You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Sunday December 6, 1914
Denver, Colorado - John McLennan Testifies on The Law in Southern Colorado
John McLennan, President of District 15 of the United Mine Workers of America, appeared before the Commission on Industrial Relations in Denver on Friday. McLennan testified regarding the conduct of the strike, discrimination by the mine owners against union men, and the conditions under which the coal miners labor and live. In regard to law and order and how it has been maintained the coalfields of Southern Colorado, McLennan stated:
There has been no law in Southern Colorado for 10 years but that of the operators and the Mine Superintendents' guns.
That fact was tragically demonstrated when striking miners and their families were attacked by the state militia, infested with company gunthugs, while living on their own property which had been rented for them by their Union. The following photograph shows Brother McLennan in the custody of Major Hamrock shortly after the Ludlow Massacre:
McLennan was called before the Commission during the morning session and recalled at the start of the afternoon session of Friday, December 4th. Present were Chairman Walsh and Commissioners: Ballard, O'Connell, Garretson, Commons, Lennon, and Weinstock.
From the El Paso Herald of December 4, 1914:
SAYS ROCKEFELLER PLANNED CONDUCT OF COAL STRIKE
Policy Committee of District 15
John McLennan, President District 15; E L Doyle, Secretary-Treasurer District 15;
John R Lawson, International Board Member District 15, Frank Hayes, Vice-President UMWA.
Denver, Colo., Dec. 4-John R. Lawson, Colorado member of the international executive committee of the United Mine Workers of America, announced today that John McLennan, president of district No. 15, who has been summoned as a witness before the federal industrial relations commission, would introduce a long telegram from John D. Rockefeller, jr., giving minute instructions regarding the conduct of the operators toward the coal miners' strike.
This alleged telegram, addressed to J. F. Wellborn, president of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company, is said to include directions for moulding public opinion and handling other matters connected with the labor war.
John D. Rockefeller, jr., is a heavy stockholder in the Colorado Fuel and Iron company.
Mc Lennan when summoned, denied that there was any organized attempt by the national officers of the United Mine Workers of America to arm the men of the conflict, pending the adoption of the strike call by the Trinidad convention of miners.
Of the grievances set forth by that convention he said it had declared against scrip payment of wages as against the law of the state.
"And scrip is being paid today," he said, "by the Victor-American company."
He detailed how union men found working in the mines had been driven out of the district, asserting that as many as 1200 men in the southern district had been driven out of the district in one month, a year before the strike was called, because they were suspected of being union men.
[photograph added]
From The Cincinnati Enquirer of December 5, 1914:
UNIONISM
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Is O. K. in Theory,
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But No Good Practically,
Declares Pit Owner.
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Town Heads Connected
With Mine Firms,
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Says McLennan, in Tirade
Against Government.
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Diggers' Leader Asserts the Operators' Guns
Have Been Only Law in Fields
For Ten Years.
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SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE ENQUIRER.
"There has been no law in Southern Colorado for 10 years but that of the operators
and the Mine Superintendents' guns."
Denver, Colo., December 4.-"I am theoretically in favor of union labor; practically I have no use for it," Walter a Curtis, President of the Rapson coal company and an employer of union labor, testified before the Federal Commission on Industrial Relations to-day.
Just now I have a controversy with the Pit Committee of one of my mines. If the union does not stand back of me in disciplining the committee by discharging it I am going to get rid of union labor. I am going to see who is running our mines, the Pit Committee or the company.
The Pit Committee, he said, had decreed that certain men who had attended the funeral of a nonunion miner should be discharged.
In completing his testimony of the morning President John McLennan, of District 15, United Mine Workers of America, declared that the Mayor and officials of incorporated towns in the mining district were usually company officials. None but company stores were allowed in such towns.
The coroner, he said, used the same jury on accidents during his entire term. The same jury in one county had ben working 20 years.
[He asserted:]
With one or two exceptions, the verdicts exonerated the companies.
By a system of placing men of different nationalities together, he said, the companies prevented discussion of grievances. There were from 22 to 26 tongues spoken in each mine.
[He declared:]
There has been no law in Southern Colorado for 10 years but that of the operators and the Mine Superintendents' guns.
McLennan said that Governor Shafroth explained to him that he was helpless to enforce law without the aid of the civil authorities in the southern part of the state.
[Said McLennan]
Since then a decision of the Supreme Court authorized the Attorney-General to prosecute in any county.
"Has he prosecuted?"
[Replied McLennan:]
He has prosecuted miners-not operators.
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[photograph added]
SOURCE
El Paso Herald
(El Paso, Texas)
-Dec 4, 1914
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The Cincinnati Enquirer
(Cincinnati, Ohio)
-Dec 5, 1914
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Industrial relations: final report and testimony,Vol. 7
United States. Commission on Industrial Relations
D.C. Gov. Print. Office, 1916
(search: 6502-source for date & those present)
http://books.google.com/...
See also:
Search source above with 6509
for full transcript of McLennan's testimony.
IMAGES
John McLennan in Military Custody
https://archive.org/...
Policy Committee of District 15
https://archive.org/...
The Death Special
http://www.du.edu/...
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Which Side Are You On? - Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman
Across this great old nation
Tell me whatcha gonna do
When there's one law for the rulers
And one law for the ruled?
-Florence Reese/Tom Morello
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