You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Saturday November 26, 1904
From The Labor World: W. F. of M. Men of Colorado City Hunted by Armed Mob
Today's edition of The Labor World carries an article from The Weekly Gazette, Colorado's foremost anti-union newspaper. The Labor World notes that union men continue to be hunted by mobs in the law-and-order-loving state of Colorado, and with nary a word of protest from the Gazette, which newspapers refers to union officers, citizens in good standing of their communities, as "agitators."
Once again, we ask the question posed by the Federation's famous "desecrated flag" poster:
The publication of this poster earned W. F. of M. President Charles Moyer many weeks in the bullpen, yet picking up deadly arms at their place of employment and setting out on a hunt for union men earns the scabs only an admonition to return to work. Law enforcement allowed the men to take their shotguns and revolvers back to their place of employment despite their continuing threats against the union men.
From The Labor World, November 26, 1904:
MILLMEN OF COLORADO LOOKING
FOR TROUBLE
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Armed Men Seek to Deport "Agitators"
About Mines in Colorado City.
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Had Tw0 Members of Unions Been Seen
They Would Have Been Deported.
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Colorado City, Colo., Nov. 24.-The following article found space under a large double-column screamer "Armed Men Seek to Deport Agitators" in the morning Gazette [Thursday]:
Had L. N. Edwards, former president of Colorado City Mill and Smeltermen's Union No. 125, and Charles Lyons, a former member of the executive board of the Western Federation of Miners, been found upon the streets of Colorado City about midnight last night, the chances are that they would have been deported by a large body of armed men employed at the Standard mill.
Between forty and fifty men, variously armed with Winchesters, shotguns and revolvers, marched through the heart of Colorado City about 11:30 o'clock last night looking for Edwards and Lyons, and when asked by peace officers what they were doing they frankly admitted that they were going to deport the two men on the ground that Edwards and others connected with the Western Federation of Miners were going to bring in a lot of Federation members to take their places in the mills.
It appears that the men are regularly employed on the "graveyard" shift at the Standard mill. Shortly after they had reported for duty they left their dinner buckets as if in accordance with a prearranged plan. They secured some weapons that had been stored around the mill and then started in a body for the First National bank corner in Colorado City.
Maintaining the utmost silence possible, they marched until they reached their objective point, then crossed the street and marched up to Sixth street, where they were stopped by Officer Roy Gilliland. In reply to the latter's questions, several of the men said they were looking for Edwards and Lyons, as well as another man, named Sanger, with the avowed intention of deporting them. While Officer Gilliland was parleying with the men, Chief Birdsall and other officers came up and induced the men to return to the mill. On the way, the men said they would get Edwards and Lyons before morning.
When seen early this morning, J. Dawson Hawkins, superintendent of the mill, said that the company deplored the action of its employes. He expressed the opinion that the movement to deport Edwards and Lyons was due to the fact that the two Western Federation agitators had been in the city for several days and the men understood that others were to arrive in a few days to assist in stirring up trouble among the men at the mill.
Providing there is any truth in the above "dope" story, we would like to know how these non-union employees of the "graveyard" shift at the Standard mill, who are virtually carpet baggers and strike-breakers, could do any wrong or have any murderous intent in their heart, as the very same people whose cause the Gazette has steadily championed and always tried to make the public believe only Western Federation of Miners were disturbers, criminals and agitators. A good time, dear Gazette, to adjust your "dope sheet" and be consistent.
"They secured some weapons that were stored around the mill," reads the article. Now how long since have these people been allowed to convert their place of employment into an arsenal, particularly in a locality as quiet as Colorado City?
Then, again, of what kind of material is this man Chief of Police Birdsall made when he will calmly advise the men to disperse and not place the whole outfit where any official who carried out his duties and oath of office would place any member of society who was armed to the teeth bent on murder, maliciousness and bodily harm? It seems there might be a [bit of] renovation in the police department without injuring the service at said place.
Now, for a few words relative to the cause for this uprising, as stated by some of the members of the mob: "That Edwards and others connected with the Western Federation of Miners were going to bring in a lot of Federation members to take their places at the mill."
Do these most unfortunate and despised of men-the strike breakers-feel their feet slipping and see the writing on the wall, thereby informing them that their terms of incompetency are about ended, and their employer wants and will secure competent men, and these to be found only in the ranks of organized labor?
Now, as to the personnel of these men. In the first place, as stated in above article, the time set being midnight, was very inopportune, as the proposed candidates for deportation are all law-abiding citizens of family, and would have no business on the streets at said hour.
L. N. Edwards, formerly president of Mill and Smeltermen's Union No. 125, of Colorado City, enjoys the confidence and acquaintance of a large number of citizens of both the Springs and Colorado City. He has never been found guilty of crime or lawbreaking; he has never been known to flee from right or shrink a duty. He has been for some time employed as a fireman at the Union Printers' Home, that grand monument of trades unionism and menace to Citizens' alliances, Parryites, and other would-be union labor crushers. The "dope" story above quoted does not in the least affect Lew, and assure the aforesaid marauders, should they again try a throw at him he will be in at the finish.
Mr. Charles Lyons has been a member of executive board of the W. F. of M., and law-abiding resident for years of Colorado City, bearing up to date a clean family escutcheon.
Mr. H. L. Sanger resides in Colorado Springs, and has been employed for some time during the past few years at Colorado City. His main crime seems to be that he is a strong adherent to trades unionism, and a member of the Bartenders' union.
[photograph added]
SOURCES
The Labor World
(Duluth, Minnesota & Superior, Wisconsin)
-Nov 26, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The Weekly Gazette
(Colorado Springs, Colorado)
-Nov 17, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
See also:
Search: "edwards smeltermen's union 125 1903-1904"
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Search: "moyer flag desecration"
http://www.dailykos.com/...
IMAGES
WFM Poster: Is Colorado in America? (Cropped)
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
WFM Button
http://www.nps.gov/...
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Vigilante Man - Ry Cooder
Oh, why does a vigilante man,
Why does a vigilante man
Carry that sawed-off shot-gun in his hand?
Would he shoot his brother and sister down?
-Woody Guthrie
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