Hellraisers Journal: Colorado Federation of Labor Holds Convention to Consider Ways and Means of Supporting Ongoing Strikes of Miners-U. M. W. A. and W. F. M.

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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday January 14, 1904
Denver, Colorado – Delegates of Convention of State F. of L. Consider Miners’ Strikes

News from Special Convention of the Colorado
State Federation of Labor

Monday January 11, 1904 Denver, Colorado
-Colorado Federation of Labor Holds Convention To Support Strikes

More than 350 delegates are assembled today at the Waiters’ Hall in the Club Building in Denver. This is a Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor called in order to consider ways and means of supporting the ongoing strikes of the Western Federation of Miners and the United Mine Workers of America. These courageous striking miners are now facing unprecedented Military Despotism at the hands of Generals Bell and Chase under the orders of Governor Peabody.

J. C. Sullivan, President of the C. F. of L. opened the Convention with these words:

Friends and Fellow Citizens, I Greet You:

An industrial condition that makes necessary the assembling of labor’s hosts in special convention is certainly significant, and, if the facial expressions of firm determination that are stamped on the countenances of this magnificent audience correctly reflects its feelings, there is still hope that “liberty” and “justice,” though banished from this centennial state of ours, “by order of a political accident,” and citizens forced to leave their homes and firesides at the bayonet point in the hands of “our” modern “Hessians,” for the sole and only reason that they refuse to join forces with our “modern Tories,” and say they will not sell their manhood on mammon’s greedy altar nor bow the knee in cringing sycophancy to the aristocratic anarchist, though he be clothed with brief official authority.

This, my friends, is a gathering that, if each and every delegate here assembled does his full duty to his country, to his fellow man, to himself and to the posterity of mankind, this meeting will go down in the annals of history as the most important gathering that has ever been held in Colorado up to this time. But if, for any reason, you fail to do your duty, you will, by that failure, assist the modern Tories and the mine operators’ hired Hessians to banish the lovers of liberty from their homes and firesides, and establish in their stead willing corporate vassals, to whom manhood is an unknown quality, to whom justice is a myth and liberty an illusion. The time is now, my friends, when not only labor’s voice must be heard, but labor’s hosts must act, if necessary, if justice is to be again enthroned in the fair State of Colorado.

[Emphasis added.]

Tuesday January 12, 1904 Denver, Colorado
-C. F. of L. Convention Receives Greetings from Mother Jones

Mother Jones, who is recovering from a serious illness in Trinidad, nevertheless sent her greetings to the Special Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor now in progress in Denver. At the afternoon session yesterday, H. B. Waters, secretary of the Convention, read the following:

Trinidad, Colo.,
January 11, 1904

State Federation of Labor, Convention Hall, Denver, Colo.
To the Delegates of the State Federation of Labor:

Greeting-Let your deliberations be tempered with a high sense of justice for all mankind-malice toward none, for you are the bulwark of the nation. The day dawneth when you shall get your own.

Fraternally in the cause of labor,
MOTHER JONES

The chairman and the secretary of the Convention were instructed unanimously to answer Mother Jones:

To Mother Jones, Trinidad:

The greatest labor convention ever held in the state sends you greeting and wishes you health and God-speed.

J. C. SULLIVAN, President
H. B. WATERS, Secretary

Wednesday January 13, 1904, Denver, Colorado
-Colorado F. of L. Convention Requests Senate Investigation

The Special Convention of the C. F. of L., now in progress, has adopted the following resolution which has been forwarded to Senator Patterson:

Whereas, The convention, representing 35,000 members of organized labor in the State of Colorado, has been called to take cognizance of industrial conditions and the course followed by Governor Peabody.

Resolved, That the situation in this state is so grave that the facts should be laid before the nation in an authoritative manner. To that end we urge the immediate passage by the United States Senate of Senator T. M. Patterson’s resolution, directing the senate committee on judiciary, or a sub-committee thereof, to come to Colorado and make a searching inquiry into the conditions existing in this state. Organized labor courts an investigation, and we feel sure that we are voicing the sentiments of every labor organization in the state when we promise the senate committee our hearty co-operation

J. C. SULLIVAN, President

The Convention continues today, and a resolution from Charles Moyer, President of the Western Federation of Miners, will be brought to the floor regarding the Military Despotism now in effect in the strike zones of Telluride and Cripple Creek.

Thursday January 14, 1904, Denver, Colorado
-Special Convention of C. F. of L. Supports Strikes of Miners’ Unions

At the meeting of the of the Special Convention yesterday, Charles Moyer, President of the Western Federation of Miners, brought forward resolutions condemning the military despotism now in effect in the strike zones and supporting the strikes of both miners’ unions, his own, as well as the United Mine Workers of America. The following are a few of the many resolutions which were adopted by the majority with two dissenting votes:

Resolved, That we demand the immediate withdrawal of the troops, so that law and order may again prevail in Teller and San Miguel counties.

Resolved, That when the reign of military anarchy is at an end in this state, we urge the membership of organized labor throughout Colorado to come to the aid of the martyrs of “bull-pen” imprisonment, so that the wrongs and outrages from which thy have suffered may be righted in the courts.

Resolved, That we commend and admire the gallant and unflinching battle of the Western Federation of Miners and the United Mine Workers of America, who have bared their breast to corporate power, and who are now forcing greed to hoist the white flag.

Resolved, That we call upon the membership of organized labor in every city, town and hamlet, and every liberty loving citizen of the state, to march to the polls in November, 1904, and bury the present administration so deep beneath an avalanche of ballots that a million blasts from Gabriel’s trumpet will not be able to awaken it from Political oblivion.

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SOURCES & IMAGES

Quote Mother Jones, CFI Owns Colorado, re 1903 Strikes UMW WFM,
Ab Chp 13, 1925
https://archive.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/13/

The Cripple Creek Strike, 1903-1904
-by Emma F. Langdon
Victor, CO, 1904
-pages 194-206: Colorado State Federation of Labor Convention
https://archive.org/details/cripplecreekstri00lang/mode/1up?view=theater
https://archive.org/details/cripplecreekstri00lang/page/194/mode/1up?view=theater&q=STATE+FEDERATION+CALLS+CONVENTION

See also:

Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 11, 1904
Colorado Militia Inflicts Military Despotism Upon
Striking Miners at Telluride and Cripple Creek
A. H. Floaten, of the Western Federation of Miners, Describes Same

Rocky Mountains News of  Jan 12, 1904
“Union Men in Session”
-greeting from MJ
https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2:12C601A5C4B97518@GB3NEWS-146D7936E710E290@2416492-146BDE6EF5F8A298@5-146BDE6EF5F8A298

Tag: Telluride Strike of 1903-1904
https://weneverforget.org/tag/telluride-strike-of-1903-1904/

Tag: Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1903-1904
https://weneverforget.org/tag/colorado-coalfield-strike-of-1903-1904/

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Solidarity Forever – Seth Staton Watkins
Lyrics by Ralph Chaplin