The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-09-08
CRIMSON OF HUMAN BLOOD DYES
SPRUCE FORK RIDGE In CRUCIAL
WAR BETWEEN CAPITAL AND LABOR
Open Shop win Stand or FAN on
Result OF Sanguinary Battles OF
West Virginia Miners-0perator
Armed to Teeth to Try TO RepeI
Unionists' March to Mingo.
BY SIEGFRTED D. WEYER,
International News Service Staff Cor.
respondent.

International News Service Staff Cor.
respondent.
Copyright, 1921, by the Information
al News Seryice.)
New York, Sept S-The West Vir.
ginia mining war, which has again
necessitated federal Intervention, is
in the last analysis, an armagedd0n
between organized capital and or
ganized labor. Upon its ultimate out
come, which seems far off-for the
present government intervention can
only enforce an armistice but can
not end the war-hinges, primarily,
the issue of the closed or open shop.
The struggle between the coal op-
orators on the one side and the
United Mine Workers of America on
the other revolves around the non
union coal fields in the southern part
Of the state, adjacent to the border
OF Kentucky and West Virginia.
There are altogether $4,000 miners
in West Virginia. approximately two.
thirds Of this total are union men.
There are altogether some 10000
miners in the southern part Of the
state, of whom 5000 are union min
ers in Mingo county. The northern
part is almost solidly organized by
the Union.
Acid Test of the Open Shop
But between Mingo and the North
lies the crucial coal district-the Guy.
an Valley, in Logan County. This IS
the richest "black diamond" field
in the country and one Of the rich
est in the world. Together with var.
ious unorganized districts to the
syuth it produces enough coal to sup
ply the whole Of the United States in
an emergency. From these mines
is derived the finest grade Of bitumin.
Gus coal 10 be found anywhere on the
face of the globe. They hold the
Consequently they form the crux Of
the titanic capital-labor struggle
which once again has come to a
bloody climax.
These mines are unorganized. With
them stands or falls the open shop.
Logan county is the bulwark OF the
coal operators in their determined last
stand against unionism. To get these
mines organized is the all.overshadow-
ing ain Of the United Mine Workers
of America. To bring these non-un-
ion miners-numbering between 10000
and 10000 men-into the field Of
the most powerful branch-body Of
the American Federation of Labor is
the dream of more than half a mil
lion union miners in all parts Of
the country.
The coal operators. on the other
hand. are rot one whit less deter
mined 10 fight this unionizing effort
to the bitter end.
The whole history of the unioniz-
ing of the West Virginia coal fields
is written in the crimson Of human
blood. The organization Of most Of
the fields was accomplished only after
the miners moved on them en- masse.
Nine years ago they swept down upon
the Paint and Cabin Creek mines,
in kanawha county, unloosing civil
war that cost 600 lives.
In 1919, in the midst of the war,
the great national coal strike was
wrecked against the rock Of non-un.
ionism in the south Of West Virginia
notably the Logan mines, as well as
the unorganized Mingo fields, which
kept supplying the nation with steady
streams OF the vital black diamond"
when the coal fields OF the rest Of the
country were shut practically drum
tight.
Logan Is Veritable Arsenal
That crisis accentuated the lesson to
both sides-that in these regions lay
the battlefield OF ArTnageddon. Since
then both the operators and the min
ers have prepared feverishly for the