The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-10-21
BY FORCE OF ARMS
"PEACE REIGNS IN (MINGO) WARSAW" - BUT
TEMPORARY AND BY WILL OF THE
UNITED ST ATES ARMY
Presence of Troops in Mining District elimination OF
Long Period of Misrule BY Coal Owners

erty and absentee direction.
Payment of miners by the car load
of coal and not by weight.
Absolute dictation by mine owners
concerning everything in and around
the mines.
The poison flower of industrial au-
tocracy blooms in the West Virginia
hills in the highest possible state Of
perfection.
Political autocracy runs close Sec
ond The state government of West
Virginia is the most incompetent and
least responsive to the common well
fare of any in the United States.
The march of the miners was be-
yond all bounds of law Of course
it had to be disbanded. But to treat
the march of the outraged, indignant
miners as thing by itself, as COM
bination of cause and effect, as the
product of nothing but a desire to be
!awless is nothing more than a mock
cry of government, calculated to
strengthen and embolden the mine
owners in their defiance of law and
constitutional government.
There was something of the spirit
of the patriotic embattled farmers
about the marching miners of West
Virginia. They were filled with a
sense of outraged justice and they
finally took what seemed to them
the simple, direct road to relief. Gov
ernment by mine owners had been
for years imposed upon them by force
, of arms. BY force of arms they
sought relief The traditions of the
liberty-seeking Anglo-Saxon race ran
in their blood and every lover of free
dom is bound to admire their courage
and their spirit, however much their
manner in expressing that spirit may
be open to criticism.
What it comes to now is the ques-
ton Of the future.
The miners have been dispersed,
They dispersed upon the arrival of
United States troops. They had no
desire to fight anything but mine own
ers' gunner.
While the United States govern
ment is in control there will be peace
in West Virginia If the private arm
les are allowed to remain after the
departure of government troops the
condition will be as of old. The con-
dition that eliminated in the angry
line of marchig men will return to
create again the resentment and the
hatred which burst forth so dramat-
ically but few days ago.
The United States government did
not complete its duty when it sent its
army to disperse the marching men
of the mines.
1t left the impression that the only
factor in the situation worthy of the
attention of the government was the
marching of the miners. AS a mat
| ter of fact underlying the actual
marching Of the miners was the feel
| ing of outrage and danger, not only
among the miners but among the farm
ers and business men of that district
AS the result of the murder of inno-
cent men, women and children by the
gunnen and the constabulary there
was a resentment among all classes
throughout the region. The menace
of death and injury and unfreedom
was too vivid and real TO permit them
to remain silent.
The suggestion was made to the
president in regard to the sending OF
federal troops to Mingo, that he
might exercise or utilize the infiu
ence of the presidency and invite
representatives of the coal operators
and representatives Of the miners anc
three publlc-spirited, intelligent, sym
pathetic citizens to meet in conference
for the purpose of working out al
agreement and solution of the prob
lens and difficulties obtaining il
West Virginia
There was ample precedent in tht
action of President Roosevelt in ap
pointing the anthracite coal strik,
commission and of President Wilson
in the meat-packing controversy and il
other instances of lesser importanc,
which justified President Harding il
taking such action.
One of the czars Of Russia one
declared that "Peace reigns in War
saw" 1t was peace at the point
of bayonets and the mouths of guns
Such peace now reigns in Minge
and unless an adjustment or solu
tion of the important controversial
questions is reached, as certain as tn
sun rises and sets, outbreaks of on
sort or another must inevitably fol
low Unless the situation is met i
a broad, comprehensive and just wa
| we may well say that "Peace reign
in Mingo." But, as then in WARSAW
| peace will reign at the points of bay
| onets and the mouths of guns.
Against such situation and vol,
ing what must be the constructiy
thought of all who sincerely hope fl