The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-09-14

Calender, by the National Labor De-
fense Council as a faithful picture of
Bisbee, the Arizona mining town in
dustrial despots have converted into
the Belgium of America. Under
cover of patriotism" these profi-
teers have committed by atrocities
against American workmen, which,
committed by Germans against Bel
gans, have stirred Americas fight
ing blood. So far, their criminal
lawlessness has not aroused action
by the state or nation).
(By Harold Callender)
No Violence or Threats of Violence
The strike was peaceful. Every
body, including the leaders of the
gunmen and the commercial or
ganization, the Citizens Protective
League, a subsidiary of the Phelps
Dodge Company, admits this. The
men picketed the street leading past
the postoffice to the chief mines.
This they had right to do, the
Arizona statutes provide. The in
dustrial union held business meet
ings in it's little hall, and open meet
ings in the City Park, built by pub
lie subscription and the donated
labor of working men. A day be-
fore the deportation the park was
forbidden to them.
At these meetings speakers ex-
pounded the doctrine of industrial
unionism and reiterated objurgations
to strike, declaring the general strike
was labor's only weapon to bring the
capitalist to time. There were, all
agree, no suggestion of violence, and
there were no arms in possession of
the strikers or their leaders.
Most of the miners, heretofore
unorganized, refused to work while a
strike was on. There were not many
at their jobs when the deportation
took place. These men were not
union men, much less l. w. w. mem
bers. But they were workers, with
a sense of the common interests and
aims of workers. While they were
not syndicalists, they recognized the
l. w. W. principle of the strike, as
do all labor organizations, as a ne
cessity. Further than that, it is
doubtful whether many agreed with
the I. W. w. leaders.
All this time the agents of the
mining interests were carefully
spreading the assertion that the
strikers meant destruction. Many
believed this. 1t was
said the strike leaders had vast
amounts of dynamite hidden in Bis
bee and numerless rifles. How true
this is is shown by the statements
of business men and gunmen that,
among the homes of the 1854 men
rounded up July II there were found
only few weapons: estimates vary,
but none puts the number higher
than half a dozen!
"It was the most peaceful, orderly
strike l ever saw" said J. F.. Nc
Donald, deputy United States marsh
al, to the writer. "I've seen big
mine strikes for many years, too.
There was less disorder in Bisbee
during the strike than at any other
time.
Some of the gunner, realizing the
heretical views of Mr. Mcdonald,
threatened to deport him, but didn't.
The city marshal, James Allison,
corroborates this. Even the secre-
tary of the Citizens Protective
League admitted it.
But the strike was successful;
and while it may be all very we'll for
a strike to be peaceful, it must not
in any event be successful. That is
fatal--in Bisbee.
Where the Violence Was
A girl employed at the single de-
partment store Of the town passed
the store office in a belated depart
ure one night Immediately before the
She saw the owner of
the store demonstrating a Winchester
rifle to a subordinate official. See
ing her and other girls, who he
thought had gone home, he dropped
the rifle to the floor in confusion.
The girl heard, from the sister-in-
law of the credit man for the Copper
Queen Mining Company, that the
mine official had received two car
loads of rifles and ammunition few
days earlier.
Its a disgrace" she said, "and l
told my sister so. The arms were
not consigned to the company store,
but to him personally"
The |. w. w. band passed the
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