The daily sentinel., 1913-04-28

There is no more Gespicable crea-
ture. not even among the beasts and
reptiles, than the spy who worms
himself into the confidence of trade
union membership during the period
of stress and trouble just preceding
or during a strike. 1t is the business
of this human jackal to make trou-
BILE, for the detective agency which
employs him must earn its retainer.
and its tool must report plots and
counterplots, and if none exist he
must manufacture them, and also the
evidence to sustain his allegations.
Unfortunately, the organized wage
earners. more especially those having
their employment in the rougher
industries. are peculiarly liable to de-
&C ption, if the operator" is smooth
tongued and plausible, and the de-
tective agency sees to it that their
Nulture has these attributes.
4 newspaper of worldwide repu-
tation for it's slavish support of cap
ltal. right or wrong, has recently
glorified one of these brave, cool,
courageous" union spies who had his
more particular and recent opportu-
nifty Tor displaying his talents in the
kanawha county mining district in
West Virginia. This papers special
correspondent recounts with satisfac-
ton the dismay among his former
comrades when the spy unmasked
himself. 1t was heart-warming
scene for the mine owners of West
Virginia, who have a national repu-
tation for their regard for their
miners Martial law had been de-
clared.
Frank a. Smith will take the
stand"
Now we quote from the newspaper
account.
Nearly one hundred prisoners have
been taken. altogether. but those at
this time before the court were
charged with conspiracy to murder.
They heard this command of the
Judge advocate without any unusual
demonstration of interest but sud
denly there was stir among them.
Closely guarded by militiamen there
came into the room a smooth-faced
dark-skinned young man, his square
shoulders thrown back and his rath-
er slender figure set off by natty
suit of the kind not usually seen in
this rugged part of the country.
II was when he inclined his head
slightly and smiled toward the group
of striking miners that they stirred
uneasily in their chairs They knew
him for the facile-tongued and iron
nerved man who had lived for five
months among them as a miner and
union agitator.
Greater still was their consterna-
ton when in answer to the questions
put to him he said that he was an OPP
orator for the William j. Burns de-
tective agency, and that he had been
sent into the mining district to learn
what he could of the men back of the
strike and the methods they have en-
ployed in the long drawn out strug
gle against the mine owners.
They knew that he carried a
union card, that he had attended
their councils of war and also that he
knew them as well as they knew him.
In his well set jaw and steady eye
there was no promise that he would
not tell all that he knew. Their
friendship for him and the confidence
they had reposed in him famed to
hatred and the looks they gave him
were full of menace.
There is no need of telling the sto-
ry here. The newspapers have at
tended to that, fairly and unfairly,
as the press agencies decreed. Our
object now is to utter word of warn
ing. Not all of the union spies have
been or will be unmasked. The min
ers' unions in West Virginia do not
circumscribe their activities. Courts
of law or courts martial are not al
ways necessary to their purposes.
There are other ways to disrupt or
paralyze a union, so as to defeat its
legitimate activities. Constant watch
fulness, prompt action. keen analysis,
exercised at union meetings by all the
members, these are the antidotes for
the Vaccinations of the union spies
and employers agents.-Typograph
zeal Journal