the labor enquirer.
368 Larimer Street,^
DENVER. - COLORADO.
Official Organ of the Miner’s Board of
Conciliation*
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Felix Hughes, Louisville, Boulder county.
John L. Lewis, Erie. Weld county.
Fred Mitchell, Blossburg, New Mexico.
Peter J. O'Brien, arb on, Wyoming.
Jonathan Coslette, Coal Creek, Fremont
county. , _
Executive Secretary, John L. Lewis, office
868 Larimer street, Denver.
The Weekly Report of the Secretary.
Coal Misers’ Headquarters of]
Colorado, New Mexico, V 7 yo- (■
ming and Utah. J
Providence has favored the improve
ment of my health to such a decree that
lam once more able to attend to Any
duties, and give matters my personal
consideration and attention. Matters of
general interest and of immediate im
portance receives my first consideration,
and matters of a local character have
often to be placed to one side, only until
such time as I am able to givfe attention
to all.
Recording secretaries feeling aggrieved
that the wishes of their assemblies have
not been met punctually, or on account
of their cases not having as yet been
brought before the board, will here find
my explanation, and please forbear.
I had arranged for a meeting of the
board'on last Monday, but I wan called
away to join my friend Howells in a con
ference with Beckwith, Qnian & Co. and
Mr. D. 0. Clark at Omaha. I left on Sun
day morning and returned on Tuesday
evening, having succeeded in effecting
terms of settlement for the Carbon,
\\ voming, miners that give great satis
faction. No sooner had I reached Den
ver, than I was called south to a conven
tion of delegates from Walsen, Cameron.
El Moro and Coal Creek, and upon re
turning from that quarter had to leave
again for Wyoming.
To be kept running about in this man’
ner pretty much nivht and day is a little
disagreeable ; but when we have indis
putable evidence that our labors are ap
preciated, even duty of this hazardous
character has the air of pleasure. “On
ward” is our motto to-day, and shall be
eternally! We will conquer our foes, or
convert them into friends. The latter
is our desire, but it is pretty much like
drawing blood from a rock. Some people
apparently have no heart or principle
about them. Thev are m;nof no scru
ples, but full of hell and devilish pro
pensities. Such a character resides at
Pueblo, in the person of Mr. A. H. Dan
forth, general manager of the Colorado
Coal and Iron company. And is there
no way of bringing this man to a sense
of.justice, and to pav a tribute of regard
to the principles of truth and equity ?
Will he still persist in degrading his own
personal honor and integrity to satisfy
tlie cravings of his aggressive soul?
Must the employes of this company
suffer the abuse of every law, and cry
jut as the heathens of old : “Thru great
and mighty Dan forth, under thy 'aw and
rule we will live and die ?”
Does he propose to deal with his men
as he would deal with cattle?
Are we human beings or brutes?
Are we freemen or slaves?
From the bowels of the earth that
drank the blood of our herein an-estors
I hear the voice of multitudes ascending,
‘Ye are freemen ; our lives bought vour
liberty 1”' Then it becomes our hounden
duty as free and intelligent citizaus to
sustain orr liberties at all hazards, or
prove unworthy of our forefathers!
The men of Walsen, El More and
Coal Creek propose to do this, and we
propose to sustain them. I know the
men of the north too well to sustain any
thought but that they will tally to their
support. Mr. Danforth will have his in
side men at Walsen to work lor 12.50 a
lav, and outside labor as low as $1.75
per day, and says he wants no one to
work tor him that is not satisfied with
his terms and conditions. { venture to
>av there is nota man in the entire south
hat is satisfied or can possibly be satis
fied with such an oppressive ruling.
His experience with blaculegs at El
More surelv indicates a profitable]?) re
am to the company. You may lie able
(i judge so from the fact tha t on Monday
ast they had in their employ at El Moro
hirty-six blacklegs, and by paying them
:-_>,75 a day for doing comparatively
nothing and keeping a posse of detec
tives, each ton of coal produced is esti
mated to have cost sl4 1 That is the way
to do business for the company, sure!
1 hirsue ttiis policy, Mr. Ifinforth, and
you will certainlv “cook your goose.”
The men are not scared with your blus
tering policy, neither will they trifle
with your way of doing business any
longer. Your conduct in refusing to
grant the men at Walsen and El M aro the
terms and conditions agreed upon at
Coal Creek, at the time of settlement,
nullifies even the Coal Creek arrange
ment, and hence the trouble.
Your attempt to . buy men Of the
Italian nationality at $lO a head will not
work, and well did your mining boss at
•;i Moro exclaim, after bavi og made this
dirtr attempt, “To hell with the Italians
they are all alike, I cannot do anything
with them !” A good lesson from an ele
ment that vou proposed to make use of,
in reducing American labor to a level
with the Mongolian race.
Now, if you take my advice you will
cmne to terms immediately, or you will
find yourself and the company involved
in trouble that will despoil you yf the
honor of being a tyrant! See to it, or
the heavens shall resound with war!
John L. Lewis.
Future Legislation in Britain.
I think in the future we shall hear a
:reat deal about the obligations of pro
■ertv, and we shall not hear quite so
nueh about its rights. What are the
•igbts of property ? Is it a right of pro
ityty which permits a foreign speculator
o come to the country and lay waite two
hundred miles of territory in Scotland
for the gratification of his love of sport'
and to chase from the lands which their
fathers tilled long before this intruder
was ever heard of the wretched peasants
who were convicted of the crime of
keeping a pet lamb within the sacred
precincts of a deer forest ? Are the game
laws a right ol property? Is it a right
of property sailors should be sent
to sea to pursue their dangerous occupa
tion without any sufficient regard to
their security ? Lastly, is it an essential
condition of private ownership in land
that the agricultural laborers in this
country, alone of civilized countries,
should be entirely divorced from the
soil they till, that they should be driven
into towns to compete with you for
work, and to lower the rate of wages,
and that alike, in town and country, the
laboring population should be huddled
into dwellings unfit for man or beast,
where the conditions of common de
cency are impossible, and where the
conditions lead directly to disease, in
temperance and crime ? These are
questions which I hope you will ask at
the next election, and to which you will
demstnd an answer. Do not suffer your
selves to be turned aside ; do not be di
verted. The owners of property—those
who are interested in the existing state
of things, the men who have privileges
to maintain —would be glad to entrap
you from the right path by raising the
cry of fair trade, under which they
cover their demand for protected indus
try, and in connection with which they
would tax the food of the people in
order to raise the rents of the land
lord. Protection very likely might— it
probably would —have this result; it
would increase the incomes of owners
of great estates, and it wouid swell the
profits of Ae capitaliits who were fortu
nate toengage in the best protected in
dustries. But it would lessen fhe total
production of the country, it wouid di
minish the rate of wages, and it would
raise the prices of every necessary of
life. —Chamberlain, M. P.
Boycott Perry’s Stoves.
Below is a list of the names of the
ranges and stoves made bv Perry & Co.,
whom organized labor is boycotting, and
all are requested to refrain from purchas
ing any of them:
Ranges—Belmont, HapDy Home, Ber
wick, Brigiiton, Domestic, Bristol, Bruns
wick, Quincy, Clifton, Avon.
Stoves —American, Berlin, Amherst,
Windsor, Wyoming, : Cortland, Golden
Harvest, Cambridge, Champion, Colum
bia, Harvest, Norwood, Hemisphere,
Arcadia Parlor, Fernwood Parlor,
Century, Argand, Nation, Florence, Fa
vorite, Irving Burner, Derby Champion,
Hot Blast, Western, Poland, Aurora,
Portland, Lynden. Prince, Classic, Frank
lyn, Baltic, Triplet Heater, Duplex
Heater, Fernwood, Fernwood Cottage,
Clarendon, Clinton, Linwood, Longwood,
Grecian, Brightwood, Areola, Alpine,
Token. Oak wood, Farmers’ Boiler, Stand
ard Boiler.
Oil Stove —New Economist. ‘
Boycotting their Enemies.
Editor Labor Enquirer.
Franceville, Colo., Jan. 27. —I am in
structed to write vou on th# action our
association took in regard to John S.
Perry & Co., stove manufacturers:
“Whereas, J. S. Perry, & Co., stove
manufacturers of Albany, New Y'orn,
have refused work to and discharged
members of the Knights of Labor with
out sufficient cause; it is
Resolved, That this assembly boycott
said J. S. Perry & Co., and all store
keepers dealing with J. S. Perry will lose
the. patronage of the members of this
assembly.
Resolved, That these resolutions be
published in the Labor Enquirer of
Denver.
The State Legislature.
“Forsaken by mv friends, killed in
committee, and buried beyond resurrec
tion in the Senate,” is the epitaph on the
tomb-stone of senate bill No. 33. It
seems that some of Mr. Carpenter’s
friends played a practical joke and fur
nished him a small cofiin to lay bis
famous bill in. It’s not fair to charge
that joke upon the workingmen. Out
side of the burying of bill No. 33 nothing
has transposed in senate of direct im
portance to us since last report.
In the house Mr. Ferguson’s bill No.
104 provides that when a justice of the
peace renders judgment for wages if the
parties sued shall take an appeal and it
can be shown that the appeal was taken
for the purpose of delay there shall be
added to the cost an amount from fifteen
to twenty-five per cent according to the
amount sued for, to be given to the plain
tiflf.
House bill No. 107, by Mr. Ferguson,
to legalize labor unions for mechanics
and others is a Fenn. law, and if it reads
like that one its name does not indicate
its object. The bill is not printed vet,
so we cannot tell just what it is.
House bill No. 176 by Mr. Gilmore,
makes all corporations__and companies [
responsible for personal injuries their I
employes may sustain.
House bill No. 137, regulating the em- j
ployment of children, was read the sec- j
ond time and referred‘to the committee J
on education.
House bill No. 164 for some reason or j
other was printed about thirty bills
ahead of its turn and was on the calen-!
dar tc be read Tuesday but the House
did not get to it. We have been in
formed that an extra large number of
these bills has been presented.
House bill No. 192, by Mr. Kohn, is to
amend the lien law and to make it more
effective.
House bill No. 208, by Mr. Bradlev, to
regulate the payment of wages to em
ployes kills the “ironclad” end truck
system.
House bill No. 210, by Mr. Quillan,
prohibits the mining of more than 2,000
pounds of coal for a ton.
A house bill also by Mr. Quillan re
quires that all corporations and com
panies shall pay their employes on or
before the tenth of each month.
The 6th of February is the last day for
the presentation of bills, and until that
time there will be but little work done
bv the committees. Many of the mem
bers are hard at work preparing new
bills and cannot devote much time to
committee work. In the senate 130 and
in the house 321 bills is the number
introduced up to Tuesday.
If as much time will be consumed de
bating each one of fhese bills as there is
in the discussion of trifling matters the
whole of the ninety days will be taken
up.
The Ball.
The first annual ball of Local Assembly
3218, which was given in Lincoln club hall on
Tuesday evening, was a supreme success.
The hall was literally jammed full of mena'-
raakers from 9 o’clock until after midnight,
when the crowd was reduced sufficiently to
make dancing more comfortable, and conse
quently more enjoyable. It was estimated
that tli ere were over 250 couples present.
The music was furnished by Ralph Warren
who did the prompting, and both were excel
lent and gave entire satisfaction. So many
were present that it is simply impossible to
publish the list entire, and The Enquirer
nas no favorites among the noble army of
workers.
While the ball was a grand success, one
mistake by the committee of arrangements,
which mistake it is not likely will not be re
peated at ttie next annual, and that was, the
hall they engaged was not large enough,
though it is one of the largest in the city.
Nothing short of the rink will do them next
time.
New Torn.
{By Associated Labor Press.]
New York, Jan. 26. —The echo of the
dynamite explosion among the striking
hatters of North Norwalk is raising a
world of talk in this quarter of the
country. The hatters’association is no
more responsible for it than the Van
derbilt corporation. The South Nor
walk strike has been carried on under
the most pacific auspices. The man are
as peaceful as are the workers in other
Connecticut factories. Most of them are
family men, living in their own houses,
and belonging to the church, and a sug
gestion of using dynamite as a means of
gaining their strike is the very last
thing they would think of. If ever the
facts are got at, it may be taken for
granted that the Hatters’ Union will
stand fully acquitted. The hatters of
this city, Brooklyn and Newark are
doing good work in the way of raising
funds for the relief of their brothers at
South Norwalk.
Boycotting is taking a lively turn
hereabout. A month ago Ehret’s beer
was .boycotted, but the boycott was
withdrawn when Ehret surrendered.
We are now boycotting Chicago dressed
beef. We are now boycotting Frank
Tousey’s publications— rat printing office.
We are now boycotting the hats of the
South Norwalk bosses —lockout. We
are now boycotting the dry goods store
of Garry Brothers. We are now boy
cotting the stoves, ranges and pokers of
John S. Perry & Co., of Troy,—prison
labor contractors. We are boycotting
the Tribune. We are boycotting four
dry goods stores besides Garry’s. We
are boycotting tenement house cigars.
There is no doubt that the system of
boycotting tells, and it acts as a counter
agent to blacklisting. The Central
Labor Union and Knights of Labor are
taking a hand in these boycotting ope
rations.
An eight-hour bill has just been in
troduced imo the legislature of this
state, and many of the trades are adopt
ing measures for backing it up with all
their power,
The boss builders have adopted a res
olution that they will pay their men by
the hour at the rate of 40 cents an hour,
and the wage-working bricklayers have
just put out the announcement that the
International Union adopts the hour
principle throughout the country, and
by that means takes a step in enforcing
the eight-hour system,
The slight improvement in the trades
still continues —not, however, in the
printing trade. • J. S. P.
Haverhill
[By Associated Labor Press. |
Haverhill, Jan. 26. —Sheldonville,
Wrentbam, boat shops are busy again.
Business is brisk at the broom shop of
G. M. Smith at North Hadley, and the
mills are having an unusual run of
custom.
Business is picking up at the last fac
tories of Amherst, the men that have
been out of work are now employed,
and more girls than ever are at work.
The Wesson pistol factory at Spring
field, is running full time and turning
out 250 firearms a day. A fresh order
calls for 800 of the best rjvolvers for the
Boston police.
A new paper box factory is shortly to
begin operations at the corner of B and
Second streets, South Boston. The
machinery for the new industry is being
put ireplace.
The Foxborough Manufacturing com
pany, for making sewing machines, etc.
has been organized with a capital of
$150,000. J. E. Abbot, president, R. F
Boyden second, treasurer, W. T. Cook
and V. S. Pond directors.
Work at the Hopkins quarry in Great
Barrington, will be begun as soon as
spring opens. It is expected that 200
hands will be employed there, night and
dav. Steam power will be used, and the
quarry lighted by electric light. D. L.
The Temperance Union Entertainment.
The Temperance Union wili meet at
No. 371 Lawrence street, Sunday night,
February 1, and render the following
programme :
Recitation, Miss Edith Behymer;
piano solo, Miss Bertha Crites ; recita
tion, Master Ivan Wettengel; piano solo,
Miss Kate Churchill; speech,- James
Light; Duet; Misses Farnsworth and
Lewis ; speech, Doctor J. W. Van Zandt;
instrumental selection, Prof. Brieglen
and Miss Martin.
Everybody is invited to attend.
THE LABOR ENQUIRER.
ANOTHER COFFIN WANTED!
——• i v #■« ■ —p i \
House Bill 164. Introduced by Mr. Carstarpben.
A BILL FOR AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE PROTECTION OF PER
SONS AND'PROPERTY IN CASE OF “STRIKES” OR CONFLICTS
BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYES, AND TO PRESCRIBE
PENALTIES FOR ACTS COMMITTED IN VIOLATION OF SUCH
PROVISIONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to directly
or indirectly prevent, impede or interfere with, or attempt to pre
vent, impede or interfere with, any other person or persons by
means of threats, menaces, acts of violence, or by words or conduct
calculated or designed to inspire fear, from freely contracting to
perforin, or entering upon and peaceably continuing in any lawful
work, service, business, occupation, duty or employment whatsoever.
Sec. 2. Whenever any person or persons shall voluntarily quit the
service or employment of any person, company or corporation and
engage in what is commonly known as a “ strike,” or shall be dismissed
from service by his or their employer, then, and in every such case, it
shall be the duty of the said person or persons who may so quit or be
so discharged to wholly vacate and depart from the property and prem
ises of his or their former employer within twenty-four hours after so
quitting or being so discharged, and not thereafter return, or go upon,
or remain about said property or premises, except by the permission of
said employer. Provided , However, That if the presence of such em
ploye or employes upon or about said property or premises, after said
twenty-four hours, should become necessary for any lawful purpose or
business, then and in s&i fee it shall be lawful for him or them to
remain upon and about said property and premises for such reasonable
time as may be requisite to complete said purpose and business.
Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful for any two or more persons to conspire
together to do or commit any or all of the acts prohibited by the fore
going sections, or either of them.
Sec. 4. Any person or persons who shall be guilty of violating the
provisions of either of the foregoing sections shall, upon conviction
thereof, be punished by confinement in the Penitentiary, at hard labor,
for a term, in the discretion of the Court, of not less than six months
nor more than than two years for ehch offense.
Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the Sheriff of each county, whenever
complaint shall be made to him by any person, company or corporation,
that any person or persons are engaged (within his county) in violating,
or have unlawfully assembled, or are about to unlawfully assemble for
the purpose of violating any of the provisions of this' Act. to immediatly
thereafter summon to his aid a sufficient posse, and forthwith disperse
any and all persons who may be assembled together for any such un
lawful purpose, and to arrest and bring before any Justice of the Peace
of his county, or other examining Judge or Magistrate, to be dealt with
according to law, such person or persons he may find engaged in
committing or about to commit any of the acts prohibited herein.
It shall likewise be the duty of said Sheriff, with the aid of said
posse, to protect both persons and property within his county from injury
or destruction threatened by, or reasonably anticipated, from any mob
or other body of men collected or acting together for purposes forbidden
by this Act. And said Sheriff shall furnish said protection whenever
he is requested so to do in writing by any person, company or corpora
tion whose' property or employes, officers, agents or representatives
shall or may be in danger from attack or disturbance by such mob or
other unlawful assemblage of persons.
Sec. 6. Any sheriff who shall fail, neglect or refuse to discharge in
good faith the duties imposed on him by this Act, so far as the same
maybe practicable; by the exercise of reasonable skill and diligence,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less
than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars for each offense
and as a part of the judgment of conviction the court may remove said
sheriff from office. And the said sheriff, who may be in default as afore
said, whether prosecuted criminally or not. shall be civilly liable per
sonally as well as upon his official bond to any person, company or cor
poration who may sustain or suffer any loss to business or injury to
property or person in consequence of said sheriff’s neglect or refusal as
aforesaid.
Sec. 7. Whenever such sheriff has reasonable grounds to believe
that he may be unable to suppress and disperse any mob or body of
men acting in concert for any purpose forbidden by this Act, or be
unable to afford effectual protection to persons and property as herein
provided, it shall be his duty to forthwith notify the Governor of this
State of such fact, and it shall thereupon be the duty of said*Governor
to cause the whole of the militia force of the State, or so much thereof
as he may reasonably deem necessary, to be placed at the disposal of
said sheriff, and the latter shall use the same to suppress all unlawful
assemblages in contravention of this Act and fully protect persons and ’
property from mob violence.
Should such sheriff fail, neglect or refuse to perform any or all of the
duties herein imposed upon him, then in such case it shall be the duty
of the Coroner of the county to fulfill such duty so omitted upon the
part of said sheriff and in such case the Governor shall, upon the requi
sition of such Coroner, furnish him such militia forces to be used with
like force and effect as though requested by and furnished to said sheriff.
In the opinion of the General Assembly an emergency, as contem
plated by the Constitution, exists for this Act going into effect forthwith,
it shall, therefore, become a law immediately from and after its passage.
Front the Barbarisms of 1350 A. D
Editor I,abor Enquirer:
We will turn back in our minds the wheels
of time until the fingers point to the year j
1350. To do this we must forget the history i
of 500 years ; with all the progress that has
been made in the intelligence of the race!
during that long time.
We will leave behind us in our journey
backward America with all its institutions,
for it has not yet been discovered by Colum
bus. We will have to blow out the gas, also
electricity, for the electric current was only
known where it w-as seen as it played in the
lightning. The locomotive nor the old stage
coach have yet been invented. All travelers
must go on foot, for that useful animal the
horse has not come into general use.
AYe must leave broadcloth and silk also in
our travels backward, as the power loom and
the spinning gin have not been heard of. The
inhabitants of the land were clothed in the
roughest material or in the skins of wild
beasts, and man almost as ignorant as tire
beasts themselves. The greater part of them
were the serfs and armed retainers of their
feudal lords; "who had already claimed the
land and all that therein was. The first book
has not yet been printed. There has nothing
been beard ef the Puritans in England, for
the Reformation has not yet taken place. No
protestant church and no missionary society.
Even coal and coal mining is only just begin
ning to be talked about.
The art of weavtng cloth has just been im
ported into England from Flanders. But the
! Order of the Gaiter has already been insti
tuted to decorate the flunkeys of the court.of
King Edward 111, who has just been defeated
at the battle of Bannockburn. The civil war
has how come to an end and the black plague
has carried off one-half the people, and those
yet remaining on the land of the living were
putting on airs, and thought themselves some
body, when the bill known as senate bill No.
33 was introduced into the English legislature
in 1350, and that old bill which was wiped off
the English statute book in 1524 lias been
ound and introduced into the Colorado sen
ate by that noble patriot of his state and
comitv, M. B. Carpenter, a senator in good
standing in the good old republican party.
Alas! alas! how are the mighty fallen.
Would it'not he a good tiling for the work
ingmen to institute an or.‘er to he known as
the Honorable Order of the Halter to deco
rate all such flunkeys as vote for such hills as
No. 33, introduced by the senator from Arap
ahoe as the C. C-& I. company’s reform hills.
They should also introduce the full picture
of that far-off date. There being no men suf
ficiently skilled to trace out the guilt of an
offender, it was their custom to appeal the
case to the decision of heaven; the suspected
man was requested to meet his antagonist in
single combat, and the right was held to by
on his side who was so fortunate as to cleave
the Head of Ins antagonist, or pierce him
through with-a lance. But probably the sen
ator from Arapahoe would hesitate before in
troducing such a measure as this lest suspi
cion should fall upon himself, and some
sturdy member of the Trades Assembly
should ask him to come and settle it in ac
cordance wi h the aboy-e code. It is devoutly
to be desired that all such bills be relegated
to the waste paber basket rather than dis
grace the statute book of Colorado. It is a
great pity that men with minds so small, and
hearts so much out of sympathy with human
ity and the age in which we live are not also
relegated back to private life rather than be
ing found in the halls of the legislature. The
time is past and gone when such measures
as the above can be carried out in a land
where the people are free men and all men
born equal. 1 hey do not fit in with the spirit
lof the age in which we live. A Unionist.
January 28, 1885.
Personal.
John Gray, of Como, was in the city Fri
day, and made a pleasant call upon The En
quirer. The editor has had evidences of
the friendship and good heart of Brother
Gray on more than one occasion and, as he
brought with him on this visit the funds to
pay the subscription 6f sixty-nine subscribers,
there is a special reason to feel proud of hi
friendship. Long live John Gray, and may
sorrow never cross his threshold.
Dlffertiiccft. \
For The Enquirer. A,
The difference between a State Social
ist and an Anarchist is very small, anas
is chiefly that each accuses the other of
principles which neither holds. For
example, Anarchists accnse Socialists of
wishing to uphold a despotic state, simi
lar to what they now see, while Social
ists charge Anarchists with striving for
a condition in which all system and or
ganization are repudiated. The first is
not true ; perhaps the second is not,
although the term anarchy fully war
rants the charge.
I cannot concede the word Socialism
to Anarchists. Socialism implies the
science of society, but destruction is not
aßcience. Socialists have faith in growth
while Anarchists, according to “Cato,”
desire a general destruction, followed by
“ a rejuvenated world,” that is, a world
going back to youth for a start, of
course with the inexperience of vouth.
Anarchists love analogies, but they
produce none that fits the case. They
can find nothing in nature to show that
destruction is necessary to progress.
Nature may build the Dew upon the de
cay of the 015, but not on destruction.
A man dying of ofd age, is an instance
of decay, but it startles no one, while
death by violence gives an unnecessary
shock.
“We believe the old system will be
overthrown by force, and we have the
histor.y of the world to prove no great
change was ever brought about inWy
other way,” says Cato.
A “great change” i« not necessarily a
change for the better. All the aggressive
force that has ever been applied was
simply an attempt to transfer privilege
from one partv or nation to another. If
history proves anything it is that with
all the wars, blood and murder, people
still starve. Victims of injustice are as
much oppressed as they ever were, for
in any past age they could do no more
than suffer and die. Our much ap
plauded revolt from England wasmereTy
a protest) 'by "slaveholders here against
sending wealth created* TTy tbeirUaves
over to other slave drivers hT"Tingland.
It is not enough to prove that force and
blood will bring change; it must be
shown that they will bring improve
ment. Murder is but revenge and re
venge can never be reform.
Cato remarks: “We cannot prevent the
agonv of a new birth; the throes of the
Revolution.”
No analogy exists between a birth and
the improvement of society. As well
might we say of a drunkard that to re-'
form, he must again become an infant.
If to destroy a part of society will reform
it, then to destroy the drunkard’s abused
stomach will reform him.
Society may be compared to a sick
man. The old theory that bleeding will
cure disease is probably the basis of the
Anarchist’s idea that bleeding will cure
society.
I admire the zeal of the Anarchist but
be reverses every.truth. He wants “nat
ural selection and natural law,” yet be
gins by violating natural law. Man is
the unit of society. Natural law says he
must have a head, body, limbs and or
gans in proper relation. Cato would dis
integrate these parts with dynamite ; de
stroy the units that the whole may be
perfect. He would abolish evil bv force,
and thinks a good system will grow up of
itself and therefore offers no plan for
reconstruction. Against this is the doc
trine that if we establish the new svs
tem the evil will decay. Plenty of facts
support the latter theory. Elias Howe
did not demand that all sewingJjj' hand
should be stopped so that his sewing
machine could succeed "Stage coaches
did nothq,ve to be destroyed so that the
railroad could be used. Prof. Morse did
not ask that the mails be' abolished to
make his telegraph a success. Improve
-tnent in the healing art wa° not affected
bv killing doctors of the old school, nor
can a new system of diet be established
by killing the old-fashioned cooks. Do
you like analogies, you destructionisfcs ?
Answer this: If a few improvements
have been made without blood, how do
vou know a complete reform requires it?
What particular features of the new so
ciety can be established only by murder?
Prove a scientific connection between
murder and reform.
I do not say Anarchists desire blood
shed for itself, nor that force should
never be used in an emergency, such as
an invasion. But to admit the justice of
using force in defense, is rarTromjjsaylpg
it can bTTt'ised as a nVefijns of social, ad
vgffCFtivfefit', The method would bear no
relation to the object sought. To defend
what we have is not progress.
Troops sent to Hocking Valley would
act on the defensive. They would de
fend what has always been considered
a just system of working the mines. As
the matter stands the strikers are the in
vaders. Would it remedy the evil to
blow up soldiers who are just as willing
to defend the equal right of all to the
coal should that be made the law? I
cannot persuade myself that it would.
Take your destruction behind the tools
of the law and destroy the law itself.
You can do that bv a -majority sooner
than yo ran muster a decisive fighting
force. The miners do not vet know for
what they should fight, and they cannot
learn by hurting some one. If their 20
cents per ton is their sole object they
had better drop the whole matter. No
| object, short of the, ownership of the
j mines by the miners or the state, is worth
an ounce of dynamite,
j Beyond destruction Anarchists have
given no plans except in a general wav.
They talk about Liberty as though it
were something to be caught and tamed.
They have not learned that in a perfect
system the highest liberty is to recognize
their relations to other men. They should
| draw up a plan for the future society, or
: adopt one already formulated, work for
iit and let the old decay. If the people
are ready for a new system they can
adopt it peaceably.
Cato in times past advocated “individ-
I ual sovereignty,” but he is now a collect-
Twist. Because our welfare depends on
unity he denies the right of any man to
“hie away to some secluded nook” when
-dynamite becomes the popular diversion,
even though the prudent person exer
cises that precaution at “his own cost,”
as an individual sovereign would say.
One by one tfie Anarchists fall into
the ranks of the State Socialists. In gen
eral assertion they are still Anarchistic,
but in detail they see their inconsisten
cies and become disciplee of order. What
they call being “stnng to the qnick by
covert sneers” is only being worsted in
argument. Those who believe that a sci
entific system is practicable have no
need for “covert sneers,” “inuendoes,"
“misrepresentations” nor destruction.
The Anarchist programme is, first a
grand fight, then the smoke of battle
will clear away, after which the Sun of
Liberty is to beam on an infant world ;
it could not possibly beam without first
emerging through smoke. The martyrs
are to be hung, then the timid theorists
will come out of their nooks, enjoy the
benefits and with characteristic modesty
claim all the merit of a destruction
which they always opposed.
"These Socialists who rest their hopes
upon a peaceful solution by the ballot,
will step in, share in the glories which
others created for them, and of course,
claim all the praise and reap all the
glory.”
Any “misrepresentations” visible in
the ahpve? Any ‘innuendoes” peeping
out? There is nothing “covert” about it
at least. To get even I ought to charge
that Cato will raise the disturbance, then
hide, leaving State Socialists to do the
fighting, but will forbear.
Here are some Anarchistic harmonies :
“The old system will be overthrown by
force.”
“The Anarchists are doing their share
in preparing for the inevitable change.”
"We can neither hasten or retard it.”
Condense this, and we have: We will
furnish our share of the necessary force,
hut we can do nothing.
Well, then, if von can do nothing,
come with me to my secluded nook
where we will make an earnest eudeavor
to “harmonize” on a plan for the future,
while we are waiting for dynamite to
cease lacerating the gentle zephyrs.
Zeno.
THE WORKING WOMEN.
They Hold a Public Meeting In the In
terest of Orjt&nlxatlon -which
is a Grand Success.
The meeting announced under the
auspices of Hope assembly. Knights of
Labor, 3314, was held at Armory hall on
Thursday evening. The attendance was
greater than even the most saneuine had
hoped for, every chair in the hall being
filled and nearly every inch of standing
room being occupied. A large majority
of the audience were women and girls
and the interest they manifested and
their close attention throughout the
evening were noticeableand encouraging.
Speeches were made by Dr, De La
Matyr, Joe. Murray, of Fort Collins, and
others, the first named gentleman being
the orator of the occasion. The necessity
for and benefits of organization were the
principal themes, and a canvass of the
audience by a committee resulted in
securing a list of sixty candidates for
membership in the ladies’ assembly.
The meeting was a grand success in
every particular, and it is to be hoped
similar meetings will be frequently held
by the wise and brave sisters of 3314.
Minersville.
fßy Associated Labor Press.]
Minersville, Pa., Jan. 26. —Reductions
and suspensions seem to be the order of
the day.
Pardee & Co. of Hazelton have sus
pended a number of their collieries the
past week.
The Lehigh Coal Co., of Jeddo, are
still working, but their employes are
compelled to sign an iron-clad agreement
which binds them to walk a certain
chalk line and endure the worst kind of
tyranny.
Forty employes at the Coal & Iron
Co's, shops at Pottsville, have suspended
indefinitely.
The Fishbaek rolline mills, at Potts
ville, after a month suspension because
of lack of orders, have resumed work.
About one thousand hands are em
ployed at these mills.
The Philadelphia A Reading Railroad
company, with a floating debt of many
millions of dollars, has just been reor
ganized and will likely save itself from
bankruptcy for a while longer, at least.
The plan adopted is favorable to the
Vanderbilt interest, which consists of
about 300,000 shares of stock. F. P.
Cincinnati.
| By Associated I>abor Press.]
Cincinnati, Jan. ?6 The Interna
tional Workingmen’s Association held a
meeting last Saturday night and paraded
the streets for a short time, but the ex
treme cold caused a postponement of the
parade until some future time. Short
speeches were made in Fountain square.
Some of the mottoes carried read as fol
lows : “Order and Empty Stomachs Can
Never be Allies,” “Bread or Blood,” “No
Quarter,” and others that would be food
for thought. It was a fine looking body
of men and the speeches indicated intel
ligence in no small degree.
Education Wouldn’t Peed Him.
The state papers and the aristocratic
population of Frankfort, Kentucky, are
terribly agitated over a poor devil who
happened to .be a graduate of Harvard,
going to the house of correction. He
was a tramp, who wanted winter quar
ters, and was refused ; he immediately
went out and smashed a rock through a
plate-glass window. He now has com
fortable winter quarters. The fact of his
having graduated from a fashTbnable col
lege, when young, goes for naught, in mv
mind. What is his education to a poor
devil, if he is denied the opportunity to
use it. —Labor Leaf.
More Dynamite News.
London, Jan. 29,—The Times’ Paris
telegram says that the object of the
coming meeting of the dynamite dele
gates in Paris is, to propose terms of
affiliation with the Fenian associations.
Several extremists are anxious to form
such a union. They are prepared to
abandon the policy of making attacks
upon public buildings, if the Fenians
will aid the dynamiters in directing
their efforts toward the destruction of
British war ships, and with that view,
it is proposed that ex-Head Center
Stephens shall be invited to attend the
conference, It is also intended to move
for the enactment of a French law
against the peree:ution of Irihmen in
Paris by the Bourdier-Montequet detec
tive agency. It is also intended to
discuss McDermott’s conduct in remain
ing as a spy in the British service. The
leaders of the movement are aware of
the whereabouts of McDermott, and it
is threatened that they intend to offer
a reward for his removal.