Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-23
The Colorado Coal Strike.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New York City
has had the impudence send to the governor of the
State of Colorado formal protest against the conduct
OF martial law in Huerfano county, Colorado. copy
of the letter has been The Chieftar, presum-
ably in order that publicity may be given the matter
The Cheftan very gladly complies with the inferental
request.
Either the American Civil Liberties League does not
know what is talking about else it is Intentionally
acting in support of lawessness disorder and disloyat.
The probability is that both of these purpors attach
to its action.
The American Civil Liberties League says: ''The
maintenance of law and order does have been
the primary purpose the authorities The regulations
under martial law indicate determination the part
of the state authorities to break the strike the in
erests of the employers 1t is obvious that the state
authorities of Colorado have put themselves the side
of the employing interests their controversy with their
employees III Huerfano county"
The American Civil Liberties League is either an
ignorant liar, willfu and deliberate liar 1t may be
both.
The State Rangers sent into the southern Colo
rado coal fields after the state industrial commission
result of careful investigations had declared that the
employers had legal right to reach agreement with
their employees for reduction of wages that they had
reached such agreement, that the agreement not
in violation of public interests that the former wages
and that reduction in coal mining costs desirable
from the standpoint of public interests.
The State Rangers sent into the coal fields to
maintain law and order and for other purpose, and
for other purpose they kept there They were
not sent there take the side Of the employees their
controversy with their employers in Huerfano county,
for the employers had reached agreement with most
of their employees their controversy with
who trying to overturn that agreement which the
industrial commission had declared be lawful and in
accordance with public interest.
The state authorities save Colorado from an
other coal strike like the that made Ludlow name
Of horror thruout the nation They to protect the
right of Colorado citizens property Colorado
and to carry forward their lawful business in legal
manner. They acted to protect the right of miners
work under conditions of their own choosing They
acted to protect the rights of Colorado and
to have coal regularly reasonable price, as long
as Colorado coal miners willing to mine it.
The only way in which the authority acted to
break the strike by enforcing law by prevent
ing riot and If the action of the state authorities
broke the strike it because the strike could have
been except by violence crime unlawful intimi-
dation
The state government Of Colorado has the approval Of
the people of Colorado and has the approval honest
and loyal American citizens in other states, who know
the facts.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New York may
pirate of free speech while radicals in that
ing TO stop the coal supply for home fires factories
and criminals are seeking opportunity for riot and
murder but they would do well to keep their protests
out of Colorado where the people had had all they
OF that kind of civil liberty which bloodshed