The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1920-09-17
FEDERAL TROOPS SUPPL.ANT
PRIVATE ARMY OF
NINE OWNERS
PUBLIC MUST KNOW
Patient Workers Arc Contcnding
the Right for American
Citizenship
BY EDGAR WALLACE

BY EDGAR WALLACE
AT least ninety-nine out of each
one hundred miners in the William
son and Mingo county field OF West
Virginia are natives of the country
and of the state. Mountain-born,
frugal living. they are extreme in
dividualists; also they are passion
ately attached to their mountain
homes They hold that their first
allegiance is to their immediate fam
lilies. The natural resources OF
West Virginia are unequalled in any
other state in the union. Great
veins of coal crop out of every noun
tain side. Oil and natural gas are
there in almost inexhaustible guam
titles Navigable streams furnish
means of transportation and possi-
hilitie, for water power. So boun-
teous has leen natures bestoval
of natural resources hero that West
Virginia could be easily made the
workshop Of the world.
Nileiy-one per cent OF West Vir-
ginia coal is burned outside of that
state. The oil is shipped out in
crude form. Great pipe lines trans
port the natural gas to factories and
mills in neighboring states-to Pen
nsylvaEia. Ohio and states farther
distant
Lootins states Resources
Corpor.'' .uns organized and CON
trolled outside the state are looting
West Virginia of its natural re-
sources. Worse than that, they are
controlling and directing the func-
lions Of government. and for years
have been abe to debase the human
r,.eou;'ces os imposing degrading
working and social conditions
throughout she entire state.
In 1913 there were only about
LOO members of the United Mine
Workers in West Virginia, while
upward OF 10000 .nirera are en-
ployed there BalGW .n-Felts thugs
dominated the niains camps, ter
rGrlzed the -.,in"".; imposed the VII
- the absentee evplpiters of Inc
i,.tural resol ce, of the state a.:,'
made of the l'ss II West Virgi.i..
and of the United States travesty
Srikc Against Oppression
Then the miners revolted They
were sustained by the United Mine
Workers of America Costly, but
successful strikes were waged, the
guards were driven out, constitu-
tional government reestablished in
most of the mining fields of the
state, and the miners right to
voice in shaping the conditions un-
der which he would consent to give
his labor power was recognized in
some sections of the coal field.
In southern and southeastern,
West Virginia. until recently, feud-
al domination of the coal mine own
ers still obtained Men from those
fields went into organized sections
of the state. learned of the freedom
and measure of justice made possl-
BILE by organization. returned to
their home preached the gospel of
discomfort against illegal oppression.
organized with their neighbors and
their fellow workers. These newly
organized miners asked for meet
ing with the employers. They were
answered by the gunner and thugs
who essayed to drive from their
homes those who dared to assert
their right to question the autocrat-
ic rule of the mine owners. The
men of Williamson and Mingo coun
ties went on strike. They are still
~ strike.
End Rule of Gunmcn
Then followed the murder of the
Mayor Of Matewan by Baldwin
Felts thugs because he dared to as
sert the constituted authority vest
ed in him in opposition to the will
of the corporations hired army. with
the resultant battle in which seven
of the Baldwin Felts men were
killed
This ended the rule of the mine
guard army in Mingo and William.
son counties. The miners, natives of
these counties and of the state, re-
fused to return to work unless safe
guarded by the recognition Of their
right to organize. Federal troops
were requested by the governor OF
West Virginia only when it was
manifested that the mine guards
could no longer domineer over an
outraged and aroused community.
Demand Equal Rights
These miners will remain on
strike until they secure freedom and
justice. They cannot again he CO.
creed into submitting to Industrial
tyranny. They want to live under
law that deals exact Justice to all
men. They realize that through or
ganization alone there is hope for
some measure of Justice. for estab-
lishment of constituted government
and an opportunity to better their
deplorabie depressed standards Of