The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-08-15
The Provocative Element


All these things made life in MtnGo
county. particularly in and around Mate
wan. uncertain and preca rious. An end
was only reached when martial law was
declared and the county was hcarit%
guarded BY the state police. volunteer
m;II,iamcn and deputy sherIrs. prd"r
was restored. rather order was enforced
Ard Ls enforced today. The cause Of
the trouble has never been "radicsted--
there has been no EFFORT made 10 remedy
this. though The disturbing element IS
well known and generally recognized.
and had been recognized long before
the actual reign Of terror set In. This
elemen; figured prominently IL the Cab
in Creek trouble IN 1912. and WAS pub
lically proclaimed as such by tho COM
mittee appointed by Governor Glass
cock to investigat. this trouble. which
denounced IL In no uncertain terms.
Tho provocative element referred 10 Is
the Raldw.n-Fel;s AGENCY, and other
agencies OF ,ikr nature. whose EN-
ployees are called mine guards. Such
mine guards are given cormi SSions as
deputy sherirrs In the counties in which
they work and are endowed with all the
powers Of regulars deputy sherifrs. but
they are different. They receive their
nav and their orders from IN" agency
that employs them, which agency In
turn = paid by. and takes orders from
various ,NrEc coal companies These
minA guards are looked upon. OF rather
excused by :he coal companies as b..
ing Of service in protecting the mines
from the miners and other "presuma bic
deSperad does" These mine guards are
part OF the sherifr's force. yet they are
nor responsible TO him and he does not
know in what work they are engaged
nor docs he hav" any authority over
their actions aS deputy sheriffs. They
come and 20 at will. responsible only
10 the og-ncy which employs them. The
Ba Id n-fe,ts Detective Agency furn-
ishes ali the mine guards IN Mingo. Nc
howell. Mercer. Logan. wyoming and
other countess There may be other
agencies but. it there are. the writer
has never heard their names mentioned.
Responsihls For 14ign OF Terror
II is these men. the IA a'dwin-Frelts de-
tectlvps. who are directly the ny in
the ointment" and who are. in . great
measure. responsible for the reign Of
terror n MinEo county and for the
reign OF terror which exists 10 a certain
d"E:ec IN Mcdowell county. However.
these detectives should not bear tho
weigh, OF responsibility alone
THE SYSTEM or GOVERN.
MENT WHICH PERMITS PRI-.
NATE CORPORATIONS To HAVE
THEIR EMPLOYEES SWORN IN
AS OFFICERS OF TIE Law. RE-
tETTNISG THEIR PAY AND TAX
ING ORDERS ONLY FROM SUCH
CORPORATIONS IS ABOVE ALL
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE "BAT-
TIE OF MATEWAN" AND ALL
FOLLOWING TEOIRLE NCLJrD-
ING THE COLO-BIOODED MUIR
DER OF SID HATFIELD AND ED
CHAMBERS.
The same conditions which were true
on Cabin Crock In 1912 arc equally tru,
today on Tug river. The commission
which was appointed by Governor
Glasscock 70 investigate tho trouble
then vas composed Of the highest type
OF citizenship in West virginia the
members being: Rt Rev. T. ]. Dona-
hue of Wheeling: Capt s. L. Walker
Of Fayetteville and Hon. Fred o. Blue
Of Charleston. In its report to Gov.
Giasscock. this commission said In part
IN respect 10 tho mine guard system
From the cloud OF Witnesses and the
mass OF testimony figuring in the hear
inKs had BY as. rhers energies clearly
guards were personally brave mon
openly. recklessly and flAkrantly vio-
lated, in respect to the miners on Paint
Creek and Cabin Creek. respectively. the
rights guaranteed by natural Justice and
tho constitution TO every cdtiIan howso-
aver lowly his condition and es,ate--
we ind that tho system employed was
vic!ous. strife promoting and un-Ameri-
can-ve are therefore, unanimously
OF tho opinion that mo guard system
rs At present constituted should no
a bolished forthwith. II appears TO he
quito certain that no lasting peac. will
be established between tho operators
and mipers as long as the present sys-
tom Of guards Is maintained"
0lASsoookAs Recommendation.
Governor Glasscock said IN his mos
sage 70 tho leEisla tur- IN January -.
1914: IT Is not a dehatable question
mat men have right 70 protec, tholr
property and Il Is equally certain that
the Etxte has a right and II is It's duty
to see that mon emp,oyed for tnAt pur
nose do not infringe upon tho rights
OF other PEOPLE II - also tne cr-y OF
the state TO ee. that men who perform
q public duty. or a quasi public duty,
Ar, citizens Of the state and have 4
good reputation nq 'aw-ahIding rrr'Iens.
In This connection I recommend a law
that will provide additional remedies to
nreSr-ve N. peace BY prohlhirrnE tie
.nn,oym.nt ~ pr'vate guards and au-
tocnetnu.d on PAGE TcurA