David C. Coates
| David C. Coates | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 11th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado | |
|
In office 1901–1902 |
|
| Governor | James Bradley Orman |
| Preceded by | Francis Patrick Carney |
| Succeeded by | Warren A. Haggott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 9, 1868 Brandon, County Durham, England |
| Died | January 28, 1933 (aged 64) North Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Political party | Socialist Party, Democratic Party, Populist Party, National Party |
| Spouse(s) | Sadie B. Pearce |
David Courtney Coates (August 9, 1868 – January 28, 1933) was a publisher and printer, labor union leader and socialist politician who served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, secretary and president of Colorado's State Federation of Labor, president of the American Labor Union and chairman of the National Party.
Coates was born in Brandon, County Durham, England. His parents, George and Mary Coates, emigrated to the United States in 1881 and initially settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1882 the family relocated to Pueblo, Colorado, where his father was employed as an engineer at the steelworks. Coates briefly worked in the mines before entering the publishing and printing industry. He worked for several newspapers in Colorado including the Pueblo Evening Star and Rocky Mountain News and founded several others, including the Pueblo Press, Colorado Chronicle and Pueblo Courier. He married Sadie B. Pearce on 14 October 1890 and a daughter, Hazel Marie, was born on 1 February 1893. He served as secretary of the Colorado State Federation of Labor between 1897 and 1899 and president between 1899 and 1901. He testified before the Industrial Commission as part of their investigation into mining on 14 July 1899. Coates was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado on a fusion ticket, having received the nominations of the Democratic, Populist and Silver Republican parties.
In 1901, Lieutenant Governor Coates volunteered, and was dispatched by Colorado Governor James Orman, to be part of a commission sent to Telluride to investigate an uprising of miners from the Western Federation of Miners during a strike. A shooting war was triggered when one of the strikers, believed to have been unarmed, had been shot through the throat by a deputized mine guard. In spite of intense pressure from others, Coates helped to persuade the governor not to send the Colorado National Guard. The commission was able to effect a settlement between the miners and the company, negotiating between union leader Vincent St. John and the Smuggler-Union Mine Company's general manager, Arthur L. Collins.
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