The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1912-05-31

With the declaration that Acts,
not Words, will mark my future
course" Governor Hatfield, head of
the military government of West Vir-
ginia, suddenly ceased pratins of
Law and Order" ceased sending in
Sultine telegrams to the various civic
organizations throughout the state,
CEASE: .he publication of bombastic
threats in the columns Of the prosti-
tuted newspapers Of the state, and be-
gan Ills acts, which at least bear
more close resemblance to sanity
than his words in the past have
borne.
Among the first of the Acts" was
the unconditional release of all mill
ra-y prisoners then Illegally confined
in the various jails OF the state, in
cluding John ". Brown, C. H. Boswell
Geo. F. Parsons, A D. Lavinder, 6. ".
Lavinder. Thomas Miskeli, Nelson
Treadway, John Seachrist and Chas.
Kennedy. the nine men who had been
in prison since February 10; Fred H.
Mecrick. editor Of Justice. Pittsbure
who had been q days conGned in
the Kanawha county jail. T. B. Multi
gan, Elmer Rumbaugh and W. H.
Thompson. also Kanawha county jail
prisoners for Il days.
Another of the Acts" was the
offering of reward by the governor
for the arrest of the Baldwin thugs
who beat up two union organizers in
the New River district on May Is.
This action was as much OF surprise
as was the liberation Of the victims
of the Law and Order" crusade. for
in the words OF Debs, it had been the
custom to reward the thugs for such
deeds
Various other acts" and declara-
tons OF the governor have lead TO the
belief that he iz at last coming to the
realization that the unrest in West
Virginia is not altogether the result
Of wild-eyed agitation on the part OF
few men who have diseased brains"
but in fact rests upon econiulic con-
dit;ons which have become absolutely
unbearable. 1t was perhaps natural
that as long az Hatfield believed that
the trouble in West Virginia was due
TO the activities of less than dozen
persons, he would endeavor to silence
those he believed responsible. When,
however, all these suspects had IN
the chaste language Of the executive
been ''jugged," and still the thunder
of protest asains. Vest Virginia
methods and conditions grew in vol
ume day by day, he evidently began
TO see light.
From the governors attitude since
his inauguration it is plainly evident
that he had been melted to his
deeds OF tyranny, confscatlon, etc.
bv the rabid utterancss of the daily
papers OF the state which, almost
without exception, are owned OF con-
rrolled by the powerful Coal Associa-
tions. These agencies have continually
advocated the most lawless and Vlo-
lepr measures, the local morning
howler going SO far as to urge the
summary hanging of those citizens OF
Kanawha county who had dared pro-
test against the brutal conditions
forced upon them by their masters.
Whether these papers can be held
RESPONSIBLE as accessories before the
fact" in the numerous murders that
have been committed by the agents
Of the coal interests on Paint Creek,
rhe Illegal arrest and confinement OF
citizens and the destruction OF private
PROPERTY Oh the part OF agents OF the
state government, remains to be seen.
The chanhe in policy OF the state
administration is, Of course, haheo
With Joy by all those people OF the
state who love peace and liberty, and
who, paradoical as it may seem. are
determined that peace and liberty
shall be maintained though they have
70 6eht for such maintenance!