Denver labor bulletin., 1915-09-11
Depth of States Prostitution Is
Reached in LaDson's COMPLETION
Industrial Relations Commsson Report Colorado Sifud-
fion Blisteys Carlson, Faay and Hvsr Tools of the
Rockefeller System in Denying Workers Rights

Editors Note.-In its issue of August
rs, The Bulletin began publication of the
complete report submitted by the United
State commission on industrial rela-
tions covering the Colorado coal strike,
of which the accompanying article is the
second installmentI
TN pursuance of the law and order
policy on which they were elected, Gov
ernor Carlson and Attorney General Far
rar have proceeded vigorously with the
prosecution of union officials and strik-
ers. Their most conspicuous success
came with the conviction on n charge
of murder in the first degree of Mr..
John X. Lawson, member Of the execli-
tive board of the United Mine Workers
of America and the most conspicuous
Colorado official OF that organization
He had worked his way from breaker
boy to a position where he commands
the respect and friendship of large num-
bers of the states best citizens He has
appeared twice before the commission,
and members OF the commission and its
agents have investigated carefully his
record and character. As consequence,
he il believed to be a man of exception
ally high character and good citizen in
every sense of the term. The judge be-
fore whom he was tried was appointed
by Governor Carlson after serving the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company as at
torney and assisting in the preparation
Of cases against strikers. The panel
from which the jury was drawn was
selected by the Sheriff Of Las Animas
county. an official whose sympathies
have been with the mine owners from
the beginning Much of the evidence ON
which he was convicted came from men
in the employ of detective agency re-
tanned by the coal companies The kill
ing Of John Nimmo. mine guard. by
the strikers during one OF the many
skirmishss between them and the depu-
Ties was the crime for which Mr.. Law
-on was convicted No effort Was made
to prove that he fired the fatal shot.
jeff Farr obeyed Operators.
4He Was held responsible for the death
Of Nimmo because he WAS leading the
strike and Was at the Ludlow tent
colony on the DAY of the battle Nimmn
wa one Of a small army OF deputy
sheriff~. employed and paid by the coal
compsn nics and dcPutiked by subseryient
sheriffs who made little OF no effort TO
| investigate their records. Thus Sheriff
jefferson farr of Huerfano county testi-
| fled before this commission that the men
to whom be gave deputies commissions
might have been. 20 far a. he knew,
| red handed murderers fresh from the
scene of their crimes. That many guards
dcputixed in this Illegal fashion aud paid
by the Colorado Fuel and Iron company
were men of the lowest and most vicious
Irharnrfrr has bc<n clearly estabii<hed.
| That their function was to intimidafe
| and harass the strikers had been demon
Il 81.
had beer, made apparent early in the
present strike by the shooting to death
| of Gerald Lippiaft. union organizer, in
the streets OF Trinidad Immediately sf-
ter the calling Of the strike, by-a Bald
win-F Felts detective employed by the
Colorado Fnei and Iron company and its
| associates and deputixed by the sheriff
Of Las Ani,nas county. In fact it was to
| these deputies. then marqucrading as ma
| tionai guardsmen. that national guard
Officers attempted to attribute the mur-
der. iooting and pilIage that accompanied
the destruction Of the Ludlow tent COL
ony Of strikers later in the strike.
Depth Of States Prostitution
.-On August II the supreme court of
Colorado issued an order prohibiting
Judge Hiiiycr. who presided at Mr.. Law
sons trial. from presiding at other trials
| of striker~ or strike leaders. on the
| ground fhnf he had been. Just prior to
his appointment. an attorney for the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company and the
other operators. The court also issued
writ OF supersedeas permitting the
Lawson case to come before II ON its
| merits.
"The prosecution and conviction Of
| Mr.. Lawson under these circumstances,
| ~oH ssusna<, tn Hfa Ytco0 yue0t at
hard labor, marked the lowest depths Of
| the prostitution Of Colorado's govern
| ment to the will Of the Colorado Fuel
and Iron company and its associates. II
Is the crowniug infamy Of all the infa-
| nous records Ia Colorado Of American
institutions perverted and debauched BY
| selfish private interests. II Is anarchisni
4 stripped OF every pretense Of even that
| chimerical idealism that fires the unbal-
anced mind Of the bomb thrower. II is
auarchism for profits and revenge, and it
menaces the security and integrity Of
American institutions as they seldom
have been menaced before.
Farrar's Conception Of Justice.
Attorney General Farrar's bias in
| favor of the owners and his conception
of fairness is well shown by his COM
mcnt on the grand jury which met at
Trinidad in August. 1914. and which un-
der his direction returned indictments
against i24 strikers and strike leaders.
OF This jury Mr.. Farrar testified before
the commission in Denver:
4 desire TO say here that regardless
Of the reports which have been made, I
have never seen a more fair minded body
Of men gathered together under condi-
tions such as prevailed there than were
the twelve men who constituted that
grand jury. and the charges which Were