The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-28
LET TER TO
THE EDITOR
PREaioeNr kzENrY REpLlEa.

PRESIDENT kzEsry REPLIES.
CHARLESTON, W. Va Feb. a.
Editor The West virgtnianl-Writ-
ius In The West viryinian under date
o. February 2srd, An enemy o, the
coal miners hiding his identity undo,
Me designation OF Miners Friend
aAkes some Interesting comments on
az address delivered by me at Willard
~. fatrmont, on the 22nd day of this
month. Had this letter not been sty-
p cons derable publicity, i would
nave deemed II unworthy Of an an.
swer. = y - =.
The gentleman seems, to have been
auiet perturbed by the accidental dis
pay OF . revolver In my pocket. whe,.
removed my coat at the conclusion
OF my address to replace a cuf6 INT
ton. i is true that I usuaiy carry
q revolver; for which have a state<
license, on my travels through some
OF the coal fields OF West. virginia.
Fnanks to some Of the lovers OF claw
alo order and the mouthy champion
OF Democracy" we have such de
plorable conditions in some parts OF
this state that peacable citizens have
to go armed to protect their lives Al
the present time, there are n bnnch
oI empowers on the NJ. & x. rail-
iIoad ana also in Logan county, SELF
proclaimed champions OF free govern
ment-Who are busily engaged in
making the world safe for democ.
racy by cracking the head OF every
man who believes In the right Of
workers TO organize. II the writer
OF the letter referred to, thinks re-
yolVef useless piece OF luggage, let
MN don the clothes Of miner pin
q union badge on his shirt, and take
e little stroll through the town OF Lo-
gan Zone Of the purported strong
holds Of democracy.
The gentleman also objects to the
inelegance OF my language. Having no
training In the arts OF diplomacy. and
being reared in the coal fields Of West
virginia, occasionally use some raths
er homely expressions am still in
c!ined to- have my constitutional
rights or raise hell. Patrick Henry
limited to the same conviction and
even Thomas Jefferson and a few OF
his fellow patriots not only believed
IN raising hell to secure their rights,
but actually did so. Possibly the writ
er OF that letter. gifted with minu
tnan can traverse back to the time
OF Cataltne, can remember Of q little
hell being raised during Revolution
airy days. In fact, I'm inclined to the
conviction that anyone who won't
raise hell to protect his rights Is
poor citizen.
The real anmus Of the gentleman
comes into evidence when he refers
to my saying what labor wants Is the
wealth 1t creates" He Is evidently
wiling to forgive little profanity,
and even the chance glimpse at q
pearl handled revolver, but he can't
forgive this. Anything that even hints
at the possibility OF few fat gentle
men going TO work for q living throws
the writer into q NJ. That Is attack.
ing the holy. of holies. The Worship
pers OF the Golden Calf cannot for.
give that heresy. or course, the min
ers would all sstarve to death II the
capitalist did not give them Job. In
order to dig coal and load It on the
cars, there must be lot of Jolly fell
lows somewhere in New York, draw
ing dividends from the coal miners.
Objections Is also taken to my re
mark that some OF you men here
are SO yellow. if they took the yellow
out OF you, you wouldn't weigh fifteen
pounds" While this expression is
not a model OF rhetoric, It has the mer
1t Of truth, as the presence OF the said
gentleman shows, he has SO much gel
low that he refused to make an at
tack to me under his true name. III
this "miners friend" thinks that all
I have TO do is ito ride around the
country and wear good clothes at the
expense OF honest toilers,T he should
trail me for awhile, if there is hard
er job on earth than fighting for the
rights OF the coal miners, / don't know
what It can De. Betrayed by the spies.
duped by the crooks, skinned by en-
ployers, dubbed by gunner. jailed
without law, and then on top OF all
this, to be afflicted with "miner's
friends" like the writer OF that LETT
ter, furnishes q job for their officials
that reveals the building of the pyra
mids. am reminded Of the observa-
ton Of a famous champion OF human
rights, who said: ESQ. long as hear
the hounds OF privilege on my trail.
I know that am going In the right
direction. When they cease their
yelping, it is time to turn back" The
gentleman who wrote that letter as
sures me that I'm going dead right.
It does me good to hear such can
ines backing on my trail. II men
OF this type stood for honesty and fair
dealing, and really believed In the
brotherhood of man, there would be
no need or occasion for harsh words
and emphatic language. So long as
the workers have to carry the world
on their shoulders, and be forced to
give up the greatest part OF what they
produce TO the nom productive class
es. there will be need for plain speak
ing. They lead grim lives. and It
takes grim words to voice their rights.
The workers of America are begin
ming to aspire to far things, and IN
their Struggle to that end there VIII
be many unpleasant. things said In
the years to come They have been
building oil that IS enduring IN this
country, and IL civilization Is TO en-
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