Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-09-15


the private guard and detective
systems Governor Cornwell said in
part:
Upon the assumption that this
declaration was made in good faith,
and with the knowledge that the
party has ample power to carry 1t
out, I conceive it to be my duty to
discuss the question in a frank man
ner, presenting the situation as l
see it.
Let me say, first, that l am now
and have always been opposed to
yesting the employees of a private
company, whether detective agen-
cy or coal company with police
power. 1t is almost certain to be
abused. The platform declaration,
therefore, Is one that can be quite
generally commended. However, the
practice of employing private
guards, detectives, in the capacity
mentioned is no longer general in
this state. 1t is confined to compar-
atively few places. There is another
practice, however, which prevails
in one or two counties not covered
by the declaration quoted, which is
condemned by union officials, and
the officers are classed as guards
and gun men" and they are con
fused in the public mind with priv
ate guards, and that is the practice
of the sheriff appointing a number
of special or extra deputies and the
coal companies paying them for the
purpose OF policing the mining
towns. For instance. in one of the
counties referred to there are
nearly hundred mining towns
with several hundred or several
thousand population each, as the
case may be. They are unincorpor-
ated. There are no mayors or pol
ice in the towns. ~ There are only
two justices in a magister!al dis
trict where there may be a number
of towns and several thousand pop
ulation. For each Of these towns
or mining camps the sheriff Of the
county will perhaps appoint two
special deputy eheriffs. The coun-
ty being without funds to pay them
the operators contribute the mon
ey. These deputies act as peace Of
fcers. They are county officers paid
by private companies.
1T is most undesirable system.
These men are regarded more as
employees Of the coal companies
than as sheriffs.
IF under the platform declara-
ton quoted it is contemplated ma
king that system unlawful prohib-
iting it, as | think should be done,
then it is incumbent upon the legis-
lature to provide something to take
its place. 1t will not do to leave the
thickly populated mining commun-
tiles without some kind Of police
protection, especially communities
where fights are probable in at
tempts at unionizing the non-union
fields. for violence is absolutely
certain to result from industrial
struggles of that character. The
county courts might be authorized
to appoint county police and pay
them out Of The county treasury, D"
the sheriff to appoint a reasonable
number Of deputies with the same
provisions as to their pay. They
should be public officials, however
paid by the public. When a public
official is paid by individuals he i'm
mediately becomes, according to his
own conscience. answerable to his
real employer"
AS an illuminating comment on
conditions in the West Virginia
coal fields, this official message Of
the former governor of the state is
OF special value. The Intelligencer
commends it to the careful reading
of the public. AS long as we main
tain our utterly archaic system Of
permitting armed mercenaries to
take the places of properly select
ed officers Of the law, these words
will apply in full force.
The proposal of treasury officials
to reduce the size of paper money
may not interest the average citi-
zen very much. The bills he'd like