The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-17
FOURTH EDITION
A DEFENSE or STRIKERS
Governor Mo0orkle's Tribute to
West Virginia Miners.
STRIKERS PERFECTLY ORDERLY.

The Governor Declares That ut no Time
Has There Been Any Evidence of In
tended LawIessness- Heports
Utterly Misleading.
WHEELING, w. Va, May 17-FOllowipr
on the heels of tho interview with Cover.
nor O'Forrall, in which that gentleman
decided that only the presence of Virginia
troops ut Pocahontas prevented bloodshed
by keeping the West Virginia miners in
check, the following Telegram from Gov
ernor McCorkle, OF this state, iG not only
Important, but IL IL contribution to the
Interesting state of afsirs that has arisen
between the governors of the two states
growing out Of tho refusal OF the governor
Of West Virginia to grant the request OF
the governor of Virginia to allow Vlr-
ginia troops 10 cross the border. The dis
patch Is signed by Governor McCorlllr,
and is as follows:
I'm "Wednesday dispatches TO the press
from Pocahontas you say; West Virginia
miners aro closely watched AS firing on
the picket lines has increased This state
ment does the West Virginia miners gross
injustice not n shot having been fired by
any West Virginia miner nor by any
miner, and not breach of the peace has
occurred Nothing has been done by any
West Virginia workngmau to warrant
the suspicion that they intend to anything
more than peacefully strike Tho reports
were sent out by interested parties for a
purpose and the motvei is well known. All
the newspaper reports from that section
have been utterly misleading, aud highly
colored, intended for tho purpose OF in
ouencing public opinion. The four or five
shots fired one day were not fired by any
miner, and are now known to have been
arranged for by other parties. ..
ST Is absolute and utter nonsense to at
Tempt to dignify the proceedings in that
section by any suspicious of damage to
the pence of the state. ! am thoroughly
familiar with the situation, and, without
discussing the cause of the strike, will say
In my knowledge no strike in this coun-
try has been ever condul ted in SO peace
able and law abiding manner, and the
continued imputation that West Virginia
miners are breaking the peace and invad-
ing other states with riotous intentions is
disgusting to all who know the true sit
uation.
when the first highly colored reports
come to this Office every arrangement was
made by me to vigorously preserve the
peace OF this state and prevent any law
iessness l would do so at every hazard
My Views on this point are well known
But the attempt to make the world believe
that our law abiding people are armed
rioters, and that a peaceful strike is a tur
bulent Instruction, breaking the peace oi
our own state as we'll rs others, is frausht
with too much injury to our material in
terests to be longer borne in silence.
This statement is confirmed by the
sheriffs Of the counties, by my own repre-
sentativos on the ground and by the super
lntendent of the railroad. The latter fol
sweek has wired me daily saying tina
Everything is quiet In that section, ant
such has been the continued direction o
all correct Information from that field.
make this statement in order that simpl,
Justice may be done our people"