The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-21
CITIZENS APPROVE STEPS TOPRESERVE
 DIGNITY OF LAWS
When Strike Leaders Advised Violation of Anti-Picketing Law kiIby and Steiner
 Acted Promptly

of the state and military authorities in
 dignity of the state and to maintain
 law and order at any cost was voiced yesterday by a number of representa- l tive citizens.
 strong condemnation of the action of union heads in ordering the striking miners to organize picketing squads ,,hen ,he ,s.as Nla1anlA expressly, prohibits picketing was voiced by sew eral who contended that many of the , strikers were being induced to picket who did not realize that they were breaking the law by doing so. Without any regard to the merits of ] the strike or to the claim of the con
 tending forces in the struggle. a num-
 Der of local citizens declared that the
 present situation presented a test of the sovereignty of the state which had 1 been challenged by the orders to the men to picket and to induce the men
 to quit work by every means possible"
 This. in the opinion of some, constituted 1 instructions to intimidate.
 ! URGING VIOLATION OF LAW All right thinking citizens are obliged to commend the action of Gov ernor Kilby and General Steiner in talk 1 ing prompt steps to prevent this threat 1 ened violation of the law" declared l Hill Ferguson. Regardless of what l opinion one may have individually as | to the merits of the strike, it is a seri-
 ous proposition for the leader of the miners union to order the strikers to picket when it is clear violation of the
 laws of Alabama.
 "I feel that every one must realize that the dignity of the state is at stake and that the state authorities are to be commended for taking every step pos sible to show that laws in Alabama can not be openly defied. The instructions iissued to the strikers to form picketing squads and to use every means possible to prevent them from working was an open challenge to the state of Alabama, 1 The manner in which this challenge was accepted should meet with gem eral approval.
 MEN IGNORANT OF LAW Belief that a large number of the striking miners who have been induced to attempt picketing do not know that they are violating the law was ex- pressed by Henry R. Howze. q am in- formed and have every reason to believe l that many of the strikers who are at | tempting to picket in defiance of the law | do not know they are law breakers un- til stopped by the troops said MT Howze. They have been misguided by l their leaders who tell them what is done 1 in West Virginia and other states and the men. or many of them, do not know 1 that what is allowed in some states is 1 against the law in Alabama
 Public opinion in this contest be- 1 tween the state and would-be law viola 1 tors is practically unit for strict en- l forcement of the law. The state author l ities could have done no less than they have done and for my part. I think they i could well have gone further and still 1 have been perfectly fair.
 No law abiding citizen would fail to l feel a resentment when he read the or der of the strike leaders telling the men 1 to defy the law>regarding picketing, and | what amounted to defiance of the law regarding intimidation of men at work, 1 said c. N Wiley. Hearty support of the state authorities in enforcing the law | is the least any good citizen can do Tn 1 this situation
 1 The law should be enforced regardless of whom it hurts or who opposes It so long as the statute remains on the books, iE the opinion of s. F. Thompson. Ala bama cannot countenance such a de- fiance of the existing law as that con- tnined in the orders to the strikers to picket and prevent men from workins' said Mir. Thompson. The steps taken by General Steiner and the governor can not fail to be approved by law abiding people"
 ATTACKS ARE OUTRAGEOUS The attacks on the governor and this state by strike leaders have been out rageous, in the opinion of Col w. D. Leedy "I believe that the citizens of Alabama generally resent the unWar- ranted attacks made on the governor of Alabama General Steiner and other of ficials of this state charged with the duty of enforcing the laws" said Col onel Leedy. Some of the statements made by Van Bittner have been noth- 1 ing short of an insult to Alabama. The governor and General Steiner should have, and l am sure they do have, the unanimous support of all citizens in preventing the defiant or
 ders of Van Bittner from being car ried out"
 For the state authorities to have done less, than they have to preserve law and order would have been noth- | ing short of surrender in the face of l defiance" declared George A. Brewer. ! 'sThe people of Alabama will not countenance lawlessness nor will they allow an open defiance of any statutes" Robert Jemison, Sr., was highly in-f dignant that leaders of the strike | should be allowed to issue an order | clearly defying the state laws and still | he allowed to remain free.
 | My only criticism of the state au- | thorities is that they have not been 1, firm enough declared Mir. Jemison. "yan Bittner ordered the strikers to ! defy an express statute of this state l and it seems to me that he is guilty at least of conspiracy to violate the l law. His instructions regarding pre- | venting men from working and using every means possible amounts to noth- 1 ing less than an order of intimida- tion.
 l KEPT ALIVE BY AGITATION | That the strike at the present lime lis largely a psychological proposition and would be entirely over were it
 not for the constant agitation of the leaders and their promises to the rien that the strikers are certain to win. was the opinion of Eugene L. Brown.
 ''The. strike is over So far as se. ing plenty of men to work in the mines and getting out a full production of
 coal is concerned" declared MT. Bro'yn. "The people of the state, as well as | the strikers themselves, would forget that there had been a strike in a Dyeek l if their leaders would let them alo le- 1 It is these constant orders accom-
 panied by glowing promises of future victory that keep the strike going. | T am convinced that if there wore
 no orders from headquarters. no agita-
 tors to keep the strikers inflamed 10
 promises and assurances of certain v:c-