The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-03
MINERS SIDE OF ROW IS GIVEN BY
 UNION OFFICIAL
Declares Only Solution Is Abolition of Mine Guard System In Use Through
 out Non-Union Fields
By Associated Press

 Murray international vice president of the United Mine Workers of Amer ica, today gave out the following formal statement on the West Vir- ginia situation as representing the views of the mine workers union
 After making survey of the en- tire situation in the disturbed sec tions of West Virginia, l am forced to conclude that there is but one so- lution to the whole question as 1t affects the citizenry of the state of West Virginia and that is complete abolition of the mine guard and Bald win-Felts system now in general use throughout the non-union coal mining fields of this state.
 Despite any statement that might be made to the citizenry by the gov ernor of the state of West Virginia, evidences of the brutality of the minc guards and Baldwin -Felts agencies can be found in the non-union terri tories of West Virginia. My per sonal 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 pow CT welcome with open arms the com ing of federal troops. They believe that their presence in this field will at least assure them, their wives and families, protection from assassina- tion at the hands of this armed band of desperadoes.
 Tt is not generally understood, but 1t is nevertheless true. that on August 26 these citizens eE.gaged in the present uprising against the Bald win-Felts and mine guards entered into an agreement with Brigadier- General Bandholtz and President keeney to disperse peaceably and re turn to their homes with the dis tinct understanding that their lives would be protected whilst following out the terms of the agreement.
 TOWN SHOT UP
 The miners in good faith, did dis perse and did return to their homes but not quite 24 hours after they had returned to their homes an armed band of men, consissiarg of inempers of the state constabulary, and dep. uties from Logan county, crept into the town of Sharpses in the dead of the night when the men, women and children of the community were in their beds, and when those armed thugs had completed their nights 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 com mission of this most reprehensible 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 inter- ested himself in this most deliberate killing which it is alleged members of his own state constabulary com mitted on August 27.
 The feelings of the citizenry of the entire state of West Virginia were completely outraged as a result of the crime which was committed in Sharples and resulted in complete rehabilitation of not only the forces which had returned to their homes. under the terms of the original agree ment made with General Bandholtz and President Keeny but in addition to that force, there came up the val leys of Lens creek, Little and Big Coal creek. hundreds of citizens of Sharples, Blair and all of the other mining towns in the ne:.shborhood n fight for the abolition of this most terrible system which Is permitted to be practiced by the state authori- ties.
 All Elements Represented
 The general impression that has been created by the governor s that the movement of this armed band of men is confined to members of the United Mine Workers of AmerIca. Nothing could be further from the truth. As matter of fact, from my own personal observations of the sit uation. l discovered that the men who are on the firing lines, fighting for the abolition Of the guard and Bald win Felts system, consist of miners, railroad men. merchants. doctors, ministers of the gospel and almost every element of the citizenship of those communities and throughout the state is represented in the forces that are fighting for the establish ment of true law and order in the state.
 The slogan of the men on the fighting line .s, as they give 1t to me: We fought for America in France. We returned home to find that we in West Virginia are not really and truly in America. We have made up our minds to do battle in West Virginia for the purpose of returning the state to our country Everywhere you go along the fight ing line, all that one will hear is:
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