In 1901, union president A. Edward Boyce addressed the 9th annual convention of the Western Federation of Miners. He called on the union to alter its constitution to add socialism to its goals and to
" ... press on until labor received 'every dollar of wealth' it produced. He thought that nothing could be gained by continuing the present policy, for, as he said:
Advise strikes as the weapon to be used by labor to
obtain its rights, and you will be branded as criminals
who aim to ruin the business interests of the country.
Change from the policy of simple trades unionism that
is fast waning, and you will be told that your action
is premature, as this is not the time. Pursue the
methods adopted by capitalists and you will be sent to
prison for robbery or executed for murder. Demand, and
your demands will be construed into threats of violence
against the rights of private property calculated to
scare capital. Avail yourself of your constitutional
rights and propose to take political action, and you
will be charged with selling out the organization to
some political party. Counsel arbitration, and you will
be told that there is nothing to arbitrate. Be
conservative, and your tameness will be construed as an
appreciation of the conditions thrust upon you by
trusts and syndicates. Take what action you will in the
interests of labor, the trained beagles in the employ
of capital from behind their loathsome fortress of
disguised patriotism will howl their tirade of
condemnation."
from George G. Suggs, Jr., _Colorado's War on Militant Unionism_, University of Oklahoma Press, 1972. Reprinted in _Wyoming Labor Party News_, June 1997.