Denver labor bulletin., 1915-04-17
SENATE PASSES 4
TREASON Bills
AlphOnSe PerCival ArdOurel Is
In High Glee Over Coup
Lawandorder Program to Intimidate
and COerce Working People Wins in
legislature; Bills Up to Governor

House bills Nos 20O pol, 2O2 and 2O3, |
by Alphonse Percival Ardourel of Boul- |
der. passed the senate Saturday night in
the final melee, and are now up to Gov
ernor Carlson for action. So far as The
Bulletin is able to ascertain at the hour
this issue goes to press, the governor has
made no expression as to his attitude in
regard to these vicious anti-labor meas
ures. They are the group of treason"
and "sedition" bills put over as a part
of the lawandorder Republican program
to intimidate and eoerce the working
people OF Colorado. Ardourel. as the
water carrier for the coal operators, aid
ed by Gang Leader Ed. NJ. Sabin, made
these bills special mission and carried
out instructions of the coal operators.
Leading attorneys have given the opinion
that they are clearly unconstitutional.
Perhaps the instigators never intended
they should be enforced and merely
want to hold them as a club over the
heads of wage-eaners, like the anti
boycott law.
Wide Scope of "Sedition"
House bill No. 200 defines "sedition"
and provides a penalty for violation of
from one to five years in the peniten-
tiary, a fine OF not more than 5000, or
both fine and imprisonment 1t provides
that amy person who shall urge or
advise another to resist or defy the
civil authorities of the state or of the
several counties thereof, or the militia
of the state. or who shall make any pub
lie speech or write or cause to be pub
lished any book, pamphlet, or newspaper
or magazine article inflammatory in
| character and having a tendency to in
/ cite public disorder or breaches of the
peace, shall be deemed guilty of sedi.
ton"
Under the Interpretation of the coal
| operators The Bulletin might be charged
with "sedition" upon the appearance of
nearly every issue. 1t doesn't meet with
their approval
Resisting peace" Officer.
/ No. pol places penalty of $4,000 fine
or ten years in the penitentiary upon
any person resisting a peace" officer
hired by the coal operators OF other cor
I porations. 1t amends section 1929 of the
/ revised statutes of Colorado statute, 1905
1 to read:
If any person or persons shall in any
way aid, assist. engage in, cooperate or
participate with any armed force OF men
with intent by force of arms to OBJ
struct, retard or resist the execution OF
any law of this state. or to obstruct,
intimidate or resist any peace officer or
member or members OF the militia OF
this state in the performance of his or
their duties, or shall, with such armed
force, invade any portion of the stat-,
any such person or persons so offending
shall, upon conviction. be fined in any
sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars
or imprisoned in the penitentiary for a
] term not exceeding ten wears"
Will Legalize Persecution.
Under Bill No. POP, section l72s of
the revised statutes is amended to au-
thorize special officers of corporations to
persecute citizens, and reads as follows:
"If any person shall knowingly and
willfully obstruct, resist or oppose any
sheriff, deputy sheriff, coroner. consta-
ble or other officer of this state. or otn-
er person duly authorized. in serving or
attempting to serve any lawful process
or order of any court or judge or JUS
tice of the peace or any other legal
process whatever, or in attempting by
lawful means to preserve the peace, or
shall assault or beat any sheriff, deputy
sheriff, coroner. constable or other per
son duly authorized in the serving or
executing or attempting to serve or exc
cute any such process or order as afore.
. !
attempted to serve or execute the same.
such person so offending shall be fined
in any sum not exceeding five hundred
dollars and be imprisoned for term not
exceeding one year; provided, that any
officer or person that may or shall as
sault or beat any individual under color
of commission or authority without
lawful necessity so to do, shall, upon
conviction, suffer the same punishment"
Treason" to State Defined.
Then comes the treason bill. No. 20S.
which defines treason to the state"
inflicts penalties and has the added dis
tinction of being the only one of its
kind to ever pass a state legislature.
It's short but places an awful bludgeon
in the hands of labor-b -baiters, being in
words as follows:
THAT treason shall consist in levying
war against the state or in adhering to
I its enemies, giving them aid and COM
/ fort. Any person convicted of treason
shall be sentenced TO death or impris-
onment for life in the discretion OF the
jury"
And if this article comes under the
Alphonse Percival Ardourel law of "se-
dition" or treason" make the most of
it. as Patrick Henry told the Tory trai.