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This Paper is controlled, owned and operated by Local 240 of the Western Federation of Miners
Vol. 2
Nome, Alaska, Friday, May 8. 1908.
No. 45
The working class and the
employing class have
nothing in common.
Labor produces all wealth.
Wealth belongs to the
producer thereof.
ROOSEVELT’S LETTER
IS MADE PURLIC
Roosevelt’s famous letter to uover
nor Sparks has been made public—or
at least a part of it has been permitted
to reach that sacred institution by
the omnipotent censors of the Associ
ated Press. The fact that only a part
of the letter has been made public is
noteworthy. Perhaps the President,
with a view to the precarious condi
tion of the Governor’s health, has
been this little “bunch"’ to the chief
executive of Nevada in homeopa
thic doses; and the whole story of un
merciful, official castigation has not
been given to the world because it
has not yet left Washington. Or per
haps, again, the dear friend of Ne
vada workingmen ie persona grata
with the Associated Press outfit, and
it is merely a case of friends to the
rescue. However , what of the letter
has been published is what is com
monly known as hot stuff. “’’The sac
red etiquette which,ordinarily,smooths
the speech of one official to another,
is not in this instance, permitted to
obscure the President's meaning.
The President plainly state- «that lie
has been guided to his conclusions
by the report of the labor commiss
iouers who recently visited Goldfield ;
and what they told their superior
officer is exactly what they hinted to
the committee of the miner’s union,
and what is here indicated by Roose
velt as follows: “1 bare just received
the report of these gentlemen,Murray,
.Smith, aud Neill, which sets forth in
most emphatic language their belief,
after a careful examination on the
ground that there was no warrant lor
calling on the President for troops
and that the troops should be kept
indefinitely. The report further
states that there was no insurrection
against the power of the state at the
time the troops were called for; that
nobody supposed that there were such
an insurrection, aud that none of the
conditions described in Sections 5257
-8-0 of the revised statutes as warrant
ing interference by the Federal gov
ernment existed, and that the Lefforts
by the state of Nevada to secure the
performance by the United States of
the ordinary police duties which
should, as a matter of course be per
formed by Nevada herself.
“The report further states: ‘There
is absolutely no question if thB state
of Nevada aud the County of Esmer
alda exercise the powers at their dis
posal they can maintain satisfactory
order in Goldfield ; that, so far, the
authorities have doue uothing but
rely ou Federal aid, and their attitude
now is expressed by that of refusing
to do anthing and to throw their
own burdens on the Federal govern
ment for the malntaiuance of those
elemeutary conditions of order for
which they, and they only, are re
sponsible,’
“The signers of the report express
their conviction that troops should
remain ia.Nevada until the assembl
ing of the Legislature, so as to pre
serve tha status vu# in order that the
Legislature ma^ial with the situ
ation as it exists, but that shortly
thereafter the troops should be re
moved. ’ ’
The labor commissioners seem to
have gained a true insight into the
plans of the mine owners. That the
latter gentry failed to satisfy the rep
resentatives of the President is shown
in the following language;
“Inasmuch as we were by this time
satisfied that the mine operators had
not in any partcular, estabished a
case justifying either the bringing or
retention of the tioops, we did no
deem it necessary to take any exten
sive evidence on the other side, aud
that the hearing was substantially
closed with a brief formal interview
with the committee from the Aimer s
Union. ”
That the whole Goldfield incident
including the circumstances of the
socalled strike, the coming of the
troopes, the lowering of the wage scale,
and the importation of strike break
era was a preconcerted plot on the part
of the mine owners, has always been
Ithe contention of the union men.
That contention is supported by the
conclusions of the commissioners
where their report says:
“The action of the mine operators
warrants the belief that they had de
termined upon a reduction in the wages
and the refusal of employment to
members of the Western Federatin of
Miners, but that they feared to take
this course of action unless they had
the protection of Federal troops, and
that they accordingly laid a plan to
secure such troops and then put their
program into effect.”
The labor commissioners reported
to the President that the only specific
case of lawlessness on the part of the
union miners, viz.—the alleged use
of dynamite to blow up the line poles
of a power company, as cited by the
mine owners “was surrounded by
such circumstances as to raise a reas
onable doubt as to the genuineness of
the charge that the members of the
union were responsible.” The com
missioners however, did not conclude
their report without taking a fling
at the union. In order that the work
ingman may not become liable to the
charge of suppressing anything de
trimental to the miner’s side of this
controversy, and in order, particu
larly that this paper may not descend
to 'the methos of themine owners
and their reptile press, the conclu
sion of the commissioners are here
printed:
Uy'permitting tneir organzation to
be managed and controlled^by men of
violent tendencies the union as a
body has thus laid itself open to re
proach of being a vicious organ
ization
“In view of the foregoing facts, we
believe that here is a feeling that ser
ious disorders will be attempted if
the troops be withdrawn and^the mine
operators insist on carrying out their
policy. Hut if a handful of men have
controled the Goldfield Miner’s
Union and committed the organiz
ation to indefensible policies and
practices, it is no reason why the
county of Esmeralda and the State
of Nevada should tamely submit to the
domination of this same group and
should not assert its authority and
enforce respect for law and order with
out support of Federal troops. ”
The President in his letter to the
Governor, expresses his endorse
ment and approval of the commission
ers report in this wise:
I “agree with the recommendations
of this report, of which I enclose a
copy , and shall act accord ingly. Un
less it can be shown that the state
ments of the report are not in accord
ance with the facts, it will be incum
bent upon the Legislature of Nevada,
when' it convenes, itself to provide for
enforcement of the laws of the state.
The State of Nevada must make a res
olute effort in good faith to perform
the police»duties incident to the exis
tence of a State. ”
The President, also, is not blind to
the fact that the mine owners have
perpetrated a gigantic fraud upon
the charge that the members of the
the^overnment, Ho makes it per
fectly clear that the union disrupting
operations of the Goldfield mine op
erators are not to be countenanced by
Federal aid. He quotes the report of
his representatives, as to this mat
ter, iu the following:
“‘While the cut in wages and the
refusal to employ members of the
Western Federation of Miners was
not announced until after the arrival
of the troopa, every indication con
firms the belief that such action was
iu contemplation before the arrival of
troops, was part of the general plan
for >-he mine operators to establish
their independence of the union, and
that the coming of the troops was
expected and urged by them to make
such a plan feasible.”
President Roosevelt, in the conclus
ion of his letter, throws upon the
State of Nevada the entire respousi
bility for the future conflict. He
says that the troops must soon be
withdrawn ; that the State Legislature
must a take whatever action deems
necessary at this juncture. In plain
terms,the Federal authorities refuse
to be further implicated iu the at
tempt of the Mine Owner’s associat
ion to smash the Western Federaion
of Miners. The letter concludes as
follows:
“Rut we must firmly believe that
upon the assembliug of the Legislat
ure or within a few days thereafter,
the troops should be removed, regard
less of any request for their retention
that may bejmade by either the Legis
lature or the Governor of Nevada, it
being essential that the State of Nev
ada shall uudeistand this situation
completely ; shall recognize the fact
that there will, at that date, be
thrown upon it and it alone the prim
ary responsibility of keeping order,
and that, recognizing the responsibil
ity, it may take such action as is the
duty of the state, will be sufficient
in the premises.”
All the correspondence thus far
disclosed, between the President of
the United States and the Governor
of Nevada, relative to Goldfield inci
dent, is a justification of the position
assumed by the miners union. That
incident is not yet closed. The con
spiracy of the mine owners,already
battered to the crumbling point, will
finally fall into ruins. Organized
labor is not to be routed, even by the
desperate measures employed by the
giant intellects in control of the Con
solidated Miners company. The full
details of this plot, will little by
little, be given to the world. It is as
marvelous a story of political intrigue
and official duplicity, it is destined
to become an oft told tale.. And the
result whch will follow the relation
of this history will be ^the exact re
verse of the condition described by
I’ennyson, when history shone “in
the sudden making of splendid
names. ”
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CHRISITAN SCIENCE
Services at 2 p.m. Sunday,at
woman's Club rooms on Stead
man Ave., Subject; Mortals
and Immortals. All are cor
dially invited.
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NOTICE OE MEETING.
LOCAL No. 264,1. W. W., has its reg
ular meetings every Monday evening
at 8:30 p. in. in the W. F. M. hall.
FRANK BRENNAN; PRES’T.
A. A. BANT A ; FINANCIAL SEC
RETARY. tf
Large size El Principe de Gales, Op
timo, lnfinito, Flor de Lovera and La
Integridad Cigars, 12}£ cents, Board
of Trade.
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FRAME-UP BUNCH
CALLS FUR A VUTE
Moyer’s letter being used to prejudice members
against present editor. Do you propose to be made a
cat’s paw, by a coterie who want to control the union.
By this time it should be evident
that there are men in local No. 240,
W. F. M., who are bent upon its dis
ruption cr upon its being used to fur
her the interess of politicians, oper
ators and gamblers.
The fight has been centered against
the editor of this paper simply because
those who are trying to deliver the
goods to the enemies of orgauized
labor in Nome know that they can I
not control the uuiou to their own
satisfaction, unless they have control
of the miners paper.
Having conjured their brains to
bring some charge against the editor
of this paper which would give them
an opportunity to oust him and get
control, and having failed in their
traitorous work, a referendum was
called some time ago. No reason was
given for calling the referendum,
none could he ’given. The editor of
this paper was vindicated by the rank
and file in no unoertain majority.
That referendum decided that the
present editor should stay in office
until the'arrival of an editor from'the
states, who had already been sent for.
Now however,, those who are bent
on getting control for what purposes
time alone will tell, have called for
another referendum to be held to
morrow. Certain lettes from Moyer—
purporting to be from Moyer—are to
be used to prejudice the miners against
the present editor. It avails nothing
that the letter, even admitting it to
be genuine,might be counteracted by
Haywood or other officers of the \V,
F. M. if they could be heard from;
it should at least tie noticeable that
no efforts are being made to get the
opinion of Haywood, St. John or
other,'officers of the Federation. Why?
Simply because that does not meet
the purposes of the faction that are
trying,to get control of the paper and
the union.
Members of local No. 240 are you
going to be used like a cat’s paw by
every little coterie of fellows in the
union,who have an ambition to run
the union—for what purposes they'cau
best tell? Are you to be dragged in
from your work cn the creeks every
time this little coterie think they
might be able to get a majority?
Think for yourselves, and decide
whether the union is to be a play
thing for a few one horse politicians
or whether it is to be a great organ
izatin fighting the battles of the
miners.
NOTICE TO ALL
MEMBERS W. F. M.
To members of Local No.240 W. F
F. M. A referendum vote will be
taken next Saturday, May 9th, on
question of importance. Polls will
I oe open from 10 a. m. to 10 p. m.
All members are requested to reg
ister their vote.
Philip Corrigan.
Secy. Treas.
MUST PAY FINES OR LEAVE
THE CITY SAYS CYWDIR
Spokane, May, 6.—Pay fines or get
out of the city and stay out.
This is the ultimatum which Major
R. D. Gywdir, city, license inspec
tor, will give today and tomorrow
to the clairvoyants, trance mediums,
palmists, fortune tellers and other
fakirs who have been raking in a fat
living oft the unsuspecting public.
The matter was taken up with chief
of Police Rice before he left for Mon
tana and it was decided that these
people are getting too numerous and
will have to be weeded out.
“I can not see why these people
should not pay fines as well as others
who are described as vagrants by the
city ordinance,” said Major Gywdir.
“The city ordinance names fortune
tellers as vagrants and they can be
prosecuted on this ground. The plan is
to have those who remain pay fines as
is done in some cases or get out of the
city.”
Major Gywdir started a campaign
of a similar nature about a year ago
and forced a number of fakirs to shut
up shop, but finally got mixed up in
a case against a trance medunr who
fought the case on the ground that
she^was working in accordance with
her religeous belief and won out on
that basis. . The plan in general is
to have a cleaning up of the fakirs
and get rid at least of the worst of
those now in the city.
KRACOWER
ENLARGES
Kracower Broters have enlarged
their establishment and will put in
a much larger stock with the open
ing of navagation. One of the local
papers stated that Kracower Brothers
were secondhand dealers ;such is not
the case ;every thing in their place is
new stock,and they will have one of
the largest assortment of shoes,cloth
ing, notions etc.,in town.
Special to the Nome Industrial Worker.
Seattle May 7—May day the great
international labor day was duly cele
brated here . A monster meetiug was
held under the joint auspices of
the Industrial Workers of the World
and the various socialist organiz
ations. The principle speakers were
J, H. Walsh, John Mouette and L.
E. Latimer.
I
TWO MEN
RUN OVER
Chicago, 111., May, (i.—Isaac John
son and Abraham Lavine were killed
last night when'they stepped in front
of an express train on the Aurora
Elgin Chicago electric tracks at May
wood.
Both men belierved it to be a local
and would stop at the platform. In
stead the train, running at high
speed., struck both men as they were
crossing the last rail, and it ran four j
blocks before it could be stopped.
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Mrs. Ginivin is running the North,
ern Hotel in Solomon‘and will be glad
to have her old friends call on her
when in Solomon.. tf.
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Union Men—Advertisers in your
paper are entitled to your patronage.
GiVE EM LEAD.
The Goldfield Miners want gold.
Give ’em scrip; is not that constitu
tional! 1 ‘ I’o hell with the constitu
tion-’ said Sherman Bell’s lieuten
ant. If the miners won’t take scrip
give ’em lead !
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CROWS ATTACK
A HUNTER
Special to the Nome Industrial Worker.
Chicago, May (1—A dispatch to the
Record—Herald from Freeport, 111.,
says:
Paul Niles, a hunter, was attacked
by an enormous flock of crows near
here and barely escaped with his life.
Niles fired into the flock, wounding
several, and the others attacked him.
The man started to iuu, but was
knocked down and pecked about the
eyes and face, and beaten almost in
sensible by by the birds wings. With
the greatest difficulty he crawled to a
nearby barn, with the birds fighting
him all the way, and it was not until
he was inside that they desisted. Niles
is in a critcal condition.
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GEO. NELSON
IS SHOT
The following two telegrams were
received from St. Michaels on May
Cth. ;They desciibe the condition of
Geo. Nelson, who was accidently
shot by his partuer while on their
way to the Innoko.
St. Michaels, May 0,1908. Nome
Indasttrial Worker. Nelson was ac
cidently shot by comrade ; both barrels
of a haiumerless shotgun; left leg
above knee; gangrene condition ;ser
ious;bone shattered ;may be necessary
to amputate. Six days before medical
aid could be secured ;occured between
Kaltag and Innoko. Peterson.
St. Michaels, May 0,1908. Nome lu
dustrial Worker. Nelson lias compound
fracture of the bone of lower third of
thigh '.caused by accidental discharge
of shotgun at a distance of three feet;
much distraction of bone and tissue;
wound is badly infected with symp
toms of blood poisoning; refuses to
have amptatiou ; chance of recovery
spirits good.
Sweazy, U. S . Surgeon.
Nelson is well known here at Nome,
having lived here for some time he left
Nome in company witli several union
boys some three weeks ago ;Nelsou is
a mem her of Local No. 240, W. F. JVI
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