Denver labor bulletin., 1917-11-24
LAWSON AND DOYLE AN
NOUNCE THEIR PURPOSE
OF RUNNING AGAIN.
Subcommittee of international
Board Comes to Colorado to
Give Autonomy to the Min
ers, Who Have Been Of
ficered by Invaders.

A subcommittee of the Information
al Executive board of the United Mine
Workers of America has issued call
for a special election of officers and
one member of the international board
of District Is, embracing the states
of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
In reality it applies to Colorado, as
there is only one union in New Mex
ico, located at Gallup, and none in
Utah. The number of local unions in
Colorado is not known as Moran and
Pippin, acting president and secretary,
have refused to list them openly, tho
There are probably between forty and
fifty.
Board Members Here
The call is signed by j. NJ. Zim-
norman of Illinois, A. D. Van Horn of
Indiana and A. R. Watkins of Ohio,
who recently came to Colorado to an
uounce that the charter would be re-
stored and union miners be granted
autonomy.
Had the fair and square thing been
done, the officers regularly and legal
ly elected last December would have
at once assumed their duties. How
ever, the officers then chosen, or most
of them at least, are going to run
again, and no doubt the miners will
stand by them as they did before.
Hold Election January 3.
The election is scheduled for Thurs
day, January 8, and will be by ref
erendum vote. Local unions are now
making nominations of candidates. No
date is set in the call as to when the
elective officers are to assume their
respective duties, but presumably this
~,l- Ill, =. L
successful candidates are announced.
otherwise autonomy would be held in
allegiance.
All nominations must be addressed
to Acting Secretary Warren E. Pip
pin, now stationed in Pueblo.
Lawson Announces Candidacy.
district president over John McLen-
nan by a majority of twelve to one,
and Edward L. Doyle, chosen interna-
tional board member without opposi-
ton, have announced their candidacy
in the forthcoming referendum for
the same offices to which they were
elected last December. but not per
mitted TO assume.
Restoration of charter is a great
victory for the rank and file of union
coal miners in this state, for they have
protested vigorously over the manner
in which it was withdrawn. This pro-
test had reached the point where
conferences and conventions were be-
ing held to devise means of forcing its
restoration or refusing longer to pay
dues.
Mother" Jones' Pledge.
A few weeks ago Mother" Jones
appeared Unexpectedly in convention
of protestants being held in Pueblo.
After hearing their side of the situa-
tion she promised if the delegates
would defer action she would go at
once to headquarters at indianapolis,
and pledged her word that the charter
should be restored and autonomy
given the unions of this state. She
kept her word and made good.
When John McLennan was so over
whelmingly defeated for reelection as
district president last December he
Immediately set up a yelp that the
election was irregular" no doubt be-
cause of the insignificant vote cast
for him.
An Unusual Procedure.
He then went to Indianapolis and
succeeded in having the charter with
drawn on the ground that District Is
was not self-supporting During the
sixteen years of the districts exist
ence it had never been self-supporting
for more than two or three years by
reason of the peculiar industrial con-
ditions existing in Colorado, and fire.
quent strikes in the vain hope of bet
tering conditions. Under like circum-
stances it would not be self-support-
ing today or any other future day.
Withdrawal of the charter automat-
ically deprived Lawson as president,
Doyle as international board member
and other district officers-elect from
serving their terms, which were for
two years.