Montana labor news., 1935-07-04
HISTORY OF The
MINERS UNION DAY

~ AAk 4AaAA A1AA0h VI AAA
the I.W.W, Of course, the o%rganiza-
ton still exists, and in some communi-
ties has considerable standing, and IN
many places has been responsible Tor
much Improvement in working condl-
tons. But | would say that these con
ditions have been brought about in
spite OF its leadership. This leadership
has not changed its attitude one iota
in the past % years. It started out
at that time with the avowed inten-
ton OF breaking every labor organiza-
ton that disagreed with it. 1t cares
not how it assassinates character. ANY
officer or prominent member OF organ
lied labor is fair prey Tor it, as was
exemplified here last summer when It
launched a vicious and unmerited at
tack, through the Industrial Worker,
upon two prominent members OF the
Miners Union and of the strike COM
mittee. l believe it is safe TO say that
during the last % years for every gal
lon OF ink it has used to fight the en-
ploying class, it has used ten to be-
smirch the character and reduce the Ell
feciency and influence of some man or
organization prominent in the labor
movement.
But, because the Industrial Work
ers Of the World became decadent and
our International broke with it and lat
er became affiliated with the A. F. OF
L. is no sign that we discarded the idea
of Industrial Unionism. In fact, am
of the opinion that our International
is now stronger for that form Of or
ganization than ever before.
After the W. F. of M. convention OF
1907 the acting officers OF the Fedora
ton were confronted with an enor-
nous task, viz: The raising OF funds
to conduct the defense Of the men on
trial or about to be placed on trial in
Boise, as well as financing two major
strikes. Clarence barrow had been en-
gagged as chief Defense attorney and
Richardson of Denver was second in
command besides 2 or 3 lesser lights
who were necessary for routine and de-
tail work.
(Senator Vim. E. Borah was on the
side of the p%rosecution). Witnesses
and exhibits had to be transported
from different parts of the Western
country. The financial solicitors for
the defense had to go before A. F. OF
l.. organizations with whom we were
not affiliated and ask for donations for
the defense of men who were suppos-
ed to be antagonistic to them, and on
top OF all this the entire Defense move
ment was being hampered by the sour
rilous and vituperative emanations from
the l. w. w. office in Chicago and
De Loeon's office in New York. How
ever, the result was worth all the ef-
fort - Meyer, Haywood and Pettibone
were acquitted and Orchard wa con
victed and sentenced to life imprison-
ment, which was a reversal OF the en-
tire schedule procedure. The setup
was supposed to work somewhat as
follows 1t was reported and generally
believed that Orchard was a Pinker-
ton detective and that he actually did
set the bomb, then he hung around I'M
til he was picked up on suspicion, when
he made his confession" duplicating
Meyer, Haywood and Pettibone, when
a conviction had been secured against
the latter, Orchard would either get a
nominal sentence or be turned loose.
The adroitness Of the defense attorn-
eys upset this plan and after securing
the acquittal Of the defendants arrang-
ed things so that it became imperative
for the prosecution to press the charge
against Orchard and secure a convic-
ton with a severe penalty as a result.
John M. O'Neill, the talented Editor
of the Miners Magazine was a giant
in the Defense struggle, both by tongue
and pen, he waged a continuous battle
for the freedom of these men when
he came to Butte and made his appeal
from the stage OF the Broadway Theat-
re he was ably seconded by Lewis J..
Duncan, who was then presiding over
a local church organization.
The foregoing are a few of the ran
dom thoughts that occur to the writer
at the moment. There are many other
memories Of other deeds and other
actors in other scenes that some tumbl-
ing over each other pell nell, and clam
oring for expression. Some OF them are
probably applicable to the occasion and
the subject in hand, but many Of
them should be told in a different
chapter and a different weir entirely.
One of the sensations Of the 1907
convention of the w. F. OF M. was the
reading of an application for a charter
from the Bunmahon County Water
ford, Ireland miners union. 1t went to
show that the fame Of the old Fedora
ton had travelled afar.
The same sort of brutality and con
flict that impelled the Butte miners to
organize 81 years ago, that necessitated
the formation of the Western Fedora
ton of Miners (Which was the forerun-
ner Of our present International in
1898, and which has forced every con-
flict between capitalism and the work
ers all down the years, is just as ram
pant today as ever before. To sue
cessfully combat these forces of OPP
preston, it is absolutely essential that
the working class be organized and
educated to realize its prowess.
Therefore, let the battle cry be;
Workers of the world organize and
throw off the mental schackles that
bind you, Prometheus II like, to the
rock of capitalism and the profit sys-
ten.
Ed. O'Byrne.
Live each day so that you al look
any man in the eye and say: 81 buy
under the Union Label, Shop Card and