The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1920-10-16
COX'S STATEMENT TO
LABOR PROVED TO Be
GROSSLY INACCURATE
Claim He Had "Never Pressed a
Soldier Into an Industrial
Controversy" Not True.
USED OHIO MILITIA TWICE
Question Not About Merits of
Strike or Need for Military,
but as to TruthfuIness.
BY WILLIAM HoSTER.

AhOA oDlC Il
Cox's boosted labor record has been
shattered by his own official act.
Claiming that he had never pressed
a soldier into an Industrial controver-
sy," the record of his action as gov
ernor of Ohio in mobilizing the Ma
tional Guard of this state for service
In the steel strike of 1919 has been
produced in fiat contradiction of his
assertion.
Not once, but on two occasions was
the Ohio guard, at an expense of $23,-
600 to the people of Ohio, called into
service and sent to Akron and held in
readiness for action in nearby Canton.
The question is not as to the merits
Of the strike or as TO the necessity for
the presence of the guard within strik-
ing distance of Canton, but concerns
wholly the truthfulness of Governor
Cpx's statement, obviously made to win
favor among the w~orkingmen. The
facts as brought out in the speech of
Republican State Chairman George H.
Clark, formally opening the campaign
at Columbus, are as follows:
Ordered Guard Out Twice.
After the steel strike had progressed
for some days, with more or less disor-
der, Governor Cox on September %,
1919, suddenly ordered the mobilization
of the guard at Akron. A period of
quiet followed, and the troops were
withdrawn. And then again suddenly
on October % the guard was once more
modified and sent to Akron, and while
it lay there at that strategic point
awaiting a summons into action staff
officers representing Governor Cox kept
close watch on the situation In Can
on.
In his speech at Wheeling, W. Va,
on the night of August IA Governor
Cox said:
For six years l have peer In execu-
tive authority in the great industrial
state of Ohio. During all this time |
have never pressed a soldier into an in
dustrial controversy"
The question is, did Governor Cox
tell the truth? Answering this ques-
ton, Chairman Clark in his Columbus
speech displayed to his audience a pho
tographic copy of Special Order No. 80
issued from the Adjutant Generals de-
partment of the State of Ohio, dated
Columbus, October %, 1919, which des-
lgnated certain officers for immediate
active service and paragraph 4 of
which reads:
Facts Presented.
I'm anticipation of the development
of a rioting condition at Canton, o., the
Governor of Ohio has deemed it neces-
sary to assemble a sufficient number of
state troops at Akron, o., to be held In
readiness to render aid to the civil au-
thorities at Canton, o., and has so di-
rected the Adjutant General of Ohio,
who, pursuant to such order, directs
Colonel Benson w. Hough to proceed
without delay to Akron, o., to take
command of all state troops Upon ar
rival at Akron, O., and to hold them in
readiness for duty, awaiting further
orders"
The order is signed by the Adjutant
General and counter-signed In these
words, "By command of Governor COX"
Did Governor Cox tell the truth to
me
Supplementing this. documentary
proof, Mr.. Clark produced photograph
lie copies of headlines from Canton, o.,
newspapers of concurrent date, which
read: Estate troops modifying for duty
here. All available companies are or
dered out" And. Governor orders
troops for duty here, Ohio soldiers re-
.o,%{,U - o~p,Orfoz fa1Iau-inr frnIh1a -
Truth Should Be Known.
The surprising thing about it all is
hat Governor Cox in his Wheeling
speech should have made so fiat an as
Sertion when all of the facts with re-
gard to his mobilization of the guard
were still fresh in the public mind, at
least in Ohio. o. course it is rot to Ne
expected that w~orkingmen elsewhere
in the United States would be familiar
with the circumstances, and 1t was for
that reason that State Chairman Clark
in his speech stressed the necessity for
the people all over the country To he
informed that Governor COx's assertion
hat he never pressed a soldier into
IN Industrial controversy" was abso-
utely at varience with the truth.
Publication of these official facts has
Utterly COMPOUNDED the advocates Of
Governor Cox's election, who have been
making a special plea to the working
men on the basi of his West Virginia.
speech. The revelations as to Mr..
Cox's mobilization of the troops are
being compared with the sworn state
ments of liquor league contributions 10
his gubernatorial campaign fund In
refutation of his statement that The
vets have never contributed one dollar
70 any of my campaigns" In both
asses the point Is made that the issue
) not as to the merit of his mohiliza-
ion of the troops, on the one hand, or
IS to the status of the wet and dry
question, on the other hand, but that
he real issue is as to the degree of
ruth and accuracy absolutely neces-
,ary In one who seeks to be president