Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-08
EACH SIDE GREEDY;
STRIKE IS RESULT
Bishop Donahue Tells of Con-
ditions in West Virginia
Coal Fields.

Ireed of the coal operators as we'll as
the miners. Bishop P. j. Donahue of
wheeling, W. Va, told the Senate inves-
tigating committee today, was the
fundamental cause of the West Virginia
strlke Exorbitant prices in company
stores, from Is to 25 per cent above the
market, he gave as one instance on the
part of the operators.
The bishop was on commission which
investigated conditions on Paint and
CABIN creeks He was agreeably sur
prised by the living conditions of the
miners.
of course, we found no Turkish rugs,
but we did find fairly comfortable work
ingmen's homes" said the .preiate.
Were the men contented" asked Sena-
tor Kenyon.
Il can best answer in words of Wit
ness Griffith, who said the men would
not be satisfied until they owned the
mines"
Rich Flaunt Their Wealth.
Coming to the cause of the strike, the
bishop quoted a line from the Psalms
THE rich man flaunts his wealth and
sets the poor man on fire''-and declared
it applied to the situation in West Vir-
GINA He added that infidelity had been
taught to the miners: that they had been
taught that the saying 1.-The poor we have
with us always was a farce, and that
the miners had just as much right to
automobiles and to live in kanaWha
street as the coal operators.
Senator Borah commended that If labor
ing men were not ambitious they would
become industrial slaves.
"Ah, but not so, if property owners are
not filled with greed returned the
bishop. Il believe men should hold
property not as their own, but as trustees
for others, and that trusteeship should
be shown by acts
Senator MARITIME asked Bishop Donahue
if the labor unions are not organized, in
the opinion of the witness, for the good
of the members. The bishop hestated
until the question was repeated.
/ Fat Salaries for Officers.
That may be one he said, another
is to furnish fat salaries to officers.
Did you ever hear of an official that
was worth S2oOOO?" demanded Attorney
Stedman for the United Mine Workers.
II did not speak of accumulations: l
referred to salaries returned the bishop
calmly.
Attorney Monnett, also for the miners.
asked If the bishop thought gatling guns,
armored cars and bloodhounds were
some of the things that set the soul Of
the miners on fire. The bishop responded
that he considered the use of those
weapons best governed by the common
law, which allowed the use of guns
when the user was backed to the wall -
The bishop denied having come to
Washington at the request of the coal
operators to protest against former Inn
migration Commissioner O'Keefe stop
ping immigrants going to West Virginia
mines because the mines were not union
lied. The bishop declared he came on
his volition. He said the immigrants
were possibly Catholics. but they were
not working at 1T hard.
We'll, they pay up. and that is what
you want, suggested the attorney.
Money, Not Religion.
ooh. no, paying money does not make
a man religious. He must go to church
and live his religion Take away mans
religion and you make him little more
than an animal. Get some Of these hor-
rible ideas of infide1ity and doubt and
socialism worked out of the miners
minds, much as you work beer out at
Carlsbad, and nurture a wholesome re-
ligious view of life, and conditions will
be better"
gatling guns and bloodhounds did not
keep the immigrants out of West Vir-
ginia. The bishop said the senator was
confusing cause and effect
incidentally the bishop declared the OPP
orators had employed the wrong kind
Of men to act as guards.
Not Interested in Mines.
The bishop denied that either individ-
ually or officially he was interested in
West Virginia coal lands or mines.
I'D he hot
he would do to remedy conditions, if he
had the power.
First Of all, l would require both oper-
ators and miners to go to church twice
every Sunday said the bishop. Il would
give each Bible as steering chart, and