The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
UNION men !! kept
OUT OF WEST.vA.
: NATIONAL GUARD
Military Strength to be Coneen-
trated as Protection for
Coal Mine Owners.


Members of labor organizations will
not be admitted to the National ,Qtlard
being established by the State Of West
Virginia, according to Maj. Thomas G.
Davis, Of headquarters staff, who Is
the dominating spirit in the formation
Of this first line of defense.
Maj. Davis told a representative Of
the New York Evening Post that ut
is a national rule Of the National
Guard not to accept members of
labor organizations. At any rate, we
are adopting that practice"
Adjutant General Charnock, Cover
nor Morgan's figurehead, somewhat
modified this statement by declaring
that "objection was made against
radicals" He said that number Of
union men had joined and that any
man who sis good, solid Citizen" is
eligible. He admitted, however, that
the bulk of the membership Is coming
from the business and professional
classes.
In the affairs Of the National Guard
it is clearly recognized, the Post re-
porter says, that Maj. Davis will have
undisputed sway. He is regarded as
an uncompromising partisan of the
coal operators and has been pervert-
ing the military force to mipe owners
uses. If union man gets. by him it
will only be by carefully concealing
his associations. e.
Troopers to Protect Operators.
After tour of inspection through
the disturbed district, the Post rep
resentative states that 1T is evident
that the strength Of the Nationa
Guard is being concentrated as a uro-
lection to the nonunion fields" He
intimates that the whole power of
the States military arm is to be ex-
erted against the efforts Of the miners
to organize the Williamson district,
and continues:
LAS one goes about over the State
he finds little evidences that the con-
flict over unionism is any nearer set
Element than ever. or even that it is
being handled in more conciliatory
spirit. Your correspondent who spent
six weeks in the State last winter, re-
porting the situations fully at that
time, finds that the relations between
non-union operators and union lead
ser and sympathizers are more bitter
than ever today. AS the attorney
general Of the State, e. T. England,
says: 1.-THE situation is unchanged.
The fundamental issue. namely, or.
ganization Of the miners versus no
organization, is still unsettled. The
| operators will never let the men or
ganize in the non-un:Qn field if they
can helpl'it."
| "What will be the result?" he was
! asked.
II don't know" he\replied.
State to Have "White Guard'.
A prominent coal operator is quoted
ginia is to have white guard" and
that when present plans are COM
! pleted workers will begin to realize
just where they head in" That
seems to be the attitude of mine own
ers generally, it is stated.
I Federal troops are still on guard,
| but have not met the slightest resis-
lance anywhere. So long as the 700
| soldiers remain the mine guards will
moderate their treatment Of the
| workers, but sooner or later they will
be recalled, and then, unless the Ma
tional Guard is ready to throw cor
don about the unorganized field.
the private gunman will again be Gus
todians of the law.
| State and local governments here
tofore have been mere agencies Of the
mine owners, but with the National
| Guard the Situation will he onfi,o1v
changed. Then the government will
be compelled to openly show its
hand, and If it attempts the thing II
has accomplished through the cor
ruption of county officers and the en-
couragement of armed thugs in the
employ of operators the result will
certainly have a very definite effect
| upon the politics of the state.