The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-06
OF LOGAN COUNTY
LAID TO DOOR OF OFFICIALS
OF THE UNITED MINE WORKERS
Chairman of Operators Associa-
tiOn Says GOmpers' State
ments Misleading.


the United Mine Workers Of America
were charged with responsibility for the
invasion Of Logan county and proposed
invasion OF Mingo county by armed min
ers in statement issued here tonight by
Harry Olmsted. chairman OF the Opera
tors Association OF the Williamson Coal
field The statement was declared to be
in answer to that OF Samuel Gompers.
president Of the American Federation Of
Labor. which Mr.. Olmsted described as
''hypocritical and in many instances false
and misleading"
Mine guards and private detectives are
not employed by operators in the William
son field. Mr.. Olmsted said, adding that
Mr.. Gompers had deliberately misrepre-
sented conditions that have preceded and
surrounded the attempt to armed invas-
ion" Tho charge of Mr.. Gompers that
the uprising had been caused. by the fall
ure Of the operators to put into effect
the award OF the government wage board.
was charace eerized as another falsehood.'' 2
''The mine operators were under no OBJ
legation to do so" the statement said,
they having no sort Of connection with
the coal fields covered by that award.
Nevertheless, the increases allowed by
the United States government were adopt
ed in this field promptly after the amount
OF increase had been fixed. It has never
been alleged that the strike in the Will
hanson field was due to wage adjust
ments or any cause other than to compel
recognition Of the United Mine Workers
organization.
IN this field because 1t Is tho easiest and
most satisfactory method OF accounting
between the miners and the employers
The men have never asked to have the
system changed. They don't want 1t
changed
The earnings per day, or week, or
month is the real test. Such a statement
comparing the earnings in the William
son field with those in the unionized Ka-
nawha field was submitted to the sena-
torial investigating committee in July.
Possibly 1t was envy aroused by that ex-
posure that caused the Kanawha miners
to attempt an invasion of the non-union
coal fields.
ssMr. Gompers makes himself ridiculous
TO West virginians when he makes his
plea about the miners protesting against
lawlessness insofar at least as he refers
70 the United Mine Workers. The miners
themselves are generally law-abiding.
Every disorder that has ever occurred in
the mining fields OF West Virginia has
been occasioned by the thugs and out
laws of the United Mine Workers organ
ization who came into the state to COM
pei the uuionizatieR OF these coal fields.
The invasion OF Logan county and the
threatened invasion of Mingo county was
not q spontaneous uprising. 1t was
H..
organization in the Williamson field as
early as April and May, 1890
In the counties OF Logan and Mingo,
West Virginia. and Pike county, Ken
tueky, having an aggregate area of 1853
square miles. and an aggregate popula-
tion of 116.S47 people. there were not en-
ployed as many as 100 peace officers prior
to the invasion by the organizers of the
United Mine Workers. They were not
needed.
mot any of these peace officers were
Baldwin Felts employees, but included
only regularly chosen deputy sheriffs and
constables and other officers.
When the United Mine Workers of
America was formed in 1890 1t was recog-
nized as a lawful organization, and con-
tinued as such until 1898 when they en-
tered into a conspiracy with the Central
Competitive Field to control the bitum-
nous coal markets OF the United States
"Since 1912 1t has been the policy Of
the United Mine Workers to compel, by
the use OF force in every conceivable way,
all persons engaged in the mining In
dustry to join that union and it has like
wise been its policy to destroy all busi-
ness OF non-union operators. the end OF
which would mean the subjection Of the
coal industry Of the United States TO such
Cnjust and unlawful demands as 1t might
desire to put into force"