Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-11
DIG into CAUSES
OF WAR At MINES
Senators Reach West Virginia
and Begin an Inquiry Into
Long Strife.

Charleston, W. Va, June 1.-THE
power of The government of the United
States came to West Virginia yester-
day to determine who is responsible
for the conditions which have kept the
state in virtual civil war for more than
year.
Opening the investigation Of the
coal mine strike which has deaf
death and destruction in the Paint
Creek and Cabin Creek mining sec
tons, the senate mine strike investi-
eating committee las. night called
upon the military authorities for the
records of the proceedings prior to
and under the declaration of martial
law in the strike territory.
Senator Borah, heading the commit
tee, Is moving to find out the basis Of
the charge that citizens have been
arrested. tried, and convicted in vio-
lation of their constitutional rights
The activities of the state author
tiles in connection with the strike will
be probed by the committee, in view of
the national and state constitutional
guarantee.
A formidable array of counsel is on
hand. For the miners there appeared
Frank S. Monnett, former attorney
general of Ohio. Seymour Stedman of
Chicago, and NJ. NJ. Be;cher and H. W.
! Houston. The operators were repre-
! sented by Z. T. Vinson, E. w. Knight,
| and c. c. Watts, with half score of
assistants
Two lengthy preliminary state
ments were filed with the committee
by the attorneys for the operators,
! who make a counter charge that the
! United Mine Workers of America. in
its attempts Ito organize" the coal
miners in the West Virginit field were
responsible for the violnce which has
characterized the strike
The opera tors' brief replies to
charges of the miners in detail:
I'VE know of no system of peonage
and believe none exists or has been
practiced in the fields" the brief said.
Specific denials were made that the
postal service has been interfered with
that the immigration laws had been
violated and that rights of citizens
had been violated
On the question of the trials OF
citizens under martial law the brief
defended former Gov. Glasscock for
declaring martial law and Gov. Hat
field for continuing it.
The situation confronting the gov.
ernor on Sept. =, 1872" said the brief
was a terrible one: rarely since the
days of 1876 has the executive of an
American state had TO face and act
under similar circumstances.
The roceedings under martial law
the brief held, had been declared
.egal by the supreme court of appeals
of the state. The operators declared
they expect to prove that conspir
acy exists, in which the United Mine
Workers are the active parties, To-
diminishing the competitive abilit!
Of lest Virginia coal in the market.
The operators said they also expec
. to prove that firearms and ammunition
were brought into the state for act
, of lawlessness and violence which
were designed to keep the Paint Creel
and Cabin Creek mines idle, and pre-
! vent shipments Of coal therefrom I'm
til the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea should be recognized"
, There is long list of witnesses f
) be examined, and the committee eX
. poets to push its hearings with thre
: sessions daily.