Denver labor bulletin., 1917-02-24

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the main floor Of the hall was occupied
and possibly two hundred and fifty
overflowed into the gallery. Scores
Of representatives Of organized labor
and others who believe in equal rights
under the law were present TO sup
port those who argued for repeal Of
this vicious, un-Christihn. un-Ameri-
can and unconstitutional law. Visit
ing labor delegations We're in attend
ance from Pueblo. Colorado Springs,
Cripple Greek, Grand Junction, Boul-
der, Greeley and Fort Collins.
Four Hours of Solid Logic.
Chairman George Lewis of the
Senate committee presided. Seated
with him on the speakers rostrum
were Senator William j. Candlish Of
Leadville. joint author with Lewis of
the industrial relations act, and Chair
man Evcrt II. Houtchens of tie House
committee.
II was decided that the hearing on
this first evening should be given over
to advocates Of the bill for repeal and
that on next Monday night, February
20, those who favor retaining this in
voluntary servitudc law upon the
statute books should be heard from.
For four hours, from 1880 until
/ 80 o'clock. those who spoke for la
DOT knt lntrt WAS
tense interest throughout and fire.
quently the hall rang with applause as
the speakers sent home TO the legisa-
tors present fundamental truths and
facts.
Grant Hamilton. legislative repre-
sentative of the American Federation
of Labor, was the first speaker For
one hour and thirty minutes he dis
cussed the human and economic side
Of this question, declaring that the
workingmen and women of Colorado
would no longer submit to the brand
of slavery. and that labor would not
acuuiescc in denial of its rights
under the Industrial law. He and
other speakers made it plain that
members of the Twenty-first General
Assembly would be held to strict ac-
countability for their action on this
bill and that IL the industrial law is
not repealed at this session labor will
adopt methods sufficiently effective to
bring about its absolute rejection in
the not distant future.
Crowd Rebukes Ardourcl.
At the conclusion of Hamilton's ad-
dress, Representative Alphonse Ar
dourel, the whipper-snapper of the
House, who had n seat directly in
front of the speakers platform, arose
II.
Hamilton whether "the position of or
ganized labor in this country is that
they intend to defy the law II it is not
corrected"
Mr.. Hamilton replied, 81 think /
have stated very clearly that we will
not submit to the invasion of the
rights granted to us under the terms
of the federal constitution"
Ringing applause from the floor Of
the house and gallery greeted this apt
rcjoindcr. Being asked by Chairman
Lewis il he had any further ques-
tions, Representative Ardourel, de-
Costigan Is At His Best.
Hon. Edward p. Costigan, twice n
candidate for governor of Colorado on
the Progressive ticket, was the next
speaker against involuntary servitude
of workers in Colorado. No more log
ical or eloquent address was ever
heard in the State Capitol. For one
hour he held members of the legisla-
turc and visitors in rapt attention. He
declared that those provisions of the
Industrial Commission law which for
bid employees to do the things that
employers are given n legal right to
perform created an inequality among
men that shame the boasted freedom
and justice OF American institutions.
His speech breathed the essence of
personal liberty for all the people of
this commonwealth.
Edward l.. Doyle of the United
Mine Workers was the third speaker
in favor Of repeating the commission
law. He produced from the records
in chronological order the acts of the
commissioners operating under this
law during the past eighteen months.
1t was clearly proven from these rec
ords that wherever n real issue arose
between employer and cmploye the de-
cision was either in favor of the en-