The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-30
litor Bismarck Tribune,

Editor Bismarck Tribune,
Sir:
Pertaining to an article appearing
in the Mandan Pioneer of date GIG
headed Detail of Troops Sent t.
| Guard Beulah Mine" l feel, person
ally, like entering protest.
| Either some space writer, adept a
making mountain out of mol
hill, or some interested party will
Interior motive, has cast bespatter
ings UPON our fair village.
The flaring headlines 81. w. W
blamed for the near riots of Sunday
eve" is misleading. So far as l ca,
ascertain there is not and was no
at that time, an |. w. w. in town
unless perchance it was one of thu
non-union strike breakers imported
by the Operators-these men l d'
not know the history, reputation Of
the character of. A careful canvas:
shows that all but two of the mem
bers Of the Miners Union in town or
Sunday evening were married men;
men Of responsibility; of integrit!
and industry; men who, in the ma
! jority, hold title to homes and arr
considered permanent citizens here
The two unmarried men are also con
sidercd responsible men. Some
w. WIS. may have been here in thu
past, it would not be strange il
some of the transients, drifters
coming and going had been i. w
VS.. or worse.
As to being armed" l find abso
lutely no substantiation for this re
port.
For one | object both to these fel
low citizens being traduced and t.
the reputation of the community fol
peace and lawfulness slandered by
these reports and by calling out
the Infantry on so slight u provoca
ton. The Peace officers of this
county and of this village are will
ing and competant to suppress any
disturbance so far showing or like
ly to appear, the only probable re
suit of sending the Militia or othe1
troops here would be to stir up some
real trouble, this might result.
Even had troops been needed i
is to laugh to suppose that ANYONE
thought that four men would stol
any real trouble of the magnitude
that their strikes usually assume.
We can imagine the eastern papers
coming out with burning columns o
dope about the mighty clashes be
tween the bloodthirsty miners ant
the troops way out in the wilds o
North Dakota, wildly portraying tn
gore flowing down our streets ant
the wild Indians casually scalping
few drunken Cowboys in the out
skirts of the fray.
The President of the local Uniol
on being interviewed said in effec
This l. w. w. cry, it seems, is raise'
by the so called Captains of Indus
try whenever any body of men begi1
to protest. We had no thought o
"Storming the bunk house" in tn
sense the Pioneer implies when W.
went peacefully down there en-mass
to have heart to heart talk will
these men who have been importe,
to take our places, we believe the,
have come here under misinforma
tion or other misconception of tn
facts, do not realize the actual con
ditions nor what led up to the pres
ent circumstances, for this reaso
we wished to converse with then
They seemed afraid to appear on tn
streets, or were ordered not to b.
the Operators possibly, so not be
ing able to see them elsewhere W
went-more in spirit of sadness
than of resentment-to the bun
house to plead and argue with them
just a gentlemanly, pleasant presen
tation of our stand. Perhaps w
did commit a trespass by going up
on the Companys land, but it seem
that Company who has disregard
ed the laws of the State in severa
ways and continually could over
look one technical violation b.
others, we cannot see why the higl
toned violater of the law is any tn
less an Anarchist, doing it to saw
himself hundreds of dollars, thar
is the poor wretch who does it t.
gain loaf Of bread. We hav
posted signs notifying all corners o
the strike, these warnings, which
tend to turn back all conscientiou
working men, are about our onl,
weapon of self defence and insofa
as they are legal ones we intend t
use them.
After. flatly refusing to conced
to our just demand that dependable
check eighman in whom we coul'
trust be allowed to check the weight
at our expense-the Company t.
have one also, and to abide by tn
eight hour law as enacted in thi
State and practically forcing US t.
organize local union now come
the Operator with proposition tina
he will make concession as original.
demanded provided we will violat
our union obligations, what sort o
men do they think we are? Many O
our members who were against com
ing out in the first place are no,
determined to stick and to bear u
under the suffering which this neces
States"
We care not to enter into tn
mooted questions pertaining to tn
merits and dement's, the benefit
and disadvantages of unionism, tn
Miners demand and the Operator
stand. The opinions and sympathie
of our local citizenry differ, Blu
when such prominent men as Suprem
Court Justice Brandeis say 9TH
right of labor to organize is re
cognized by law and should be full
recognized by employers. Mos
people admit the immense servic
which the labor unions have render
ed to the community during the las
twenty years in raising wages, shol