Hellraisers Journal: No Bloodshed as Clifton-Morenci Strike Ends-"Most Remarkable Strike in History"

Submitted by JayRaye on Sun, 02/07/2016 - 12:54pm

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Monday February 7, 1916
From the Chicago Day Book: Clifton-Morenci Strike in Arizona Is Settled

From Day Book of February 4th:

NO BLOODSHED IN THE MOST REMARKABLE STRIKE IN HISTORY
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National & local leaders of the Western Federation of Miners.
Back row, 2nd & 3rd from left: Charles Moyer-WFM President,
& Henry McCluskey-Organizer for Miami Local 70.
Front row from left, John Murray, Canuto Vargas, Pascual Vargas, Luis Soto.
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Clifton, Ariz., Feb. 4.-The strike just ended here in a partial victory for the 5,000 miners was one ot the most remarkable in history , in that -

There wasn't a bit of disorder!

And Arizona thanks George W. P. Hunt, Arizona's first and only governor, for the peace that marked the walkout.

The mine managers did their best to cause disorder. When the strike was called the company officials got on an A. & N. M. locomotive and sped down to Lordsburg, N. M., where they let it be known the strikers were lawless and desperate, and asserted that armed guards would have to be brought in to protect property-with the aid of the militia.

They expected Gov. Hunt would send in the militia right away, and let the companies import strikebreakers, so the miners could be accused of fomenting the trouble that generally follows introduction of an alien element into industrial disputes. (That was the way it was done in Colorado.)

But Gov. Hunt was a man of a caliber the mine bosses hadn't figured on.

"You won't import any guards or strike-breakers," said Hunt. "I'll send militia-but all they'll do will be to patrol the district. They won't help you win the strike."

Hunt then arranged for the Western Federation of Miners agents to leave the district, leaving conduct of the walkout absolutely in the hands of the local labor leaders. Sheriff Cash of Greenlee county made several strikers deputies and had them guard the companies' deserted properties. Clifton, Morenci and Metcalfe, the three camps affected, were never more orderly.

Business men protested they were suffering, and a few, who had not been making money before the strike, closed up and left town.

The companies seized on this as a pretext for a campaign to recall Gov. Hunt. Labor, farmers and merchants rallied to Hunt's support and the recall campaign blew up.

The men dickered with the companies all during the campaign, but "No concession!" said the mine owners.

The companies then hired some strikebreakers. A trainload of them left Lordsburg, but as soon as they crossed the Arizona line they were stopped and "interned" at Duncan.

Finally the companies saw they couldn't crush the miners and agreed to a compromise. The men are now returning to work under an arrangement whereby monthly conferences will settle all grievances.

Both the strikers and the men in camp at Duncan-those who still want to work-will be employed. The men's wage demands were met, but their union is not officially recognized.

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[Photograph added.]