The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-08-20
THE LESSONS FROM
DENVER'S TRADEGN
from Labor

The workers may learn many valu-
able lessons from the tragedy of the
Denver street car strike.
The advocates Of the "open shop"
will stop at nothing in order to at
tain their ends. Six men are dead
as the result of the disturbances in
Denver and scores are in the hos
pitfalls suffering from gunshot
wounds.
ALL THE DEAD MEN WERE
WORKERS. All the men who have
gunshot wounds are workers or inno-
cent bystanders.
The shooting was done by the gun
men imported by the street car COM
pany. The workers, when they
struck back, fought with their fists
or hurled bricks.
There is a mass of convincing evil
dence that the gunner, under
BLACKJACK" jerome, were the agress-
ors. They were prepared" The
workers were not.
In the face of these facts the press
associations have spread the story
throughout the country that the
strikers were responsible for the
rioting. The officers of the law in
Denver are arresting workers. The
military authorities are treating the
strikers like dangerous criminals.
Nothing is being done to restrain or
punish the gunner, or, more impor-
tant yet, the directors of the cor
poration that employed the gunner.
There is nothing particularly new
about that. 1t is an old story.
The same thing has been done in
West Virginia, in Pennsylvania, in
Illnois-wherever the workers have
dared to make a stand for an Am
erican standard of living.
What is the remedy?
The workers have it in their own
hands, if they will only use it.
LABOR MUST MOBILIZE ITS
POLITICAL AND ECONMIC
POWER
The Governor of Colorado and the
Mayor of Denver are supporting the
lawless street car company. WHO
PUT THOSE GENTLEMEN IN
OFFICE?
1t will not suffice to answer that
they were nominated by political ma
chimes and that large sums of money
were expended to secure their cleo
ton.
Neither the Governor nor the
Mayor would be in his present posi-
ton if he had not received the votes
of thousands Of workers. THEY
CANNOT CONTINUE IN THOSE
POSITIONS WITHOUT THE SUP
PORT OF THE WORKERS.
The same is true Of the notorious
Judge who announced that he would
send union leaders to Jail unless
they called off the strike. For thirty
years he has been known as the tool
Of certain public utility corporations.
Nevertheless, thousands of workers
have voted for him.
The Governor, the Mayor and the
Judge obey Big Business" because
they know big Business" will "de-
liver the goods" on election day.
They, and their successors, will
continue to serve Big Business" I'M
til the workers wake up and organ
lie for effective action on election
day.
So much for the workers political
power. Now a word about their
economic power.
The Denver Chamber of Commerce
is directing the open shop" cam
paign Its members are business
men, the majority Of whom could
not continue in business for six
months if the workers whom they
abuse were to refuse to patronize
them.
LABOR MUST HAVE IT'S OWN
STORES. Cooperation saved the
British railroad workers during their
great strike. 1t will do as much for
the American workers if they have
intelligence enough to use it.
All the newspapers of Denver are
denouncing the strikers and eulogiz-
ing the corporation "gunmen." The
office of one of these papers was
wrecked during the rioting.
Labor cannot condone lawlessness,
whatever the provocation. Besides,
the wrecking of a newspaper is
futile thing. The damage is easily
repaired and the paper continues its
career.
THE WAY TO DAMAGE A
PAPER is TO STRIKE AT ITS
CIRCULATION. That's the life blood
Of all newspapers. Deprive a news
paper of circulation and its power
for good or evil is ended.
The Denver Post boasts that it has
the largest circulation in the inter-
mountain West. The majority of its
readers-probably so per cent-are
workers.
If they would only refuse to buy
the paper they would destroy it and
in working its destruction they would
violate no law.
But they should not stop there.
Denver workers should own and edit
their own newspaper. 1t is being done
in Seattle and Minneapolis and many
other cities.
1t is being done right here in
Washington, where the railroad labor
organizations have established Labor,
so that the truth concerning such
events as the Denver street car strike
may be given to the world.