
% state llra. tGe CON mittsc reports
rrs DO evidence vas found % a con
.--a.s la restraint % trade Io limit
r.. output % Che uiEes. nor Conc!u-
. proof ot fle cElsteEre % pecu-
1r.
T.. .fr.e vas settled Ions before
Obj. committee comp. etcd tts report.
81. r. specific rer.UrI. lltri1rE are
-.. Tho e1uu..rse appeals. how
...r ..r arbitration .r such eiflt-
r 81. declares shat these disturb
a..a# .r. rati1l.silr Ia their .uUor
.rr... chat r.- fed rral COVER meat ls
rlr rr.F power competent t1 deal with
n.u and after referrius to tire rsati-
e.r. .F John u sefrIirr. Dr.. who
.f-...url aporsIu.Urg for Colorado
rerf...er. al..-
absentee aure-a or directors by
.EH.- ono. rrum s1r scene Uf such
disturbance eaalot escape t.cIr NOR
a. rr.rHe .Ia..tr Tor coalitions Iu and
a6.H. arller-..s lr Which rErr are Ir-
fs-.--.H
LIBERAL extracts from rHs 1900
rae.. of s....u1uF taken Eg rle COM
.a. arr embodied .I che report.
Uirr r..E C1mmsu-
rIerabI. leerlols ea both
a.t.. OF the c1utrls ersg. ae believe
a--r. able. and mo- confidence should
ba placed Iu &c. Colorado had =1Ul
mining laws and ouch that ogElt t1
ar1rI protection Col tIe usrsr .f theg
arc aaf1rcsd. set ir tr.E state rre
5arCeurare de .1faHtar is larger than
arr other. showing there is uldoubt-
.I.r someJhiue wrour iu reference Co
tlr management o. its Goa. mines 10
3D. raurelded by the miners as one OF
tHt.~ Grievance tias the operators DO
noe obey fhe Iaw. and however good
tH- laws may be- Or not observed they
arc 0f 30 protection
Violation BY Operators.
The testimony OF James uaIrympls.
state mine Inspector. calls attention
fol the many violations OF tLc law oy
tine operators. and the miners claim
This as one o. the causes leading up
t1 the strike. The report OF lIr. DII-
rEmD.e also says he found iu some
cases the operators had put Boz opera
ton new devices and systems OF an
adrautaEe 10 the miners
90 seemed the militia was on the
eide of the operators Boo this cCutro-
versy.~ says the report after recitiug
the action og the governor IN calling
out the state troops. and the evidence
seems c0ucIusiveIy % prove such 20
nave been the case. The sooner men
armed IN the service OF the state learn
that the men with whom they may
deal may be poor and ignorant and
even vioIators OF the law, but are still
human the better 10 will be for all
concerned
The recruiting OF mine guards as
members OF the militia. IN our judg-
ualt. was a mistake. since intense
aEimCsity had existed for some time
between tho mine guards and the
miners and &c was difficult or even i'm
possible for the miners 20 feel that
these men were neutral conservators
Of the peace. Some OF the miiitiamen .
seized the opportunity. while clothed
with thc authority OF the state. 70 en- 4
gage iu various 1awiess acts
immoral Acts
In other instances the acts were .
O.. al immoral kind and such nature .
al Oh be unfit for publication IN this .
report There were acts OF brutality
testified 90 before the committee
which might be enumerated. men. on /
sl.rtt urovocatiou were thrown into
Jail and kept there without the oppor-
uuify OF proving their innocence Z
fLe-s Uerc many sO0d men In the
militia both officers and privates. aid .
tLe strikers tc-tiiyirE said that Ger
tain companies were composed OF kind .
ueu aEd 81 their houses were TO be .
searched they asked that members OF .
These companies might be sent but .
Do others were sent 10 DO the search
ilE they would be subjected TO iudig- .
mites and would probably be robbed .
90 whatever trey might have that the /
militia wanted
Th- committee deu0uuCes John n
Chase adiutant general Of the militia .
o. the state. Tor his refusal to testify .
except upon coudftfou that he would
not De questioned BY representatives F.
o. che miners. and declares that he .
was overbeariuE 20 all who came in .
contact With him"
Reviewing the testimony or many
Witnesses. the report SAYS from the
time the strike was called until the
federal troops were sent into the field
BY the president o. the United States
there vas a series OF battles which 4
seemed 20 be fierce while they lasted