The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-24
coNDnMNs THE aovnnNon.
Cftizen of BirminRham writes of The
 strike.

OOAt DLfNA4N6 AA0f 0V V A4AAft tAA@
 
 Citizen of BirminRham writes of The
 Strike.
 The following letter reached The. Advertiser last night:
 Editor of The Advertiser:
 I wish to commend Tn as strong words. as language can convey my apprecia- ffon and cominendatton or the editorfaI in The Advertiser of the zznd inst. in s the ta e present sen strike situstion in the Birmingham mining district.
 That editorial should be read by every citizen of Alabama. and an out ragged public sentiment should demand that the Governor end the situation which is a disgrace to Alabama and great injury to the entire South. That It can be ended Is the belief of a large majority of the best citizens here, for one hears on every hand this expres- sion: .Oh, for another Governor like Tom Jones to take this situation in hand.~ The sentiment ts universal that such n Governor would end it in Now. the people of Alabama are pay Ing the bills for all this delay and the people of Alabama have the right to strike or resign his office and let some one else end It.
 It so happens that was in position to know just how the strike of iS94 was handled. as was Secretary of the Citizens Committee that aided Cover nor Jones at that time. and I know Of my own knowledge that Governor Jones employed the best detectives that could be obtained and these reported directly to him. He would not listen to having the operators employ these detectives.--as he said 1t would Impair the validity of their evidence. These detectives reported every day to 0over- nor Jones and where any expressions were made by the leader that tended to encourage or incite lawlessness. or Al q thn lie ltary or officers of ju,tice a synopsis of their statements as sent these leaders, with word of warning that they would he personally held respon- sibIe for any violence that might ioilow
 l fnS the present situation criminals have been turned loose for want or evidence to hold them. and it would pc present terrorized condition of the dis trfct so that froms the outset the use of skilled detectives has been impera- tive here When the leaders found themselves so thoFouehiy watched In 1894 and their statements so accurate ly reported to the Governor they were at once demoralized and violence soon ended.
 of the strike practically defy the Gov ernor. for one of them at least replied to his official proclamation, in which he called on the agitators to desist. and boldly criticized him therefore. He should at once have been arrested as a menace to the peace of the district as well as for giving aid and encourage. ment to the 'Hnsurrectionists." for this is no ordinary labor trouble In which wages or living conditions are irl- volved. but is a carefully planned, wei1- l organized and openly conducted tin- suFrectfenv against tlfe lawful rigsts of citizens and which in reality IS against the dulg eonstitreed power and authority of the State of Alabama. It is ] a movement to force an unlawful agree ment on employers and to prevent free citizens from earning an honest living save under terms and conditions pre- scribed by an organization
 1t Is one of the darkest stains on the pages of our civilization that 1t could for a single moment be made q condition precedent for earning a living that one must belong to labor union. Here in the South we boast of our love Of liberty and yet here is an organiza- ton that boldly says that no one shall work In the mines OF Alabama unless they belong to the mine workers or ganization, and the entire civil and military power of the State is unable to suppress the iaw1essness and crimes that attend these "insurrectionists" in the pursuit of their avowed purposes.
 That the people of the State, may know the truth in this miserable affair. I will state that one of the largest commercial coal companies here had a contract with union miners of their own making that has not yet expired, and yet these miners broke that con tract on the 9th of July. and when asked by the management why they did so, gave as their only reasons for quitting work that the union" had "orderedp them to do so.
 It should be known that the Supreme Court of the United States has declared that the American Federation of La- bor of which the United Mine Workers is a part is an unlawful trust. being an organization in restraint of trade under the Sh erman antitrust law. The officers and leaders in the present strike, of the United Mine Workers organization, can be indicted and pun ished under that decision of the Su- preme Court of the United States, and in view of the murders that have been committed here directly due to this strike. the sovereign State of Alabama should see to 1t that such action be taken.
 It Is inconceivable that little band of agitators should be able to defy the entire State of Alabama and that right under the noise of it's Chief Ex- ecutivel
 The Advertiser has rendered Ala bama a great service in the editorial to which I have referred. and 1t should not relax it's work until the entire State is enlightened as to where lies days continuance of this intolerable situation. N. F. Thompson.
 Birmingham. Aug. 22.