Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-08-21
THE STORY OF THIS STRUGGLES
VIBRANT WITH HUMAN INTEREST
And Contains Many Lesson For the Hosts Of They
On To Ultimate Economic Emancipation. Graphic
Picture Of the West Virginia Coal Miner
tive Heath United the Working Class Is nvinci-
BILE; Divided Its Doom Is Certain ~.

governor appointed an investigator g
committee of his own choosing. The
committee took considerable evidence
and made personal visits to the strike
zone, and made report to the COVER
nor. Though the committee, having
no representative of the working class
in it's makeup, and therefore biased in
behalf of the operators, made a report
deeply duplicating the stubborn oper-
ators in TIT charge of Impression and
eXtortion, the operators still refused
to arbitrate or meet the miners. The
miners had no rights that the oper-
ators were bound to respect.
This industrial drama was partially
staged in the city of Charleston, 20
miles away. There is the headquarters
of the coal oligarchy of West Virginia.
1t is there that the operators live in
the most palatial homes, built out of
the blood and tears of countless min
ers Mother Jones came to Charleston
to address a monster mass meeting OF
miners and other workers. That meet
ing made history It was held in front
of the court house, and though there
Is great open space in front the
meeting filled every available space
The meeting overflow ed out in the
streets. Windows and house-tops
were loaded with men women and
children straining to catch the words
of Mother Jones. She told of the
wrongs beinb heaped on the miners.
the men who were producing the
wealth that made the material pros
perity of the State and Nation These
people had never heard that story be-
fore, and it thrille dthem with the con-
viction that the cause of the miners
was holy one.
A number of other meetings were
held in Charleston, all with the object
of acquainting the people with the
miners side of the controversy. The
operators then dominated the daily
press. These papers exploited the
operators side by the most notorious
lies. Every icident of the struggle
was tortured into something prejudi
: cial to the miners. Every assault
made on the miners by the guards
was converted into an assault by the
miners. = This harlot press spread
their false representations broad
cast. The repres entative of the press
/ associations was a government lick
spittle, occupying an office in the mi,
itary headquarters free Of charge. Ii
his absence militia officer took his
place The San Francisco Bulletin
lent woman across the continent to
find out why the truth could not reach
the public. Mrs. Older, the reporter
for the Bulletin, told why in Golfers
Magazine.
The only paper at that time vocing
the cause of the miners was. The La
Dor 9rgus, weekly paper published
at Charleston. From the first it had
been hurting broadsides at the oper-
ators and their hired guards. It's cir
culation was limited, but it did great
work for the miners.
/ So these meetings were held to
reach the public. 1t must know the
truth. An Infamous cause can not
long withstand adverse public opin-
| ion. To know the true character of
the operators was to condemn them.
Mother Jones brought the children of
1.-THE miners to Charleston and march
/ ed them along the crowded streets.
They were fine-looking children. but
they too bore the marks of the strugs
gle. They were living indictments of
| the coal barons. Their clothes were