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TO ULBOft JOUUfAJLINDUSTRIAL PEACE REIGNS IN44fiCOLORADO’S COAL FIELDS NOW. (By Dante Barton)NEW YORK CITY, April 15.—Peace has come to the troubled Colorado coal fields. Almost certainly a lasting peace has begun between coal miners and coal mine owners in the very districts where the terriblethings happened, culminating in theLudlow massacre.The United Mine Workers of America have signed a contract with the Victor American Fuel Company of Colorado, which recognizes the ‘-inion, grants the closed shop, and meets every other union demand such as prevails in the most strongly organized districts of the country.The contract on behalf of the United Mine Workers was made by the same men who directed the strike of two and three years ago for the miners, Frank J. Hayes, vice-president of the organization, who signed the present contract, was the chairman of the policy committee of the strikers. And the president of the Victor American Fuel Co., who now recognizes the union is the same John C. Osgood, who was the chairman for the coal operators during the strike.The Victor American Fuel Com-11sidePlaandatewheto iwhethe subsidized agents of the coal companies to truly representative officials of the people have now borne their first fruits. Without repetition of the old fights, union organization I not will undoubtedly spread to all he | wit! Colorado coal fields.The Rockefeller interests had al-1 hind ready bowed to the public demand gers to the extent that the younger Mr. suit; Rockefeller had visted the scene of he i his distant sovereignty. He had set man up a controlled union of his owr of h among the workers, valueless except | thre as it was the first step in the ultimate recognition of the miners’ rightsIto set up an uncontrolled union of in ticonetheir own.The dissasatisfaction which exists I tion and grows among the men in a F superintended (and so a miscalled) is a “union,” the competition of mines eart operated by free men controlling their is ' own lives, and the admission of the hop* old mistake by President Osgood of up the Victor American Company are indi all firm assurances that the Colorado com coal fields will soon be completely I com organized by the United Mine W’ork-1 ploj ers of America.And that means the industrial peace—the avoidance of hatred andin cVbitterness and cruelty— which strong sue!pany is the second largest coal min-inp company in Colorado. It oper-|union organization brings, ates in the same two counties ofareconZ Colorado, Las Animas and Huer- ORGANIZED LAHOIlin 1fano counties, in which the two Rockefeller companies, the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company and the Rocky Mountain Fuel and IronAND THE WARcShiMe(By the Rev. Charles Stelzle.)During the Spanish War large Company, operate. Its president, I numbers of dead soldiers were iden-1 Mo Mr. Osgood, spoke, throughout the tified by the trade union cards in | ber great strike, for the Rockefeller their pockets.companies as well as his own. And again organized labor is show-1 yerInasmuch as Mr. Osgood and his ling its loyalty to our country by the I fro: company have now granted all that splendid way in which it is rallying I sec the miners demanded and struggled to its support—in large mass meet-1 sidlt; for in 1913 and 1914, and inasmuch lings and in special meetings of local |ceaas he and his company have acknowl- trade union organizations,edged by this action that what he Patriotism is one of the outstand-1 fun and the Rockefeller interests fought jng features in the organized labor I by’ against before and during the Lud- movement/. The militant ^character I at low tragedy was mistaken, it must of trade unionism is generally recog-1 pla undoubtedly follow that the Rocke- nized—but it is assumed by many! fro feller companies will cease their fight | that its militancy is limited to the | dec against union organization. fight for higher wages, shorter hours,An exceptional awakening of the and better working conditions, public understanding and the aublic Even if this were true, it must beconscience has helped the Mine Work- plain to every right thinking personers to win this great victory. The that true patriotism may be shown lentroots of the present result for peace in times of peace by fighting for the I Lai and for industrial justice lie far back well being of the common people in I Tin in the ability and the courage with just the way that organized labor is | go( which the present administration of continually fighting.the United Mine Workers began and However, the benefits of the strug-1 Le;conducted their struggle. Then fol- gle of organized labor are not lim-1 La lowed the terrible price which the | ited to members of labor unions—their efforts are felt by working I gei people of all classes. In this regard I St* trade unionism is working and fight- [ hel ing continuously.When the time comes for trade unionists to take their part in the great world war they will not be J pa; found lacking—either in patriotism to our country or in devotion to the great ideals of our American life. They will rightfully insist that in the programs to be inaugurated by those in authority they shall have a fair representation—thus standing by their principles of democracy in gov- \sh ernment—whether such government has to do with political or economic affairs.Organized labor will not disappoint its friends, and, as has so often happened before, it will put its enemies to shame.:district coal owners forced the workers to pay before they could get their right to organize in self controlled organizations. That price, as everybody knows, was to be driven to camps on the mountain sides, to be bullied by gunmen and subsidized militiamen, and many more to be shot and beaten.Then, in the progress toward the better time which has come, the United States Commission on Industrial Relations, of which Frank F. Walsh was chairman, laid bare all the fearful tyrannies to which the workers had been subjected. It disclosed the perversion of the state government and the county governments to the Rockefeller interests. It built a fire of public wrath under that corporate misuse of power and under such agents of the corporations as Jeff Farr, the notorious sheriff of Huerfano county. That fire was rekindled by the Supreme Court of Colorado when, in a judgment entered of record, it ousted from office Farr and other agents of the old Rockefeller regime and confirmed in its judgment the proof given by the Industrial Relations Commission that elections, as well as state and county administrations, had been prostituted and corrupted.The persistence of the Mine Workers and the passing of the political authority in the counties fromtie}m}(iEXEMPT“Deed no, sah, I can’t jine no army.”“But your country needs you, Ras-tus.”“Can’t help dat. It’s ompossible.”“Why impossible, Rastus?”“Well, you see, my ol’ woman has been ovah to de police co’t an’ put me unner bonds to keep the peace. No sah, I can’t do no fightin’ nohow.”HiASK FORMeadowmoorFresh ChurnedButterAND GET THE BESTMeadowmoor Dairy Store1918 HewittATTENTION!All members of the Woman’s Christian Socialist League are re-! quested to come out to the meeting Tuesday afternoon at the home of Mrs. Schuch, 3321 Rockefeller. If you stay away you will miss a very important meeting, as matters of importance are to be acted upon.Everyone is welcome.SECRETARY.WtelPATRIOTIC PARADETOYThe parade last Wednesday after-noon was a grand spectacular sue-; cess. Both as to numbers and patriotic enthusiasm it was all that could be wished. There were approximately I ten thousand persons in line.The Home Telephone Telegraph Company of Portland, Oregon, has signed up with the Electrical Workers’ Union. The new wage schedule will go into effect on next Monday.r every box.Hlt;WSubscribe for the Labor Journal and read things of interest to workingmen and women.W
Newspaper Details
Everett Labor Journal
Everett, Washington, US
Fri, Apr 27, 1917
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Timberland R.
WA, USA 17 Oct 2020
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