Montana labor news., 1936-08-13
GOVERNOR LANDON
HAS POOR RECORD
Continued from Page y

his defense. The delay Is worth noting.
1t was called forth, OF course, by the
fact that Mr.. Landon is now Candi'
date Landon, under pressure TO yield
to what his managers believe to be po-
litical expediences. However, he can
not wash away the record, 0 can he
wash away the Republican platform,
or his speech OF acceptance, which was
entirely agreeable to the National As
ISOLATION OF Manufacturers, Wall
Street, John D. NJ. Hamilton, and the
money changers to whom all organized
labor is anathema.
Candidate Landon says he used the
troops to protect the workers. | 0
der who thought that up for him. We
are perfectly certain that the lead min,
ers on strike never knew about it, for
we have their word for it. We know
that under cover OF militia occupation
a company union was set up.
When Candidate Landon sent the
troops into that mine strike situation
he was true to Landon ideas. He was
in character as Landon-the oil man,
the employer. Now he is faced with
the necessity OF getting into the char
acter OF a presidential candidate and
he faces the difficulty OF r%econciling
some OF his past actions with the po-
litical necessities OF a campaign.
Just as Colonel Knox was forced to
apologize last night for the Republican
platform by promising that its de-
ficiencies and omissions would be ex-
planned by subsequent speeches, so
Candidate Landon finds it necessary to
discover new reasons for the defici-
encies and mistakes Of his record.
Colonel Knox very frankly, it
seemed to me, made no effort at all to
convey an understanding OF labor's
problems or to assume any attitude Of
promising to safeguard its rights. Can
didate Landon should take his cue
from that. They cannot express any
real understanding of labor or its
needs, because they have no under
standing of such things. They are in
reality on the other side OF the fence.
They cannot act naturally in the dis
guise OF friendship for labor or I'M
derstanding OF labor's needs in the eco
nomic sphere, or in the political sphere.
It happens that personally both men
have their records, their beliefs, their
natural leaning to the other side.
Added to that, they have an anti-la-
Dor platform, on top of which they have
the Liberty League aud a practically
complete collection of the reactionaries
OF America. All OF this they seek to
mask behind a pretended reverence for
the Supreme Court, half of which all
most never knows what the other half
will do, or by what reasoning it will
support what it does. The Landon-
Knox effort to make reaction look like
a crusade for freedom doesn't TOOL
anyone, ever under the whip-cracking
supervision OF Chief Ringmaster Ham
ilton."
Resolution condemning Landon.
The resolution adopted by Kansas
labor, through the Kansas Labor
Forum, is as follows
PROCEEDINGS OF THE KAN
SAS STATE. LABOR FORUM,
HELD IN C0FFEYVILLE, JUNE Is,
1886, sponsored by the COFFEY-
WILLIE CENTRAL LABOR UNION,
under the auspices OF the STATE
FEDERATION OF LABOR.
president Grove referred back to
resolution; Brother Hochgrafe Of To
peka read revised resolution presented
by the Mine, Mill and Smelter Work
ers relative to the Tri-State miners:
"As members OF the International
Union OF Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers we wish to introduce the fol-
lowing resolution:
WHEREAS, the strike OF the Mine,
Mill and Smelter Workers Union in
the Lead and Zinc Mines OF South
eastern Kansas was called May 8, 1885,
for the sole purpose Of obtaining bet
ter working conditions, as silica dust
fills the air of our mines. 1t cuts the
lungs OF the man who works under
ground like emery dust cuts soft iron,
and finally causes silicosis and then
death. Statistics show that the aver
age life of a hard rock miner in this
district is not over ten years and that
SIS per cent Of our school children are
affected by TB or silicosis as a result
Of the numerous chat piles that should
be eliminated, and,
WHEREAS, There are more acct
dents in these mines at present than
ever before as the mine operators are
operating these mines with unskilled
help taken from the farms, stores and
transient camps. Men are having their
eyes blown out and their bodies mutt
lated in these mines, and
"WHEREAS, Governor Landon, at
the request OF the mine operators, sent
troops into this district when order
could have been kept by any peace Of
ficer. Governor Landon ordered these
troops stationed in our towns and at
the mines until the mines were opened
and operating, when 80 per cent Of the
Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers
Union were still out on strike and rs
per cent of our members are still out
on strike. We will continue to strike
until our union is recognized and the
deplorable working and living condi-
tons of this district are adjusted, and
WHEREAS, Finley Bell, conciliator
for the United States Department Of
Labor came in the field to attempt