The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-03
HERE IS MORE ABOUT
ABOLITION
STARTS on PAGE ONE

peaceabiy and return to their homes,
with the distinct understanding that
their lives would be protected whilst
| following out the terms of the agree
| ment
THE miners, in good faith, did dis
perse and did return to their homes,
but not quite "A hours after they had
returned to their homes, an armed
band of men. consisting Of members
Of the state constabulary 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 had
completed their nights work, they
had killed two members of the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America, and in
jured another two. They stealthily
crept back to where they came from
and despite the fact that the respons-
Utility for the commission of this most
reprehensible crime was charged di-
rectly to the state, yet up until today,
SO far as I know the governor of the
state of West Virginia has not even
interested himself in this most delib-
Ierate killing, which it is alleged mem
bers of his own state constabulary,
committed on August 81.
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 Sharp
les and resulted in a complete remob-
ilization of not only the forces which
had returned to their homes under the
/ -
with General Bandholtz and President
Keeney, but in addition to that force
there came up the valleys of Lens
Greek, Little and Big Coal Creek,
hundreds of citizens from practically
every county in the state to join with
the citizens of Sharples, Blair, and all
of the other mining towns in the
neighborhood, in fight for the aboli-
ton of this most terrible system which
is permitted to be practiced by the
state authorities.
The general impression that has
been created by the governor is 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 a matter of fact. from my |
own personal observation of the sit
uation, I discovered five men who are
on the firing lines, fighting for the
abolition of the guard and Baldwin |
Felts system, consist OF miners, rail-
road men, mechants, doctors, minis |
tiers of the gospel and almost every /
eyement of the citizenship Of those
communities and throughout the state
is represented in the forces that are
fighting for the establishment of true
law and order in the state.
ssThe slogan of the men on the /
fighting line is as they gave it to me:
we fought for America in France.
We return home to find that we, in
West Virginia, are not really and tru-
" 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 fighting line, all that one
viii hear is: Let us win West Vir-
ginia back to America
additional charges have been made
by certain agencies throughout the
country that the marchers have looted
the stores for food and supplies and
that in addition they have committed
various other depredations. As a
matter of fact, talked to practically
all of the merchants between the
towns of Marmet and Sharples and
each and every one of them are will
ing TO testify that they have not been
molested in the slightest degree by
any of the marchers who went through
their town. but that to the contrary
business men state that the marchers
come into their stores to get their
food, clothing and shoes, and pay Tor
them as they get them.
"The responsibility for the sad state
of affairs in West Virginia must or
necessity rest upon the governor or
this state He has been calling for
recruits for the past number of weeks
to assist him in suppressing this al
legged lawlessness. but up to date,
despite all of his pleas, he has not
been able to muster a sufficient mum
Der Of citizens of this great state to
make up corporaIs' guard to go
out and defend his policies.
"Federal troops are now on their
way into the state. The citizens OF
the state of West Virginia, who are
on the lighting front today defending
their liberties against the onslaughts
of men who are seeking to take them
away from them. will undoubtedly re-
spect the federal troops and the man
date of our federal government. Their
coming will bring about peace IN
the disturbed area and that peace will
continue to be here so long as fed
eraI jurisdiction over the affected sec
lions remains in effect
But what is going to be done about
the source of all this evil7 Who is
there in authority within the confines
of this great commonwealth willing
to stand up like a great big broad
minded American citizen and seek to
eradicate for all time the source OF
these great Industrial conflicts.
sLet us hope when this situation
passes over and federal jurisdiction
has been removed from West Virginia.