Denver labor bulletin. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-19??, 1918-06-29
POLICE AND DEFENSE LEAGUE" OF
FLORENCE BREAK UP UNION MEETING
Goggn General Organizer Mine Mill and Snelter Worker
Union, Statement of How the Attempt Prevent
Joining Union Was Made in Fremont
County Few Days Ago

but just fix certain prices whether the
workers wages are advanced or not,
and no question is asked, and the
chamber of commerce or any other
association never make any protest
against it, nor have l or any one else
ever heard of any committee or any
council or association protest against
violation of the laws of this state by
the corporations in the past years, but
just as soon as an organizer of a
labor union comes to a town to or
ganize the workers for their own pro-
lection, his motives are questioned,
and on many occasions peaceful meet
| ings broken up, organizers deported,
jailed, mobbed, and all of these dis
graceful things done in the name of
patriotism, but in reality serving the
will of the master-the exploiting
class.
II told this to this committee, and
also cited the Bisbee, Ariz., deporta-
ton and many other instances thru
| out the country. also reminded these
gentlemen that they were causing
more dissatisfaction and disloyalty to
the government than thousands of
enemy organizers could ever accom-
| plish. l then jumped to my feet and
said to this committee: If you are
going to interfere with my meeting
i tonight am going to take this matter
| up at once with the governor and with
the labor department at Washington
II left the office and held the meet
ing. The next morning l called upon
the secretary of the chamber of COM
| merce and asked if he would kindly
give me the names of this committee,
| but he refused. And why did he re-
| fuse? There is a reason. He said If
you want to write anything just men
| ton that we are representing the
county council of defense. If so, why
not give me the names? / asked.
81 returned to my room at the Miller
hotel. A few minutes later a COM
mittee of three, the chamber of COM
| merce secretary included, called on
me- They asked to see my creden-
tials. l complied, but one of the COM
mittee was even doubtful of the le-
gality of my credentials. Then they
asked to see my citizenship paper,
| which / showed them, and asked them
if there was not enough evidence, or
if there was anything else they wanted
to see, but finally they felt satisfied
and left, but before leaving the secre-
tary of the chamber of commerce
called my attention that they were
going to investigate further. l told
them that as far as l was concerned
they could do SO.
Il also desire to inform the read
! ers of The Bulletin that at noon the
same day / went to the Ohio Smelt-
ing plant to distribute hand bills for
the meeting. When ! got to the end
of the plant, one great big raw-bone
| fellow resembling his highness, the
kaiser came forth and said to me,
Say, you see that trail there. 1t is
the shortest way out for you. Go as
fast as you can get out of here you
CD and don't come here again
| said thank you for your kind infor-
nation, and of course obeyed the or
der But goodness gracious big Bill
felt nsulted, poor fellow.
yours fraternally,
BEN GOGGIN,
"Organizer l. U. M. M. G. s. W."