Denver labor bulletin., 1915-09-18
c. F. & |. Controlling Spirit in
Waging War on Union Labor
BoOer and Welbo REPRESENTATIVES Of Rockefeller Admit
Shams to Appease Public Condemnation of Policies
Thar Led to Ludlotu Massacre

tions covering the Colorado coal strike,
of which the accompanying article is the
third installment.)
After the system of political and
economic absolutism outlined above had
driven the miners to revolt, the owners
not only obstinately refused to admit
he possibility of any grievance, but at
a time when they could have prevented
a strike by merely granting confer
ence to the union officials, they chose
instead to refuse the conference and in
doing SO made themselves respons BILE
for the disasters and tragedy that fol-
lowed. Letters from the president and
chairman of the executive board of the
/ Colorado Fuel 4 Iron company to Mr..
Rockefeller's office show that these OF
ficers fully realized the gravity of the
situation before the strike, and also
that they believed strike could have
been averted by the mere granting OF
| conference Yet their refusal even to
meet the representatives OF the union
had from the beginning the warm appre-
citation and endorsement of Mr.. John d.
Rockefeller. Jr.
| Operators Defy Public Interests.
The refusal of the operators to ac-
I
| ing personal meeting between them
selves and the strike leaders of any
slightest recession from their original at
| titude continued throughout the strike,
and eventually took the form of rejec-
ton. amounting to rebuffal, of plan
that was urged upon them by the presi-
dent of the United States and that was
supported by the public opinion of the
nation. This continued and presistent
defiance of the public interest, as that
interest was urged upon them by the
highest representative of the people. con
tinued to have the support and endorse
ment of Mr.. Rockefeller, without which
there is doubt that it could have been
sustained"
Discussing the situation in Colorado
today, the report says:
The defeat OF the strike by the
methods that have been described left
the Colorado operators free to operate
their properties exactly as they saw
fit The United Mine Workers have. at
least temporarily, abandoned their Ell
fort to organize the miners. and the
large operators other than the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company are as determined
as ever that there shall be no demo
cratic organization OF the industry which
they control.
Favors of Autocratic Despots.
AT the mines of the Colorado Fuel &
Iron company plan purporting to pro-
vide the miners with easy access to dpns-
pany officials, and with other advantages
of collective bargaining. has been an
nounced by Mr.. Rockefeller and his sub
ordinates, and has been widely heralded
by them as evidence that, the strike
| having been defeated, they are now will
ing to grant of their own free will ana
accord what they stubbornly refused to
give under the duress of the strike. BE-
tore considering the merits of this plan
it must be pointed out that the spirit
actuating those who conceived and exc
cuted it was the spirit of men who give
as charity or a favor that which they
had denied when demanded as right.
Even If we grant that the concession has
substantial value, it must still be char
acterized not as to concession to demo-
cratic principles, but as an instance Of
that handing down of favors in which
autocrats and despots always have de-
lighted.
But after study of the plan as dis
closed in the testimony of Mr. Rookie
feller and Reverend Mr. Gaddis, and in
the public announcements of President
Welborn. it is found that it embodies
none of the principles of effectual col
lective bargaining and instead is hyp-
ocritical pretense of granting what is
in reality withheld.
Trying to Hoodwink Public.
"The testimony and correspondence not
! only prove this, but they contain indis
putable evidence that the plan was con-
| ceived and carried out, not for the pur-
pose of aiding the company's employee in
Colorado, but for the purpose of amcdior-
ating or removing the unfavorable crit
icism of Mr.. Rockefeller which had
arisen throughout the country following
his rejection of Presidents Wilson's plan
of settlement, and which had found ut
terance even in those conservative circles
and newspapers in eastern cities where
Mr.. Rockefeller's self-esteem could not
escape injury by such criticism.
In considering the correspondence and
4 testimony that will here be quoted. It
must be borne in mind that Mr. Wei
born is still the president of the com
pany and the dominating executive off
cial on the ground in Colorado. If it
appears that Mr.. Welborn's spirit and
attitude toward the new plan, as dis
closed in his correspondence while this
plan was being formulated, were such as
to convince the recipient of his letters
that he was temperamentally and by
conviction untitled for the carrying out
of any plan for real collective bargain-
ing, then Mr.. Rockefeller's retention and
continued support of Mr.. WeIborn must
be taken as measure of his own sin
cerity regarding the plan.
Welborn Advises a Sham.
"Mr .Welborn's conception collective
bargaining and of an ideal arrangement
for safeguarding the wage carners's in
terests is expressed in the following
sentence in his letter of Oct. o. 1914:
G