The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-20
LABOR AGlTATORS HAVE HAD
THEIR DAY IN MINING CAMPS.

The attempt of the !. w. w. to close
down the mines of the west a few
months ago. an effort boldly under
taken and brazenly proclaimed, has
failed utterly. And it failed because
the people in the various districts eff
fected promptly took steps to stop the
lawless gang In its move to wreck the
industry uponS which all depend for
support and which at this particular
time is essential to the government
in its preparation for war. Investi
cation by the federal authorities has
disclosed evidence that large sums
We're paid by agents of Germany to
encourage strikes that would result in
cutting off the supply Of metals for
the government as well as other nee
essary supplies The leaders of course
will also get terms in the federal pri-
son.
But, as is often the case, the i'm
pending disaster has in reality had
most beneficial effect in arousing and
crystallizng public sentiment on
question that has long been of over
shadowing Importance in the mining
camps of the west When trouble
with the l. W. w. became imminent
the people of the Occur d'Alene dis
trict with a determination that would
brook no resistance, placed their SER
vices at the disposal~of the peace Of
flcers for the purpose of assisting in
preserving order and in protecting
every citizen in his eight to work. In
the presence Of such a showing of
public sentiment, the agitators who
hoped by threats, intimidation and as
sault to force men who wanted to
work to leave their employment, aban-
doned the attempt, but not until some
of the more radical ones were thrown
in Jail.
In Bisbee, ARIZONA, the I, w. w.
situation became so acute that it sim
ply became question whether the
decent, loyal, law-abiding citizens
We're to abandon all their rights to
the mob, or assert them in a manner
that would forever rid the city and
district of the lawless gang. They
chose the latter and Bisbee today
looks forward to permenent peace
and prosperity.
Over in Butte a conglomerate ag-
gregation of l. w. WIS, pretentious,
but repudiated labor unionists, agents
OF the kaiser and others of the II
won't work" brand, managed to force
suspension Of the mines and smelt-
ers, directly throwing out of employ
ment 10000 men and paralyzing bus
mess in Butte, Anaconda, Great Falls,
and other smaller communities in
Montana. The few weeks of suspen-
sion gave the wage earners a chance
t. do some serious thinking, as well
as the people generally who depend
on the mines and smelters for sup
port. 1t was costly lesson, but the
reaction that has followed the shut
down has developed a strong Ameri-
can sentiment which is asserting IT, !
self In manner that will prove an eff |
fective warning to the criminal agita-
tors who would attempt to force such
a condition again. The sentiment in
Butte and Anaconda is clearly express
sed in the following editorial from the
Anaconda Standard:
1.-THE agitators the plotters and the
German sympathizers have had alto
gether too much to say about the
running of things in Butte and Ana
conda. 1t Is high time that the per-
manent residents of these communities
took matters into their own hands
The men who have their business
their homes and their families here
should have the full say about whe-
Their things should run or not and the
l. W. w. agitators should be required
to take a back seat and keep quiet or
else get out Of town. There has been I
nothing but disturbance nothing but /,
hard times for all since, a few weeks
ago. workingmen began to give heed
to the anarchistic talk of the agita- G
tors. These agitators have been per- a
mitted to much license. They have !
declared that men who wanted to
work should not work and have as
sanlted men who have tried to work.
They have tried to win their infamous t