Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-12-06
Union Men
Will Fight
Operators
United Mine Workers to Carry
On Struggle With West Vir.
ginia Operators for Col.
lective Bargaining.
Governor Is Criticised

indianapolis, Dec. 5.-The United
Mine Workers of America plan to
carry on q struggle with the coal
operators OF Alabama and Mingo
county, West Virginia, ito a finish,'
said statement issued tonight by
the union officials.
According TO the statement, the
miners international board has
unanimously adopted a declaration,
promising the Alabama and West
Virginia miners "the full moral and
financial assistance of the interna-
tional union" ,
The text of the declaration as
adopted by the board also was made
public. 1t criticized the West Vir-
ginia governor for calling out fed
eral troops and asserted that if he
were truthful to his oath of Office. he
would disarm private detectives,
who, it was said, are employed by
the operators. Regarding the Ala
bama situation, the declaration said,
1t is questionable whether the peo-
pie of Armenia, whose sufferings
have shocked the world. are in any
worse circumstances than the op-
pressed mine workers of Alabama.
Text of Declaration.
The text Of the declaration fol-
lows:
'The international executive board
is impressed with the spirit of self
sacrifice displayed by the mine work.
ers of Alabama in their wonderful
fight for the right to establish the
principle OF collective bargaining
and compel recognition by the coal
operators of the award OF the United
States bituminous coal commission.
The $4,000 men, women and chill
dren who are engaged in this strug-
gle are suffering from the most in
tense persecution heaped upon them
by the arrogant coal operators of
that state. Every conceivable
method has been used against them
eviction from their, homes. fore
closure upon their household and
personal effects, false arrests and
Imprisonment. prohibition of the
right of assembly. denial of their
statutory and constitutional rights,
unwarranted use of state troops in
the coal fields, denunciation by an
unfavoratle press and most ma
licious public campaign OF misrep-
: ssentationS have all failed to break 4
their dauntless spirit. 1t is indeed
questionable whether the people OF
Armenia, whose sufferings have
shocked the world, are in any worse
circumstances than the oppressed
mine workers of Alabama.
Miners Locked Out.
'In Mingo county. West Virginia,
a struggle of equal importance is
being waged. The miners OF that
territory were locked out by their
employers because OF their desire
to organze and their request for the
recognition of the principle of col
lective bargaining. They have waged
a remarkable struggle against over
whelming odds despite the innum-
cradle outrages inflicted by the pri-
vate. army OF hired gunner EN-
ployed by the coal operators of that
region. Many men have been shot
in cold blood by these modern Hes
slams while in multiplicity of in
stances others have suffered from
brutal assaults upon their persons
without having redress in the law.
The governor of that commonwealth
has utterly failed to, give protection
to these citizens and has displayed
his shameful weakness by recently
calling for the use of federal troops
in the Mingo county strike held.
Were he true to his oath Of office he
would at once exercise the power
vested in him as governor OF West |
Virginia and compel the coal COM
panies to disarm the hundreds OF
Baldwin -Felts gunner employed by
them, who have usurped the. police
powers OF the commonwealth and
exercise these powers IN the interest
of the coal operators and contrary
TO the welfare of the citizens OF
West Virginia.
>.she international executive board
declares that these industrial strug-
giles in Alabama and West Virginia
must be continued until the coal
operators recognize the rights OF
their employees. The people of hu-
man rights recognized by the en-
lightened public opinion of our coln-
try is at stake. There can be no
compromise of this principle. The
full moral and financial assistance
Of the international union, repre-
senting its membership, of 100000
mine workers, will be placed behind
the mine workers of Alabama and