The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-12
Colorado Strike Forces Divides Capitalists
By Fred Ellis

ship, yet all had been on the scene
before the wobblies and did nothing
to remedy the condition. They dealt
with empty words while the organ
izers who were in the field before
the strike were translating the words
into deeds.
The Catholic Church.
The Catholics were also divided
camp. The Daily American Tribune
of Dubuque, Iowa: in an editorial up
held in the strike, and in forceful Ian
guage supported their position. Bish-
op ]. Henry Then, head of the Cath
Ollie Church in Colorado, upheld the
rights of the striking miners. Cath
Ollie priests in the southern field went
among their Mexican flocks at the
beginning of the strike and endeav-
ored to persuade the miners to return
to the mines and scab.
In the different religious denom-
nations as well as the many other
capitalist institutions we find that
their srokesmen are divided on the
issue of the strike. Many are on both
sides and most of them against the
leadership.
The American Legion.
At the funeral of a fellow worker,
Vodivich, the sixth victim of the
State Police, the American Legion
was part of the funeral procession.
In the State Police, officers and rep
resentatives of the American Legion
are cunning for the interests of the
coal operators.
The Lower Middle Class in Unison.
All through the camps those mer-
chants who depend upon the strikers
for trade are favorable to the strik-
ers.
Local officials depending upon the
miners vote know what's what also.
In Walsenburg, where the l. w. W.
hall and headquarters prior to the
strike was located, the "Citizens'
Committee" with the mayor and
tother hoodlums, instigated by the
Chamber of Commerce and the reac-
tionary merchants of the c. f. and l.,
raided the J.. w. W. hall, burned some
supplies and endeavored to scare them
into submission. This happened the
night before the Pueblo conference
that brought in unanimous strike
vote.
The Mexican Consul.
The Mexican Consul, stationed at
Denver, at the beginning of the strike
came to the southern field and tried
to induce the Mexican miners to re-
turn to work but when he met we'll
organized opposition he retreated and
went back to Denver to leave the
Spanish-speaking miners to continue
their excellent loyalty to the strike.
The Press.
The capitalist papers of Colorado
and especially the biggest one under
c. F. and I. control, the Denver Post,
howled for blood and troops at the
very start. All through the cam
paign, lies and more lies has been
heir policy. A few of the papers
we're more fair in articles than the
Denver Post but all were lined up
against the I. w. w. and the strik-
ling miners. Often editorials of the
Denver Post seemed to favor the
miners but close observation would
prove that they were two-edged
swords.
The capitalist press reporters with
few exceptions made excellent inform
ers and stool-pigeons for the enem-
les of the strikers.
The Colleges.
Like the other capitalist institu-
lions the students and faculty were
also divided. The students Of sociol-
cgy and economics enjoyed the. OPP
portunity for this "field work" Of in
vestigating the strike. Students of
the University of Denver, Colorado
and Illiff School of The