The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-07

BY UNION
LEADER
Vice President Of Mine
Workers Asserts
That West Vir-
ginia Union Min
ers Are Blame
less


sociate dPress. - Phillip Murray,
international vice president of5the
United Mine Workers of America,
today gave out the following for
NAL statement on the West Vlr-
ginia situation as representing the
views Of the mine workers union
after making a survey OF the
entire situation in the disturbed
sections of West Virginia, Il am
forced to conclude that there is but
one solution to the whole question
as it affects the citizenry OF the
state of West Virginia and that
is complete abolition of the mine
guard and Ba1dwin-Felts system
now in general use throughout the
non-union coal mining fields OF THIS
state.
"Despite any statement that
night be made to the citizenry by
the governor of the state Of West
Virginia, evidence Of the brutality
of the mine guards and BALDWIN
Felts agencies can be found in the
ron-union territories Of West Vlr-
einia. My personal judgment IS
that the presence Of federal troops
in the disturbed sections OF the
state will result in immediate quiet
being restored. The men engaged
in the present conflict against the
governors misuse of power well
come with open arms the coming
of federal troops. They believe that
their presence in this field will at
least assure them, their wives and
families, protection from assassina-
ti6n at the hands Of this armed
band Of desperadoes.
ut is not generally understood
but it is nevertheless true, that on
August 26, these citizens engaged
in the present uprising against the
Baldwin, -Felts and mine guards en-
tered into an agreement with Cen
eral Bandholtz and President Kee-
ny to disperse peaceably and re-
tire to their homes, with the DIS
tinct understanding that their lives
would be protected whilst follow
ing out the terms Of the agreement.
1.-The miners in good faith, did
disperse and did return to thelr
homes but not quite 4S hours alter
they hads returned to their homes
an armed band Of men consisting
of members Of the state constabu-
larry and deputies from Logan
county, crept into the town OF
Sharples in the dead of the night
when the men, women and chill
dren Of the community were IN
their beds and when those armed
thugs hada completed their nights S
work, they had killed two members
of the United Mine Workers OF
America and injured another two.
They stealthily crept back to where
they came from, and despite the
fact that the responsibility for the
commission Of this most reprehen-
sible crime was charged Directly to
the state, yet up until today, so far
as / know, the governor of the
state of West Virginia has not
even interested himself in this
most deliberate killing, which 1t is
alleged. members. of his own state
constabulary committed on Aug
ust 81.
1.-The feelings Of the citizenry OF
the entire state Of West Virginia
were completely outraged as a re-
suit of the crime, which was COM
mitted i'm Sharples and resulted in
a complete remobilzation of not
only the forces which had returned
to their homes under the terms OF
the original agreement made with
General Bandholtz and President
Keeny but in addition to that force
there came up the valleys Of Lens
creek, Little and Big Coal creek,
; hundreds of citizens from practi-
cally every county in the state to
/, join with the citizens Of Sharples,
Blair and all of the other Mining
towns in the neighborhood in a
fight for the abolition of this most
terrible system which is permitted
to be practiced by the state author
tiles.