United labor bulletin., 1913-06-21
Doesn't Mind Being
Referred to as an
"Agitator."
Author of Law Creating the
Cabinet Position He Now
Fills.

Next to William j. Bryan, the most
interesting character in President VIII
sons cabinet is William B. Wilson, the
new Secretary of Labor, who will help
shape policies of the United States
government during the next four
years. Golfers Weekly has a story.
written by NJ. Nicholson, of how this
sturdy miner advanced to his present
high position.
In 1894 he was leader of the strik-
ing miners in Maryland. In the Ian
guage of the mineowners he was some
thing even more reprehensible than
that. He was an "agitator,'' trouble
maker" a fellow sent in from the out
side to manufacture discomfort and
to stir up strife in body of peaceable.
happy workingmen. AS a matter of
fact. Secretary Wilson doesn't mind
being referred to as an "agitator.' He
realizes that the outsider has little
chance to stir up discomfort among
" workingmen unless there is something
fundamentally wrong in the conditions
of their labor.
He Was Abducted Once.
The fate of that Maryland strike, as
the fate of every strike. depended
upon the quality of its leader. "Al-
ways get your able leader out of the
way and his discouraged followers
will beg peace on any terms" The
Maryland mine owners had played the
game often enough to know this rule.
So one fine May morning Mr.. Wilson
was invited into the coach of a rail-
road train, as the train stood waiting
at the station at Homecoming. When
the train got under way. the future
Secretary OF Labor was placed under
arrest and later was thrown into jail
at Cumberland. He was charged with
the conveniently indefinite crime of
conspiracy and IL was several days
before his friends learned what had
become OF him. In the meantime a
report was circulated among the min
ers that he had sold out and left the
state.
OF course, Secretary of Labor WI
son understands why Strike Leader
Wilson was thrown into jail. For the
same reason he understands why his
old companion in arms. Mother Jones.
was held as a military prisoner in
West Virginia And he takes great
pains TO see that President Wilson and
the members OF his cabinet under
stand. too. so that in official Wash
ington conspiracy" ''inciting to riot"
and unlawful assemblage" are no
longer the red rags they once were,
Wilson Father OF the Law.
This means that at last American
labor has its official spokesman at
the council table OF the President
tended. when. as congressman from
the Fifteenth Pennsylvania district. he
drew the bill creating the office OF
Secretary OF Labor.
As walked into Secretary Wilson's
office the full meaning Of this revolu-
ton burst upon me. II was as though
skillful cartoonist had visualized
the story for me. / had come to Wash
ington fresh from the Paint Creek
coal field of West Virginia, where /
had stayed with one OF the miners
families. Now looked at the serious,
gray-eyed man who sat behind the big
mahogany desk. His jaw was strong.
his face at once delicate and deter
mined. The black string tie and the
white expanse OF shirt front showed
the simple taste of the workingman
rather than the breezy affectation OF
the Washington politician.
How well William B. Wilson would
have fitted into the cottage OF that
Scotch-American miner on Paint
Creek And how perfectly natural it
would have been IL the Paint Creek
miner had been sitting at the Secre-
tary's desk!
The miner had spoken half apologet-
ically OF his lack of schooling. At the
same time he took certain pride in
the fact that he was self-educated. He
showed me his bookshelf. Some Of
his books were good. come bad and
some were bromides. incapable of fos-
tering an idea that was good or bad.
There we're. I remember, a couple OF
paper-back novels. which. judging
from their appearance, must have
passed through great many coal-be-
grimed hands. On the other hand,
there also was Henry Georges Prog
ress and Poverty" and Adam Smiths
Wealth OF Nations" and a little far
ther on set of books from a corre-
spondence school which the boys Of
the house must have studied at night.
Tells His Own Story.
Now / listened while the Secretary
of Labor. in quiet, unassuming man
ner, told me his own story. 1t was
the same story. only carried to more
advanced stage of development. PRO
gress and Poverty" and the wealth
of Nations" had played their part In
his life, as had the old yellow-backed