You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Thursday September 22, 1904
Denver, Colorado - State Democratic Party Nominates Alva Adams for Governor
Honorable Alva Adams
With the support of Colorado Labor's Liberty League, the much beloved former governor of Colorado, Alva Adams, was nominated for governor yesterday by Colorado Democrats meeting in convention in Denver. Adams will face off against the Republican incumbent, James Peabody, and, if elected, will put and end to Peabodyism which has shown itself willing to use any means necessary to oppose Labor in general and the Western Federation of Miners in particular. In accepting the nomination, the Honorable Alva Adams made the following speech:
Fellow Citizens: I need not assure you that I appreciate to its full this distinguished compliment. It is perhaps the greatest tribute that any man has received at the hands of a Democratic convention. But I am sincere when I tell you that I wish this cup might have passed by me; that the mantle might have fallen on other shoulders.
But the call has come and I must lay aside my personal preferences, my business interests, my home life, that I may respond to your call, which is a demand that I can not refuse. What the campaign is to bring forth no man can tell. If defeat is to come to me it is but an incident in my life and none, perhaps will mourn except myself. But if defeat comes to the principles that I am to carry in this campaign, then calamity falls upon the state of Colorado. It is your battle, as Senator Teller has told you. I will do my part the best I can, but the 30,000 Democrats who did not go to the polls two years ago must vote and determine this election. There can be no absent treatment. You can not put ballots into the box by prayer. Every citizen of this state who believes in what we believe in must work and sacrifice and go to the polls and cast his ballot. If that is done, and honestly done, then, whatever be the result, I shall abide by it, because an honest election is the voice of the people, and I shall submit, it matters not whether it is defeat or victory.
This afternoon a Republican friend of mine told me that he wished I would take this nomination. I asked him why, and he said "because we must have this election. Peabody must be elected, it matters not at what cost. We have all the money we want, and if necessary, can buy one-half of Colorado."
This is a challenge of your ability, but I have faith in the purity, the patriotism of Colorado manhood and womanhood, which I have known for thirty-four years, to believe that they will rebuke that sentiment and not indorse the sentiment that money is everything.
There is something more than money. It is principle. There is something higher than cash. It is manhood and womanhood.
I believe that at the next election the ballots of the people of Colorado will be a flame of fire of indignation that will consume the tabernacles of bribery.
No, money answereth not to all. If I thought it did, I would leave the state of Colorado. I want to say to you, my friends, that if elected governor that the governor of this state will be guided by the law. When a preacher or priest tries to enforce the doctrines of the Ten Commandments, he must in his own life be an example of those doctrines.
The law must be enforced.
There is not one law for one and another law for another. I have never read in any statute book or constitution that preference was to be given to property or person.
I believe that the courts of law are competent to right every legal wrong.
The law stands for the high and the low, and every citizen of this state is entitled to its protection.
I believe there is no conflict between the citizens of this state that can not find a way of being righted before the courts of law.
If I have a political creed, I find that creed in the first inaugural of Thomas Jefferson, written 100 years ago. It applies to Colorado, as it applied then. It is new today, and yet old, because it is as new and old as human liberty. The sentiment that he described is Democracy itself. His definition stood for freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of the individual under the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. It stood for the subserviency of the military to the civil power, the right of trial by jury honestly selected. This is Jeffersonian Democracy, and it embodies the principles upon which I expect to stand and administer the affairs of Colorado.
I have but one desire, and that is that when I enter official life I shall give every energy I possess, every hour that comes to me, every day of the two years which I put in at the capitol, to support by law the rights of the individual to liberty, and to make an economical administration of the finances of this state.
These, my friends, are the sentiments to which I subscribe—to support the law, to give an honest administration and to make a fair use of the taxes of the people. And with these sentiments upon my banner, under that banner I will go. I will treat every citizen, whether he voted for me or whether he did not, as an equal before the law, as one having the same rights as every other citizen. There can be no distinction. To these things I consecrate myself, without thought of future preferment or personal ambition; with no purpose but to serve the people of Colorado, and to bring back a Democratic government and a government by the people in the capitol on yonder hill. (Great applause.)
[emphasis added]
Report from Mrs. Emma F Langdon
The following report from Mrs. Langdon of Victor, Colorado, explains the formation, platform, and efforts of the Liberty League in advancing Labor's Cause in the 1904 Colorado elections:
LIBERTY LEAGUES.
During the months of June, July and August the State Ways and Means committee, that had been created by the mass convention of organized labor, held in Denver in January, 1904, in order to carry into effect resolutions adopted at said convention, to prevent the re-election of Governor Peabody, sent out over the state organizers for the purpose of organizing anti-Peabody political clubs. The political organization was incorporated under the name of "The Colorado Liberty League." One hundred and thirty local leagues covering all parts of the state were organized and chartered by the State Ways and Means committee within a few weeks.
Meanwhile, the Ways and Means committee had been greatly strengthened by the appointment of sub-committeemen. Sub-committeemen were appointed in all the principal cities, towns and camps, care being taken to appoint only such persons as were known to be capable and in thorough sympathy with the movement.
The author volunteered her services to organize Liberty Leagues, and although having had no previous experience in this line, is proud of the success made, having been successful in organizing a League in every town and camp visited.
During my experience in organizing Liberty Leagues, I was impressed, on account of the number of people outside the ranks of organized labor, who enrolled themselves as members. These embraced people from all walks of life, lawyers, doctors, business men and farmers. Numerous persons at my meetings arose and stated that they had been life-long Republicans, had never voted any other than Republican ticket, but for once in their lives they would vote against their party in order to defeat Peabody.
It was clearly evident that in the state election, party lines would be eliminated, and that the issue would be Peabodyism and anti-Peabodyism.
THE LIBERTY LEAGUE ADOPTS POLITICAL POLICY.
Having created the Liberty Leagues, the question arose as to what would be the best policy to pursue in order to carry out the purpose of the League—the defeat of Peabody.
Some favored forming an independent party, others thought the surest means of success would be to support the Democratic candidates. In order to best learn the desires of the Leagues on this important matter, they were requested to get an expression from the members and send in their recommendations to the state committee.
July 2-4, a meeting of [Labor's] State Ways and Means committee was held to take final action on policy to pursue. After several days' deliberations the committee adopted a preamble and platform and decided to submit same to the State Central Committee of the Democratic party, and, providing they approved the platform and would make it a part of the Democratic platform the Liberty League would support the Democratic state ticket.
A committee was appointed to confer with the Democratic State Central Committee in regard to the proposition, which was as follows:
PLATFORM.
1. An eight-hour law must be passed in accordance with the constitutional mandate of the people expressed by fifty thousand majority in the free exercise of the right of franchise.
2. A direct legislation measure must make it possible for the people to pass directly upon the laws and policies of government, thus forever precluding the lawless overthrow of democratic government, which for two years has made Colorado a hissing and a stench among the sisterhood of states.
3. That our demands may not be misunderstood and our responsibility absolute, we hereby pledge our honor and the good faith of the labor party of Colorado to the following specific purposes:
(a) The Republican party has proved unworthy of the support of fair minded men; therefore, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MUST BE OVERTHROWN.
(b) A certain and specific eight-hour law and direct legislation bill are herewith submitted and no man shall receive our suffrage who does not unequivocally pledge to support these measures intact without modification or amendment.
EIGHT-HOUR BILL.
A bill for an act to regulate the hours of employment in underground mines and workings, smelters, chlorination or cyanide ore reduction works and blast furnaces, and to provide penalties for the violation thereof
* * *
Then followed the eight-hour bill.
DIRECT LEGISLATION BILL.
A bill for an act to submit to the qualified voters of the state of Colorado amendments to Article V of the Constitution of the state of Colorado establishing the principle of direct legislation by the people.
* * *
The direct legislation bill was lengthy so I only produce the enactment clause.
(c) We demand that a constitutional amendment be submitted to the people of Colorado, taking from the governor the more than despotic power lodged in his hands by the decision of the Supreme Court in the Moyer case. Such an amendment should in specific terms absolutely forbid the suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, except by a three-fourths vote of the general assembly in regular or special session; also that the existence of a state of insurrection shall be made a question of fact, to be decided by the courts in the orderly discharge of their functions, and not left to the judgment or imagination of a chief executive too apt to be swayed by partisan prejudice, and a stranger to judicial impartiality.
(d) We uncompromisingly oppose the effort of the corporate interests of Colorado, to saddle upon the already overburdened taxpayers, the million-dollar campaign graft of the Peabody-Mine Owners' tinsel war, illegally contracted in the service of criminal individuals and corporations, these same beneficiaries of a prostituted militia service, should not be allowed to foist upon the entire state the private tribute of enormous bills, incurred by and therefore justly due from private and corporate interests.
(e) We demand the legal exemption from taxation, of personal property to the extent of two hundred dollars ($200.00).
With a firm reliance upon the righteousness and reasonableness of each and all of the above demands, we submit our contentions to the people of Colorado. We are content to be tried before the tribunal of the whole people, confident that the state, to whose material and social greatness we have so generously poured out our labor, our love and our lives, will not be deaf to our plea for justice and liberty. Let the real men and women who have hearts and consciences take back into their own clean hands, the economic and political power yielded in one cataclysmic moment, to the industrial scavenger and political mountebank, and we will cheerfully abide their decision.
(Signed) J. C. SULLIVAN,
Chairman State Ways and Means Committee.
(Attest) H. B. WATERS,
Secretary-Treasurer Ways and Means Committee.
The Democratic State Central Committee and other prominent leaders of that party who were consulted, practically agreed to the platform with the exception of plank "c" repudiating the Peabody war debt. They substituted the following in lieu thereof, which was agreed to by the committee representing the Liberty League:
That no repudiation plank be put into the platform, and that our opposition take the following course:
First—That the platform charge illegality in the method of contracting said indebtedness.
Second—That we charge irregularity and dishonesty in the disbursement of state funds.
Third—That the demand be made for a legislative commission to thoroughly investigate the military expenditures and to shift the grafting from the bona fide accounts.
Fourth—That we secure through deals in senatorial and legislative districts a general assembly that will refuse to expend the money of the taxpayers in paying any illegally acquired indebtedness.
The committee further reported as follows:
It was also agreed that the platform shall be in effect and essence an absolute repudiation of Peabody and Peabodyism.
The candidates for governor and lieutenant-governor shall be acceptable to the labor people.
The labor people are to go into the primaries and conventions of the democratic party and lend practical aid in carrying this agreement into effect.
Your conference committee believes that the above agreements have been made in good faith by both parties and we recommend to the ways and means committee that immediate and energetic steps be taken to carry them into effect.
Mrs. Langdon's report from the Denver Convention gives evidence of the influence of the Liberty League's efforts upon the Platform of the Colorado Democratic Party:
The convention in its platform condemned the Peabody administration in the following language:
The present state administration has deliberately violated and set at naught every safeguard guaranteed to the individual by the bill of rights. Under the old plea of necessity the governor, in the name of law, has swept aside statutes and constitutions, and in the name of order has substituted disorder and passion for justice. The party has indorsed his conduct, and with characteristic effrontery demand his re-election in the name of both.
The law of the dominant party is the unrestricted will of the executive; its order, the proclamations of the commander-in-chief and in his subordinates. This is the law of the monarch and the order of despotism. They have no place on the soil of the American Union, and Democracy repudiates them.
Democracy is the embodiment of that genuine law and order whose ends are justice. It represents that law and order which, by conformity to established rules and usages, universally applicable and binding alike the ruler and the ruled, regulates and governs organized society. We solemnly protest against their violation, either by organizations or citizens owing obedience to them, or by officials elected and sworn to execute them.
Every individual in the land is entitled to the just and equal protection of the laws. The right to live, to work, to acquire and enjoy property, to domicile, to follow any lawful vocation, to contract, to bear arms, to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures, to freedom of speech, of person and of conscience, to the writ of habeas corpus and speedy trial by jury guaranteed by the national and state constitutions, must and shall be recognized and enforced in behalf of every man and woman. To deny any of them anywhere is to imperil all of them everywhere. They are protected by penalties which have been proven adequate by centuries of experience.
[emphasis added]
The convention denounced the so-called eight-hour plank in the Republican platform as a palpable and cowardly evasion, calculated to deceive and imposing no obligation upon it whatever. The Democrats adopted the following eight-hour plank:
The Democratic party, if intrusted with power, pledges itself to enact a law, and prescribe suitable penalties for the violation thereof, for a period of employment not to exceed eight hours within any twenty-four hours (except in cases of emergency when life or property is in imminent danger), for persons engaged in underground mines or underground workings, blast furnaces, smelters, and any ore reduction works or other branches of the industry or labor that the general assembly may consider injurious or dangerous to health, life or limb.
As promised the Liberty Leagues, planks were adopted indorsing the principle of the initiative and referendum and the exemption from taxation of personal property of the value of $200.
Mrs. Langdon further describes the nomination of Alva Adams as "a happy choice," and states that he is "a business man of great integrity." As governor, he served the people "with honor to them and credit to himself." Mrs. Langdon further states that not even the Citizens' Alliance can find anything to "the discredit of Mr. Adams other than he was emphatically opposed to the unconstitutional and tyrannical methods of Peabody in dealing with labor unions."
Mrs. Langdon reports that the Governor Adams did not seek this nomination:
Mr. Adams did not desire the nomination as he had arranged to retire from active life for the remainder of his days and enjoy a well-earned and deserved rest. It was only through long and earnest persuasion of his friends and prominent citizens, who were convinced that he was the man to bring credit back to the state, that had been disgraced by the Peabody administration, that he finally agreed to sacrifice a life of ease to one of duty.
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SOURCES
The Cripple Creek Strike
A History of Industrial Wars in Colorado, 1903-4-5
-by Emma F Langdon
"Being a Complete and Concise
History of the Efforts of
Organized Capital
to Crush Unionism"
The Great Western Publishing Co.
Denver,Colorado, 1905.
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
The Weekly Gazette
(Colorado Springs, Colorado)
-of Sept 22, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Images
Alva Adams
http://en.wikipedia.org/..._(governor)
Emma F Langdon
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
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Hold the Fort-One of Labor's Oldest Songs
Look, my Comrades, see the union
Banners waving high.
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh.
Hold the fort for we are coming-
Union men, be strong.
Side by side we battle onward,
Victory will come.
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