The left loves to rail against capitalism and the robber barons but what one doesn't hear about is that government corruption made it all possible. Politicians, judges and law enforcement officials were bought and paid for and aided and abetted in the troubles of the period like governors sending in the national guard to fight strikers for example. The left wants more government so they will not criticize it and the wealthy and politically connected use it to their own profit. So both sides (if there really is two sides) love big government.
The problem is when one realizes that the government has been the tool of the wealthy and powerful for their own benefit then one starts questioning all the maneuverings of the State and then the facade of purity and nobility begins to crumble. That is why articles like this are valuable and that is why this information is not main stream. It is a shame that sentimentalism and willful blindness prevents a lot of people from truly critiquing their government's policies. If they had or would we could prevent a lot of the messes we are in.