The Labor enquirer. [volume], January 17, 1885, Image 2

About The Labor enquirer. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1882-1888

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ffSlf LABOR ENQUIRER. «
4 •* T.A»nr«» kXRSNT. 1
f j. K. nrcuau, Mttw. 1
1
•Mil o#|l «r The Trad** Aammbly. 1
The Aeeembly U Non-Polltloel.) ’ j
|| y— ii. _ ' ~ ,
“We'rill renew the times of troth and jus-
Anb a fair, free commonwealth
Hot ri Mh equality, but equal rights.”
=ac==: 1 '' ' ' " — 1
ii lEntsred at the Denver postoffice as second
i claasioatter. ,
t Tmil.mmi Rwqtttmb is publishedlevery
Bator lay. It will be devoted to thedlscus
tioncf all subjects whieh tend to educate,
eleva e and advance the laboring classes.
Pol tteally It will eapport only the friends
° But aeription rates, $2.00 mad vance.
All oomntunleatlons mast be addressed to
Th* jabob Enqujber, 368 Larimer Street,
Denver Colorado.
• Tb ) publisher of this paper w not respon
sible for the opinions of contributors. Ibe
eoluitns will always be open for the dlscus
i 1 don: .f all sides of the labor questions of the
n day. Contributions always welcome.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON HIM.
j r TliC cloven foot, the serpent’s fangs,
i j the lOnus, all have shown themselves in
[{’the fgislature, and the foul, lecheroos
li hod; ’ to which they are attached is that
jf of Emator M. B. (Make Believe) Carpen
jl ter. This snake in the grass has shown
j j that the cold-blooded, tyrannical, would-
Jj be ioirteirof tjie producers were not
I; misiaken in their estimate when they
r sele :ted him as the tool to do their
cow irdly, dirty work in the general
j| assembly. They could not have done
j| better had they ransacked the bottom
f lees pits of hell, for Satan would refuse
'i adn ittance to a creature so defad to all
jl that makes man fit subjects for his am
ji bitions rulership.
I What has this tool done? He has
| inuoduced a bill the object of which is
[ the enslavement of the workingmen of
Colnrado. He has said, at the dictation
j of lis masters, that the product rs of vhe
I stat s, the men whose sweat and muscle
1 have made Colorado great, have no
I righto as American citizens; that tteir
!| onl r mission is to dig and delve, grunt
tj and sweat that those who are called
| the r “employers” may live in idleness
and luxury, undisturbed by n utteriugs
111 of discontent or appeals for justice i.nd
111 me cv by their victims. He says the
-ffl
I wa(;e slave shall not protest agiinst the
I meugerness of the wage which is doled
j! out to him as the price of his h ood t.nd
5, bores, and shall not ask his fellow-slave
J to igarch with him for the means of ob-
II • tail ting liberty.
fit 1 his man Carpenter has beer, repi.di
ateri by the colored men who know bis
I Blat e-driving soul, and who have learned
'— Afa-j iljjfiMifa andjjaa,
' don, and now this would-be trader in
human flesh and blood would make a
'! trade with Satan that he might fasten
the shackles on all of the earth’s pocr—
I white, brown and black.
C riminal law, did you say ? Why, the
j document which this kid-gloved fiend
l .woild have become the law of Colorado,
so hr ont-Herods the “criminal laws'’ of
other states that they are as message! of
j angels beside it, and God knows they
are blots which all the water of the
| Atlantic can never completely wash
; j from the American flag. Under such
| a law as Carpenter would ,'iave the
I “people’s representatives” pass, every
I man and woman in the state would be
deprived of the right to have one word
to lay as to how many hours thoy should
■ toil or how much they should be corn
palled to give their masters out of what
< they produce; the proportion that the
producer and his family exist upon now
, bul eases their passage down the cruel
rosd of starvation, and yet our modern
Shylock would have more than the
pound of flesh. In a land burdened by
’‘over-production” and idle producers,
he would forbid the workers to divide
the work, by decreasing the hou rs of their
daily labor, thus giving the army of
diionesa chance to make an honest
v iv ng.
j Jtnd this is the kind of cattle our
it jaunted franchise scheme selec ts to care
j or the welfare of the people of a great
j oiiunooweaith. Bah! Out on such a
I. yjtem I To the guillotine witu the half
n f ,‘s productions!
.jj ; Workingmen, ye despised tTOvellers,
?ho have no rights which the tools oi
I I
j .our masters need respect, ”Ou have
ot. forgotten how Carpenter became in
position to insult and try to trample
V 11-
n you ? He was on the ticket of the
brand old party,” which, in this city,
oald insure the election of the low
it scoundrel on-earth. Did you vote
Ir him ? If you did, go and out your
11'-in sack-cloth and ashee and register
vow to never again touch a ballot, un
. equal rights has been established
song men,
kb jjj for this fellow Carpenter and his
crery bill, get together in your organix
iims, read the bill several tmes and
* n put your strongest opinion on pa per
Hi present it to the legislative com
,ltee of the Trades A»seml>ly. Let
' e etate legislature understand that
|t know your strength and dure use it,
| uwed by the threats and bluster of
1- ' : tyrants jumping-jack.
|| Is for the modern Simon Legree—
| *
91. z.'*
7 J
Keep yonr eye on him, watch him close;
mark him, so yOn’ll know him —the
brand of Cain would fit him—and when
he pdta his bead up, knock it off. A
few each decapitations and you may
give some undisturbed thought to the
question: Gan Peace, Plenty and the
Brotherhood of Man be secured under
the Competitive system, which turns
one against another, and makes the
naturally vicious an easy prey for the
greedy and oppressive ?
I DENT THE ALLEGATION.
A communication from “Cato,” which
is printed on the first page in this issue,
refers to Th* Enquirer and quotes it in
away that dbems to call upon it for a
few words, in the wav of explanation, if
von please. I make it a rale not to
argue with contributors, and there is no
very broad gronnd for an argument be
tween “Cato” and I; we are certainly
of one opinion as to the necessity for a
Revolution of the system, and that
makes ns soldiers ip the same army, no
matter if we do fight in different bat
talions.
Bnt he seems to have -the impres
sion tbit The Enquirer is disposed to
sneer gt the Chicago men and to tbrpw
cold water on them. I deny the “sneers”
and only plead guilty to the cold water,
so far as to say I do think onr Chicago
brothers are a little hot-headed if, as it
has been reported to me, the conduct is
calculated to bring about a hand to hand
straggle, which would be disastrous
in the present unorganized, uneducated
condition of the workers. I believe it
is the duty of intelligent Socialists to
curb the tendency of the people to re--
yolt until they are prepared to win, and
have sufficient intelligent power to per
manently establish the victory. The
crisis will come, whether we will.it or
not, as “Cato" admits, and our time for
preparation is limited; but it is possible
for us to invite it too soon, and I main
tain that a war-like display will hasten
the conflict.
I am not like the little bey who in
stigated the dog for I want to be
put on record now as one who iw ready
to shoot and be shot at when the time
comes ; but I am not anxious to be the
whipped dog before I go into the fight.
My heart thrills whenever I read of
“The Charge of the Six Hundred,” but
I have a very poor opinion of the one
who ordered the charg|.
“Cato” speaks of "our brother reform
ers.” Count me out, mv friend ; I am
not a “reformer," but a Revolutionist—
a peaceable one if possible, otherwise if
necessary. And the announcement thnt
The Enquirer is a “Revolutionary jour
nal” is perfectly true; it is an advocate
of a complete Revolution of systems.
So far as “quoting the price of dyna
mite and panclastite” is concerned. I
have to say that was done as a bit of
burlesque on one of our local papers,
which quoted at the top of its editorial
columns the daily markets on "stocks
■ mill ln*-ilnC I uni! ba .
gan to circulate all over the country, the
quotation- was taken out, becanse it
would not *be understood by a large
majority of its readers. At present the
paper is quoting the “Socialist Cate
chism,” a more powerful arouser, just at.
present, than dynamite, and this office is
chief supply post for that kind of am
munition in this section. If we are
forced out of range with that kind of
weapon, then I’ll try arid put in a stock
of the sort demanded.
There is no use to argue with you, my
good friend, upon the difference be
tween Socialism and Anarchy ; you know
the difference as well as I do, and you
admit it in the fourth paragraph of your
letter. You also agree that there is a
difference in the methods advocated for
bringing about the Revolution; audit
was this difference principally that
caused me to deny the statement that
the Chicagoans were Socialists.
My sympathies are with you, my
friend, and because they are I counsel
you to try and control the hot-heads. It
is hard to stand patiently as teacher,
whenevery pulse-throb seems to beat
the call to arms; when every moment
of patient waiting adds a thousand wails
to the cries of distress; but are you
ready? Within the week the capital
istic precs has changed its cries of alarm
to ridicule; they say your strength and
equipments have been “grossly exag
errated,” and they snap their fingers in
your face. This is unquestionably dan
gerous amusement for the oppressors of
the poor to indulge in ; but you must
not forget what would be the inevitable
result of defeat at this time.
Now, “Cato,” try and remember that
this paper is the Champion of the Poor,
and the friend of every sensible effort to
better their condition, and however we
may differ in our methods, or in plans
for the future, we are cemented together
in one desire: the Annihilation of the
Competitive System.
During the session of the general as
sembly this paper will publish weekly
the progress made by bills ip which the
working people are interested, and will
give the names of the members who
vote for or against the’producers's inter
ests. This will be quite a feature of the
paper, particularly as the reports will be
thoroughly reliable. Readers and my
self are under great obligations to the
gentleman who so kindly undertook this
work for us, and all will become more
so as they read clear statements of mat
ters which are garbled to death in the
dally capitalistic press.
Victor Hugo’s messages to the rich
and poor are printed in this issue, and
should be closely read by every man
and woman into whose hands the paper
goes. Victor Hugo is the greatest man
of the century, and like all truly great
men his heart has gone out to the poof,
He has witnessed their sufferings, and
has sympathized with their struggles
for release from their thralldom. He
“• i ■
knows the heart of the at iteocratie op
pressor well, And he has ever dipped his
pen in fire and trained his voioe to
scorn in dealing with them. Yet this
old man of fearless heart is as tender
as a young mother with the wayward
and unfortunate, and his love for little
children is said to be wonderful. Read
wnat he savs to vou, heartless depoiler
of the poor, and, then try to make peace
with your conscience, if ypu have such
a thing. Workingman, ponder over
the message sent to yon, and see if it
will not awaken the slambering giant
within you and quicken your lagging
footsteps! .
Mahon has turned up all right this
week, and he seems strengthened by his
respite, for he comes at us like a doable
team. By the way, Mr. Mahon mikes a
mistake in his letter on “The Socialistic
Commonwealth.” He implies that the
author of the book, Laurence Gronlnnd,
is an American. In this he errs. Mr.
Gronlund is a German and, if my mem
ory is not as fault, he told me last fall
that he had been in America only a
short time.
Over three hundred “Catechisms”
sold from this office daring the past ten
days. They can still be had in small
at 6 cents each: Another lot
will be ordered at once, but it requires
about a month to send a letter to London
and get returns.
It looks a little now as if John Swraton
will be able to continue his paper. His
last issue encourages his friends. The
workers may be awakening, though they
do open their eyes slowly.
DEATH TO ORGANIZED LABOR!
A Bill for an Act to Prevent Combinations for the Obstruction
of Workmen.
Introduced by SENATOR M. B. CARPENTER, of Arapahoe County.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado :
Section 1. If any person by force, violence, threats or obstruction
compel any person hired or employed in any trade or business for any
other person to depart from his employment or hiring, or obstructing
him from returning to or continuing his work before finished, or before
his term of service ceases, or prevent, attempt or endeavor to prevent
any person from hiring himself, or from accepting employment, or by
force, threats, violence or obstruction, molest another in his person or
property, to induce him to become a member of any dub, association, union
or trades assembly, or contribute to any common fund, or to pay any fine or
penalty, or on account of his not belonging to any particular dub, associa
tion, union or trades assembly, or not having contributed, or having refused to
1 contribute to any common fund, or of refusing to comply with any rules,
regulations or by-laws of any ciub, association, unions or trade as
sembly made to obtain an advance or reduce the rates of wages, or to
lessen or alter the hours of working , or to decrease or alter the quantity of
I work; or to regulate or interfere with the mode of carrying on any
1 manufacture, trade or business in the management thereof; or by vio
f lehce,^o“rlßreaTsoTactions hiflrig a tendency fPp?w|tiSrfear or
struction; force or attempt to force any person carrying on any business
to make any alteration in his mode of carrying on such business, or to
limit his number of workmen, or to prescribe whom he shall employ;
such offender and his accessories shall, each and all, upon conviction,
! be fined in a sum not exceeding One Thousand Dollars, and Im
‘ prisonment not exceeding One Year.
To Labor Organizations.
The legislative committee of the Den
ver Trades Asssmblv desires that all
labor organizations in Colorado shall
pass resolutions protesting against the
passage of senate bill. No. 33, introduced
by M. B. Carpenter, In the present
session of the state legislature, to affix
the seals of their organizations, and send
the same to John B. Lennon,
Chairmen Legislative Committee.
401 Curtis street.
A Word to tile Ladles.
Editor Labor Enquirer.
Denver, Jan. 14. —A great deal has
been said and done for the purpose of
organizing the workingmen, and the
army of toiling women has been almost
forgotten. Now, I would like to ask the
women and girls who toil from 8 in the
morning until 8 or 9 o’clock at night, if
ever they gave the subject of labor a
thought? Did you ever think that the
miserable pittance you get, called a sal
ary, did not half pay you for your labor ?
Did you ever compare your scantily sup
. plied table with that of your employer?
Do you not know that you earn the good
things that your employer consumes?
Do you Dot know that it is the greed of
capitalists that compels you to work
frqm twelve to fourteen hours a day ?
I presume vou say to all, “Yes; hut
what can we do ?” I will answer by say
ing. Organize! If you will but organize
there will be no need of your weary
bodies going to your little homes almost
faint from exhaustion. I ask you work
ing women, why should vou work twelve
and fourteen hours a day! when Btrong
men say that they will not work more
than ten hours a day, and they think
eight sufficient. I claim you ought not
to be compelled to work so many hours,
and if it were not for the greed of capital
you would not have to work at aIL
Women, consider this matter. Wase
up to a sense of your position!- Organize
and and shake of the shackles of the
tyrant.
If you feel interested in this subject,
apply for admission to Hope assembly
(female) 3314, the card of which may be
found in this paper. A Sister.
Another Brother Gone.
A letter from Walsenburg contains the
sad news of the death of Andrew Dick,
a coal miner, which occurred on the fifth
instant. He fell and broke his leg on
the twentieth of December, from the
effects of which he died. Deceased was a
highly respected member of the Knights,
of Labor, and by his death the assembly
in Walsenburg and the order at large
have lost a loyal and useful member.
■• MM wmc ' r *
THE U&i MOUIKKR.
(???)
Editor Inter ' W $ fi
DaA ImJI 1886: (
In the morainf'irtipft of the business 1
in both h<WBN. ■i"'fdjjji<Mß kill (Bs«rete (
Bill No. 33), introdM| ty Senator Car- ,
penter that is- toward f
the enslavement ofJßHNorking men of i
this state. Now,• tUfy senator in my ,
mjnd is a tool of Atojptepin( corpora- t
tion the Colorado <S»i *nd Iron Com- |
panv, and they n> °h> * i
through him mttsltejjif possible to ep- t
slave their em ployeeafdrfve them iato
a state of anarchy* ’jj&ia heartless cor
poration tries to rale a rod of iron, j
making those who work for them do .
their bidding ihgarMß of how their
families may suffer.' ,
This blow is the very support
of our industrial initttetions. If the sen
ate shonld pass Senate Bill 331 hope the
people will raise en and denounce
the proposers and supporters of such
measures and brand ’teem advocates of
slavery. Now such man must know that
it is to the industrial votes they owe
their election, and it they (for money)
become the tools of each companies as
the C. C. A I. Co. wa, the laborers, will
brand them and fbmyer do onr utmost
to cate them oat of aas midst and tell the
wo_rld of their
k VtftlU" JBft OiulTlgman.
Special Session.
The Trades Assembly will meet in
special session at 386 Holladay street on
Sunday, January 18. at 2 O’clock p. m.,
sharp, for action upon legislative matters,
delegates are earnestly requested to be
present. Charles Merritt,
Secretary.
They Don’t Rend It In Como.
- Editor Labor Enquires :
I Como, Jan. 11.—I see that mosr assem-
I blies of the Knights of Labor of Colo
s rado are taking a decided stand against
1 the malicious attacks of the Rocky
, Mountain News, which I believe to be a
praiseworthy undertaking. It is the duty
I of every true Knight to do the very same
thing.*
Although you may not have heard
irom Buchanan assembly No. 3463, yet I
believe this assembly to be one of the
first to take steps in this matter. I do
i not think there is a half dozen of the
f members of this assembly read the paper
, much less subscribe for it.
We are getting along very nicely in
Como, having very nearly 200 members
in good standing, and a greater part of
- them mean business, and are what we
might term true Knights.
Keep the ball rolling.
Wishing yourself, The Enqciber qnd
the Knights of Labor success, I remain
fraternally yours, A Member.
In Memory.
The following resolutions were Dassed
by local assembly 3453, of Como, Colo
rado, at a regular meeting, held January
11, and ordered printed in The Enquirer;
Whereas, It has been the will of the
Divine Ruler of the Universe to take
from our midst our beloved brother and
co-laborer, John K. Gilbreath; be it,
therefore,
Resolved, That this assembly, No. 3463,
Knights of Labor, does mourn the loss
of one who was a noble worker among
us, and honored among all men ; and be
it further
Resolved, That the charter of our as
sembly be appropriately draped in
mourning for the next thirty days; and
further,
Resolved, That a copy of these resolu
tions be published in The Labor Enqui
res and Como Headlight, and a copy of
each be mailed to the parents of the de
ceased. ** Robert Powell, i
William Moore, i
J. H. Douglass,
Committee. I
Carpenters’ Social.
Editor Labor Enquirer. '
Euclid Hall, Denver, Jan, 10. —Car-
penters’ union No. 55, held their social (
for January, as indicated above, which *
was the largest and most enthusiastic of 1
any of these social meet!figs. President ‘
A. H. Higgins -was in the chair, who ’
stated in a very concise manner the de- >
dared principles as set forth bv the last j
annual convention of the -Brotherhood, ,
held at Cincinnati, August 5,6,7, 8 and i
1,1884. attention to the fact |
that dadSc these #Bll tracer “wherever
vtHgpa «|re iwdaced,,, in the
localities where there was no orgftniza
tiw-'wwgll employee the redactions
were the severest. And in several in
stances, / especially the Amalgamated
iron and steel workers were not reduced,
fhoWfog that their strength was re
spected. This ought to be an encourage
to all unorganised labor to organize for
self-preservation and for the elevation of
workingmen in general.
Music was indulged in for a while,
Miss Mattie Mmer'pi'esidingst the organ
in a skillful manner., Select reading,
“Tam O’Shanter,” by Thomas Murrhead.
Music. Select reading, “Shamus
O’Brien,” by E. E. Bice. Music. Select
reading, “Frairie on Fire,” by M. T.
Black. J. D. McDonald went through
the very common and seemingly simple
process of sewing a button onto a pair of
unmentionables. The way he commenced
the threading of that needle, the placing
of that unrnly button where it Would do
the most good, the ludicrous manner in
which he tried to get the needle through
the holes in the button instead of the
holes in tne poor lascerated and bleeding
thumb, created immense roars of
laughter, for it showed a master at work.
Mupic was furnished by Professor Ban
nic and Mrs. Bussell, who presided at
the organ with the ease and grace of an
accomplished player, assisted by
Brothers Miner and Pollard. Next was
a raffle for a flower stand, which was won
by P. 8. Baldwin. Eefreshments were
served from a table that groaned beneath
the load of delicacies placed thereby the
ladies, but the most conspicuous thine
on that table was a cake bearing the in
scription, "C. &J. U. 55,” Made by Miss
Mettie Miner. Partners for a quadrille
next resouhded through the hall. An
other raffle for a checkerboard, made by
E. Carlson, which displayed the patient
skill of the maker in the contrast of the
various woods displayed therein, was
won by T. B. Larimer. The merry dance
was then indulged in till 12 o’clock called
a sudden halt. The prevailing expressed
opinion was, “What a good time we’ve
had ! When will the next one be ?”
Thomas Muirhead
The Real Facts.
Editor Labor Enquirer.
Des Moines. Jan. 12.— 1 n looking over
the last Enquirer I notice a dispatch
from Des Moines in regard to trouble be
tween the miners and blacklegs in Angus.
I send you a paper giving a more de
tailed account of the affair. The strike
has been in progress since the first of Oc
tober, and has been conducted in such a
quiet and orderly manner, and their
claims are so just and apparent, that they
have received the endorsement and sym
pathy of the public throughout the state,
also considerable aid in a financial way.
A few weeks ago the militia of this city
were sent to Angus to prevent an out
break. There was not the slightest indi
cation of trouble. This proceeding was
such a rank insult, not only to the
j miners but to the business men of Angus,
that ahowrofindfgnat'on front 1
all good citizens, and even the capital
istic press denounced it in strong terms.
The president of the executive -commit
tee, W. H. Thomas, district secretary,
and one other miner have been arrested
for participation in the riot They deny
the charge. The operators have done
everything in their power to degrade
the miners and drive them to violence.
Injunctions were served on quite a num
ber of miners restraining them from go
ing on a certain section of land. Had
they obeyed the injunctions they could
not have gone to their own homes. A
large number have bought houses and
Jots of the company, have them more
than half paid for, and if the men can
be driven fror»4he town- the property
will revert to the company, as tfie men
will be unable to meet their payments
when due. The Trades Assembly of this
city has taken the patter up, held one
mass meeting and raised a neat little sum
for them. A committee was appointed
to assist a committee from Angus in so
liciting aid from the merchants and busi
ness men in general.
Enclosed find a few stamps; please
send me two copies of of the “Socialist
Catechism.” Think I can use them to
good advantage. Business is very dull :
all the trades are nearly at a stand-still.
The winter has been very severe so far.
Yours fraternally,
Loomis W. Smith.
1000 Penn Avenue.
Temperance Insurance Society.
With the advent of the Royal Templars
of Temperance in our midst begins a
new era in the temperance work. Hith
erto the keeping of the pledge has been
only as a matter of principle but the R.
T. T. makes it a matter of dollars and
cents not only in joining but also in prov
ing faithful to the rules of the new or
ganization, there being an insurance to
take out before gentlemen can join. .We
extend to it a hearty welcome and have
no fears of its success with such men in
its ranks as Dr. Burr, Mr. Rhymer, Mr.
Lawton and a host of other temperance
workers. The Society has paid out over
$1,000,000 in the last seven years; half of
the amount of the policy is paid in case
of total disability. Regular meetings
every Saturday evening, in Good Temp
lars’ hall, 369 Lawrence street.
The Big One Will Dance.
Nearly every labor organization in the
city has had some kind of entertainment
this winter, and now local assembly 3218
Knights of Labor, will come to the front
to eclipse all former efforts. This assem
bly will give a grand ball at Lincoln
club hall on Tuesday evening, January
27. This. is the largest assembly in the
order, west ot the Mississippi_and whe n
they undertake anything they accom
plish it in grand style. Full particulars
of the coming event will be given next
week. In the meantime tickets can be
procured at Clayton’s hat store, 285 Fif
teenth street, and from members of the
committee. The price of tickets of ad
mission has been placed at $1 and car
riage is included.
MAHONS MENTIONINGS.
Henry George Losing Popularity— The Fede
ration Propagating Truths—-An Explosive
Compound Did It—Free Trade vs. tain
Trade — Christmas, the Season of Con
science Money.
London, Dec. 24.
Henry George is not so successful as
on his former visit. I cannot venture
an opinion as to the cause of this —but
of two opinions one is nearly certain.
Either the people have; relapsed into
their former apathy or they now are be
ginning to understand that the jnere
fiscal change proposed by George will
not cure the ills of the modern indus
trial world.
V
If the first surmise be right it is much
to be regretted, although it is not an un
mixed evil. The second surmise is more
probable and more cheering. The con
ditions are ripe for a Socialist agnation
in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Leith
ana other centers in Scotland, and I fer
vently hope it will take toot and grow
apace. • .
V
The Social Democratic:Federation in
Scotland is doing good | work for the
cause. The Center at Edinburgh, under
the name of,the Scottish Land and
Labor League, isTapidlv gaining strength
and is now one of the strangest and best
organized branches of the Federation.
*** !|
'The recent explosion atl/mdon Bridge
is of little consequence. There is no
proof that it was done by Fenians—al
though, of course, they get the blame.
It was a very clumsily arranged affair.
The absolute incapacity! of the police
authorities is shown .very strongly, and
is blended with a good deal of down
right idiocy. According to newspaper
reports, the government experts made a
long and careful scrutiny of the scene
of the explosion, and after anxious de
liberations came to the conclusion that
“the disaster was caused bv dynamite or
some other explosive compound.” This
discovery is apt to disconcert one wit.b
the utterly overwhelming nature of the
abilities of the expert. Where else but
under capitalism could you find men —
experts—with enough sagacitv to see
that an explosion was caused by an ex
plosive compound! The “or some
other” in the afore-quoted sentence is a
triumph of what the literary skill of the
press can accomplish.
v
The public mind is agitating itself on
the subject of free trade versus fair
trade. Of course it is capitalistic anx
iety for the laborers’ welfare that causes
the commotion in public opinion. The
workman can easily judge whether fair
trade or free trade is the best. Advo
cates of both systems admit that ex
ploitation of labor shall not be inter
-1 fered with. Both also admit that frefe
competition among laborers for chance
. iifwimiilii
‘That it shall be international—i.e. the
cheap labor of Chinamen, Frenchmen
and Germans shall be allowed to reduca
wages in America and Britain. Then
comes the far more important question —
shall freedom of competition between
capitalists of different Countries be al
lowed? Or shall the capitalist of each
country protect their interests by taxing
imports sent by capitalists of other coun
tries? Here a plain concise statement
of the question shows that protection or
freedom of trade is only a dispute in the
capitalist camp. And workers are really
little interested in how the affair is set
tled. The workmen can easily see that
the one theory is as bad as the other,
“and a damn sight worse” —to use an
Americanism. The contending capital
ists are agreed that freedom to exploit
the labor class shall continue, whatever
other changes may be made. Trie labor
class had better resolve to end the capi
talist robbery, whatever other questions
may be left untouched.
* *
*
Christmas is at hand. The season has
come for the display of charity. The
poor exploited laborer of London is to
get charitable dinners, etc., on Christ
mas day, for even the commercial heart
softens at this time. But the poor man
only needs charity because the fruits of
his toil have been stolen j and by whom?
By those who are now about to show be
neyolence to him. I have no desire to
sneer at men and women who feel for
and would feed the hungry. But it is
well to point out that they belong to a
class who live by confiscating the pro
ducts made by those who are poor. If
Justice were not withheld charity would
be unnecessary.
V • ~
The open-air agitation carried on in
London by theßocial Democratic Feder
ation is progressing satisfactorily. But
it is a hard task, even for Socialists with
all their assiduity and enthusiasm, to
put hope or activity into the victims of
capitalism. The full depths of degradation
into which they are sunk is never more
strongly impressed on one than when
trying to get them to bestir themselves
for their own good. Things are surely
in a state bad enough when men refuse
to help themselves. J. L. Mahon.
Explosion at Coal Creck.
A Coal Creek correspondent mentions
an exDlosion which occurred in one
of the mines at that place Saturday last>
by which John Graham, Otto Morgan
stean, John Barton and John Stean were
badly burnt, particularly the former.
The mine in which the explosion occur
red is not given. The cause of the acci
dent was the accumulation of gas in one
of the chambers.
Trades Assembly.
The next regular meeting of the Trades
Assembly will be held in Judge Mul
lahey’s court room, City ball building,
Sunday. January 25, at 2:30 p. m.
Thomas Muibhead,
D. W. Pbrry,
R. G. BalcoLm, ,
Trustees.
—- -r ( • j i
LOCAL LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
[Notice* under this head are $5 per year In advance.]
• • >
TRADES ABBEMBLY.
The Trades Assembly of Denver and
Vicinity meets on the second and fourth Sun
days of each month.
0. L- Smith, President.
C L. Merritt, Secretary, News office,
KSIGHTB OF LABOR.
m— Hope Assembly, No. 771, meets every
Tuesday eveniM, at 7:80 o’clock, in
Mesclon’s Hall, Erie, Colorado.
Iftftß— Cosmopolitan Assembly No. 1005,
lUUwof Leadville, meets every Tuesday
evening, at 7:80 o’clock, In Knights of Labor
hall, 125 East Sixth street.
i m ai —Montgomery Benevolent Assembly
I *r C *TNo. 1*24, meets even’ Friday evening
at Knights of Labor hall. No. 886 Holladay j
street, Denver, at 7:80 o’clock. A cordial
welcome extended to visiting members.
0007-Union (benevolent) Assembly, No.
LOCI 2827, meets every Tuesday evening,
at 7-30 o’clock, at hall over 375 Larimer street
Strangers in the city and other brothers and
sisters are cordially Invited to attend.
OOOH—Pioneer Assembly, No. 2330, of
fcwwwHutte City, Montana, meets every .
Saturday evening, at 8 o’clock, in Miners’
Union hall, corner Quartz and Wyoming
streets.
n*Q7 —Rocky Mountains Assembly No.
fc*rOl 2487, meets every Monday evening,
.st 7:30 in the Locomotive Engineers’Hall, /
Idelmau Block, corner Sixteenth and Fer- /
guson streets. Cheyenne Wyoming. Mem- /
hers of other Locals are always welcome, f
on 17— International Assembly No. 3217
Oc. I / meets every Thursday evening, at 7:30
o’clock, in Goodey hall, Santa Fe avenue.
9010— Fidelity Assembly, No. 8218, meets
iL 10 every Wednesday eveuing, at 7:30
ookK—Progressive Assembly No. 3255, of
Pueblo, meets every alternate Thurs
day evening, m Odd Fellows’ hall,
and fourth Sunday afternoon Rt 2 o’clock, in
Grand Army hall, on Curtis street, between
Sixteenth and Seventeenth, Denver. Mem
bers of other locals always welcome.
QQ| A —Hope Assembly No. 3314 (female,)
OO I “meets every first and third Friday in
each month, at Euclid hall, Fourteenth
street, opposite City hall, Denver. Visiting
brothers and sis ter^A) ways welcome.
0 / no—Eureka Assembly No. 3402, Denver,
Thursday night at 7:30
Knights of Labor hall. 386 Holladay street.
Members of the order are Invited to visit
Q All Q—Platte Valley Assembly, No. 3403,
sterling, Colorado, meets the first
and third Saturday of each month, in Masonic
hall, at 7,o’clock p. m. Visitors welcome,
q a a 7 —Golden Assembly, No. 8447, meets
Ott / every Monday evening, at 7:30, in I.
O. G..T. hall, on Washington avenue, Golden,
Colorado. Members o£ other locals always
welcome.
qßOQ—Sumner Assembly, No. 8508, meets
OUUOevery Wednesday evening, at 7:30
o’clock, in Euclid hall, on Fourteenth street,
opposite City hall, Denver. All brother and
sister Knights welcomed.
Montezuma Assembly No. 2976, of Las
Vegasr-New Mexico, meet* every Thursday
evening, In Odd Fellows hall, on the East
Side.
Dawn of Light Assembly No. 3256, Lara
mie City, Wyoming, meets every Thursday
evening at 7 o’clock.
TYPOGRAPHICAL.
Typographical Union No. 49 meets on the
first Sunday of each month at Knights of
Pythias hall, at 2 o’clock p. m.
A. R. Pelton, Rec. and Cor. Sec’y.
F. P. Mannex, Financial Secretary.
Republican Omce.
IRON MOLDBRB. Q
Iron Holders Union meets every second
and fourth Tuesdays of each month, at
Knights of Labor hall, at 7:30 p. m.,
J. H. Gilbert, Secretary, ,
■ / 83 Pafk street.
CARPENTERS.
Carpenters’ Union No. 55 meets every
Saturday evening at 7:80 p. in., In Euelia
hall.
Thos. Muirhead, President.
A. H. Higgins, Secretary.
J. D. Bailey, Deputy State Organizer.
PLASTERERB’ UNION.
The Plasterers’ Union, of Denver, meets
every Monday evening at 7:30 o’clock, in
St. Joseph’s Temperance hall, comer Fif
teenth and Stout streets.
Harry Cole, President.
Chas. M. McCabe, Secretai y.
Address 160 East 18th street.
i 1.... i ...... . , —4*
A COMPLIMENTARY BENEFIT.
Will be tendered
C. E. McSHEEHY, j
Editor of the
Rocky Mountain Celt,
At the
ACADEMY OF MUSIC,
on
SUNDAY EVENING, JANUARY 18.
The entertainment ; will consist of Liter
ary and Musical Gems given by the
best local talent in the city.
PRICES OF ADMISSION i
Parq uette ~. 4 .T. ...... 75
Dress circle 50
Balcony... 25
YOUNG MEN !—READ THIS
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■ - iV : , J•-