Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-05
HATFIELD RAPS KERN
FOR.STR|KE INQUIRY

CHARLESTON. w Va, May Gov
Henry D. Hatfield Of West Virginia. In a
statement last night, attacked Senator
John W. Kern of Indiana. who has intro
duced q resolution in the United States
Senate providing for federal investigation
of conditions In the West Virginia coal
fields. The governor declares the sena-
tor has been misinformed: that the coal
strike is over; that he intends to arrest
any person aiding and abetting lawless-
ness and that he courts a thorough in
vestigation-
In his statement Gov. Hatfield says:
II am informed that Senator Kern has
made a statement that peonage exists in
West Virginia. and that Mrs. Mary
Mother Jones has been on trial before
thirty days.
relative to peonage, 1 wish to say that
his allegation is fabrication out of the
whole cloth. Mrs. Jones Is not now nor
has she ate any time since her arrest
been in prison. She is being detained
land is not in any way confine6 at a
pleasant boarding house with a private
family on the banks of the Kanawha
river at Pratt, w. Va
Bars Agitators From State.
10 not InItIlu tO permit MIS- JoHcS
or any other person to come into West
Virginia and make infiammatory speeches
that have a tendency to produce riot and
bloodshed such as was experienced I'M
der the administration of Gov. Glasscock.
We have evidence in abundance to prove
that the class of speeches made by Mrs
Jones and her co-workers did bring about
riotous state, which resulted In murder
and the destruction of property. We
have a dozen of the same class of people
confined in different 1ails of the state,
some Of them guilty of murder, others
guilty of aiding and abetting by furnish
ing the necessary firearms and ammuni-
tion with which to commit murder
THE honorable body of which Senator
Kern is a member has a perfect right to
investigate West Virginia or any part
Of it. I shall be delighted TO have such
an investigation and will use my best
efforts 10 aid the Investigation commit
tee III any way / can But Senator Kern
must remember that / responsible
10 the people of West Virginia for the
maintenance of law and order. and il
will be maintained by me during my
term Of office at any hazard. and when
il becomes necessary TO detain or Jail
people TO accomplish this purpose it will
he done unhesitatingly.
Long Strike at End.
The long-drawn-out strike on Pain,
and Cabin creeks is at an end. Fewer
than fifty people are today without work
| in that section. and before the middle of
the week every one will have been cared
for
Such twisters OF the truth as Sena-
tor Kern seem to he largely responsible
for these falsehoods and misrepresenta-
tons. which work untold hardships upon
those in Office who have due respect for
law and order and who are trying to
Carly out and maintain the principles
Of good government.
Il note that one of the statements OF
Senator Kern is TO the effect that ne
knows positively that one newspaper
correspondent was elected during the
trial Of Mother Jones and deported
from the state | can use no better terms
and cannot express myself more forcibly
than to say that this was willful ana
deliberate lie on the part OF the one who
Informed Senator Kern, and IL would not
~ all surprise me To learn that the SEN
ator knew this 10 be the case when he
made tine statement"
After reading statement bv Gov
Hatfield OF West Virginia denying al :
legations Of peonage and a reign of
terror in the Paint creek and Cabip
creek coal districts. Senator Kern to-
day reiterated his intention TO press his
resolution for federal inquiry into
the West Virginia coal field situation
Il have never pretended a any time .
declared Senator Kern in a statement
ito have had personal knowledge OF
conditions in West Virginia. / have
stated from time TO time facts as
they have been presented to me. From
those facts I felt warranted in renew
ing the resolution introduced In the
last session by Senator Borah. Opposi-
ton to investigation which has come
from various quarters has done more
than anything else to arouse my sus-
picicns as 90 the conditions exi&o ne
there As TO Gov. Hatfield have moth
ing to say