You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thursday November 19, 1903
Denver, Colorado - President refuses Governor Peabody's request for federal troops.
We are learning that President Roosevelt will not be sending federal troops to the Telluride strike zone as requested by Governor Peabody. The President was advised by his Secretary of War that the Governor had not yet exhausted the resources of the state, and, therefore, federal troops would not be sent.
It was only ten days ago that the Governor and his top General offered to hand over the entire state militia to the President:
Denver, Colo., November 9, 1903
Theodore Roosevelt, President:
Commending your action in the Panama question, and having in mind the possibility of military service, I desire to tender you the services of the National Guard of Colorado, 2,000 strong, now fully armed and equipped and organized under the provision of the Dick bill, who can be ready on twenty-four hours' notice.
James H. Peabody, Governor and Commander-in-Chief,
Sherman M. Bell, Adjutant General,
J. Q. MacDonald, Military Secretary
The Secretary of War responded:
I beg to express the appreciation of the government of the United States for the patriotic spirit which prompted your offer. Fortunately there is at present no reason to anticipate the calling out of any part of the militia of the United States, but should the occasion arise at any time the readiness of the militia of the State of Colorado to serve their country will not pass without notice
Very truly yours,
Elihu Root, Sec'y of War
Mrs. Emma F. Langdon of Victor made these comments on the matter:
This little farce comedy on the part of Sherman Bell and the governor was apparently an effort to saddle the expense of the "war of Colorado" (guarding the property of the mine owners against imaginary depredations), upon the United States; said war having already cost the state of Colorado in the vicinity of $500,000 (if we should permit the legislature to pay the mine owners' bills), and no blood shed in combat but that of a poor little burro.
Some have been so cruel as to hint that if Bell and Peabody could volunteer the services of 2,000 armed militiamen (the entire fighting force of the state of Colorado), to go to far distant Panama, there could surely be no necessity for them in the state of Colorado.
SOURCE
The Cripple Creek Strike
-by Emma F Langdon
(Part I, 1st pub 1904)
NY, 1969
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Wednesday November 19, 1913
From the Miners' Bulletin: On Sunday, Strikers March and Scabs Escape
The strikers march daily to show their support for the strike and to discourage strikebreaking, but on Sundays the parades are especially notable. For on that day of the week, men, women, and children march in their Sunday-best. In Calumet, Big Annie Clemenc leads the parades, dressed all in white, carrying her huge flag. Colored streamers run from the top of the flagpole down and off to the side where they are held by two little girls, also dressed all in white.
The latest edition of the
Bulletin describes last Sunday's parades:
BIG PARADES SUNDAY
Two monster parades and one big meeting took place Sunday afternoon. One of the parades took place on the road from Calumet to Larium where a monster meeting was held; board members Lowney and Terzich as well as several local men addressed the throng. Several thousand are said to have been in line. A parade headed by the Finnish band took palace in Hancock during the afternoon. The paraders marched the principle streets of the city. Then went out on the county road past the Hancock and Quincy mines. Three thousand men, women, and children marched in the lines for many miles in the slush and cold of a mid-November day thereby demonstrating in a most substantial manner their determination to remain firm and unflinching for their union.
The same article goes on to describe the escape of ten scabs:
It is said the boss, at the Quincy mine kept his strikebreakers in the shaft-house while the paraders were passing, fearing that should his men witness such a demonstration they would leave him, and join the strikers. However ten of the men quit their jobs. These ten men stated to the writer that they had been at work for the Quincy for the past six weeks but as yet had not received any money. The company had deducted $25.50 railroad fare, and some $10.00 store bill besides board. Just what they had coming, if anything, they did not know. The boys had enough of scabbing and were willing to get out regardless of what they had coming to them from the company.
SOURCES
Miners' Bulletin
"Published by authority of
Western Federation of Miners
to tell the truth regarding
the strike of the copper miners."
-of Nov 18, 1913
Big Annie of Calumet
-by Jerry Stanley
NY, 1996
Photo: MTU Keweenaw Digital Archives
http://digarch.lib.mtu.edu/...
H/T to 1913 Strike for link to these archives, check out website:
http://coppercountry.wordpress.com/
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Tuesday November 19, 2013
More on the Dick Military Act of 1903:
The Dick Act, 1903 affirmed the National Guard as the primary organized reserve force.
Between 1903 and the 1920's, legislation was enacted that strengthened the Army National Guard as a component of the national defense force. The Dick Act of 1903 replaced the 1792 Militia Act and affirmed the National Guard as the Army's primary organized reserve.
SOURCE
Army National Guard
(Scroll down)
http://www.arng.army.mil/...
As a result of the problems identified during the Spanish-American War, Secretary of War Elihu Root and other military leaders took steps to reform the Army, including the National Guard. Root's allies included Charles Dick, Congressman (later Senator) from Ohio and Chairman of the House Militia Affairs Committee, who also served as President of the National Guard Association of the United States.[13] Dick was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and a longtime National Guard member who attained the rank of Major General as commander of the Ohio National Guard.[14][15]
Dick championed the Militia Act of 1903, which became known as the Dick Act. This law repealed the Militia Acts of 1792 and organized the militia into two groups: the Reserve Militia, which included all able-bodied men between 18 and 45, and the Organized Militia, which included state militia (National Guard) units receiving federal support.[16][17][18]
SOURCE
Wikipedia-Military Act of 1903
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Bread and Roses-Kate Vikstrom
As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women's children, and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!
-James Oppenheim