The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-05-21
J lsFairmont Times Editorial. }

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The people OF West Virginia owe q
4 debt Of gratitude to Senator Con for
4 the very admirable defense he made in
1 the United States Senate against the
4 unfonnded and s1anderous charges af-
i fecting the standing and reputation
4 OF the state and its officials in dealing
with dfsturbers of the peace and out
side assaiiants OF the business and
industries Of the states
For some months portion Of the
] newspapers and magazines of the
4 country have WED with each other in
administrations of West Virginia OH
cials and West Virginia law, and have
stopped at no MISREPRESENTATION Of
fact to support their claim that con-
! ditions among the mining regions OF.
the state were intoierable and even a
1gdisgrace to civilization. They said
these things, Notwithstanding a most
I painstaking and rigid investigation of
these very charges had been made by
most competent commission, COM
posed OF men of the highest order OF
Integrity, and that the conclusions of
that commission had shown beyond
l doubt that West Virginia miners in
the main are the best paid. the best
housed and the best treated opera
tives of this class in the United
4 States.
The report of the commission, COM
posed as ii Was Of the Rev Bishop
4 Donahues: State Tax CommissIo
/ Fred o Blue and Captain S. r. Walk
er, men whose opinions In any line of
thought commend esIFsspset Of the
people of the Whole state. has been
waived aside by these muck-rakers
who have Iihsisteds upon giving false
! and ,misleading statements concern
ling matters: sabene which they could
1!have obtained accurate Information
Iif they had wanted it-information
(which would have proved conclnsively
I that the alleged facts which they We're
4 disseminating either had no existence
81 or were grossly exaggerated for the
+ purpose of fdeceiving the public in the
interest of outside and competitive
operators of other states. 1t is there
fore fortunate that these defamatory
4 charges affecting the standing of a
4 state were presented in a forum where
i the efacts could be. arrayed in denial,
and 1t is fortunate that Senator Goff.
! coming from a high judicial position
/ which gave his st ats1ne nta and argu-
it'1mnfesnts 4 quasi jill character and
their dilute truth upon
!, his colleagues, was ready to take up
and deny these aspersions upon the
! integrity of West Virginia and her
people in way that must carry con-
viction to every one. who seeks to
know the truth about mining condi-
! tions in the state.
1t was to be expected that Senator
Kern would voice the sentiments of
those who are endeavoring to destroy
the mining industry in West Virginia.
We do not know that he is the paid
/! advocate of the mine organizations of
other states, or rather the paid advo-
Ecate Of the mine operators of other
states who are using such organiza-
tons to attempt to break down the
4 coal industry in West Virginia, but
i his past connections in defense of
Ilawbreakers may well excite the sus-
pfcfon that he is personally interest
ed in throwing all the discredit he can
upon the governor of West Virginia
or any other public official who insista
upon the observance of law and order
in this state. From start to finish,
/ in the costly and wholly unnecessary
struggle on Paint and Cabin creeks,
the, only issue involved has been to
force upon the operators Of hat re-
gion the recognition of the United