Montana labor news., 1938-06-09
Let Chandler Release Coal Miners

How often the union are accused OF tyran-
ny and unreasonableness in their activities
and in their demandsl And, strange as it
may seem, many of the union people, who
have a very incomplete understanding OF the
social and economic structure of the United
States. believe this themselves. An action
bv the workers which caused the greatest
furore within the recent past was the intro
duction of the sit-doWn strike. Much hue
and cry arose over the nation assailing the
practice, led by the A. F. of L., but no one
was injured; property wasn't damaged; no
harm was done, except it provided a very
powerful economic weapon for the strikers
to achieve their aims by preventing the ruling
classes from introducing scabs and strike
breakers within the works during the time
of the occupation of the premises by the
strikers. In the attempts to eject these men
and women, it is unfortunate that the police
forces and officials of the cities and states
lent their aid to the corporations. None of
this is strange to one who has a general
acquaintance with the structure of American
society.
Someone has said that the ofiicialdom of
the United States, namely the constables,
sheriffs, mayors, governors, congressman,
senators, ETC., in other words the men and
women whom we are presumed to have elect
ed to office, merely constitute a board or
committee for the upper classes-namely,
those who own all of the wealth; and these
~offceholders are supposed to do as they are
told. 1t is quite well authenticated that if
they do not, they will not be returned to
II nc 49,, ill., ,v;I1 Lo YM,4 off tho aoOt11p1itfnn
Governor Chandler of Kentucky, whether
he realizes it or not, is one of that committee.
So is and have been the various governors
of California. Governor Chandler has been
asked to release from prison five coal miners
held in Jail in Harlan County for the past
seven years, charged with conspiracy to
murder. Their arrest and conviction arose
from an attack on pickets of the miners in
Evarts, Kentucky, in 1881, when these men
were out on strike, by thugs and police doing
the bidding of the coal mine owners. This
is merely another instance of where the state
police and the county police serve as instru-
ments of the owning classes to suppress and
cruelty the poor people. No attempt was
made to punish the shooting of the miners,
no charges were ever brought against the
police who killed the poor people and work
ing people in that affray. Evidently Gov
ernor Chandler of Kentucky is afraid that
he will be put off the committee. In other
words, lose his seat as governor if he extends
the hand of justice and mercy to these seven
men: a pawn of the ruthless methods of the
wealthy aristocracy of the United States.
We heard a lot about Siberia during the
reign of the Cars. Many motion pictures
portrayed the suffering Of the long lines of
political and other prisoners going into the
dismal wilderness Of Siberia. But We have
our Siberias in the United States. There is
one in California; there is another in Wash
ington; and there is another in Kentucky.
But the real Siberia came to an end in a
manner not relished by the ruling classes.
One cannot help but feel a sense Of sorrow
and of compassion for the men confined in
the jail in Harlan, Kentucky, but, on the
other hand, the same feeling must be accom-
panied by one Of suppressed vengeance.