The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-23

SgS
today tying those men mai
1 s H How unjust 11s has has u been the crtti-
tcism. Has the fair name Of the
State ever been biotted II as has
fbeen Illinois IN the Herrin: mas
sacre, where, after the killing Of
over half "a hundred men, no per-
son has been Indicted or convicted,
and no attempt made to protect the
good name OF the state West Viz
! GINA has .nnfortunat been made
/ the heart OF a great economic con-
! test, and I wish to say that, kno w-
! ing the situation very thoroughly
in this country,5I believe no state
could have managed this great and
tremendous economic conflict any
better than has West Virginia. Has
there been anything in this State
comparable to that in Illinois
Ny attention was called whilst
lin the East to the Wellsburg tras-
Y
killed in a conflict at Wellsburg,
w. Va, at the edge OF the PennsEl-
wanna line. but the vast majority
of the men who committed the
crime came across from the neigh
| boring state. The whole sch eme
| was Matched in the neighboring
state, and the men are being trleu
| and will be convicted for the crime
they committed What state could
have done better? What state has
done SO well? Let the great State
OF Illinois, with it's thousands OF
armed troops, With its. bloody his
tory, with the ground yet reeking
lwith the blood Of half hundred.
men killed while they were peace
fully carrying on heir work under
I the Constitution Of our country
llet her answer. What has happen
ed lin West Virginia to compare
with the bloody history furnished
by many regions Of Illinois, India
Ina, Pennsylvania and Ohio. a
Another unfortunate situation
has arisen in the mutual recrimina-
J ton of the operators and the min
ers. One accuses the other OF all
| the crimes, and the other retorting
| for the purpose of getting public
opinion behind him, spoke as to
the wicked things the miners were
| doing. The miners responded and
discussed the alleged treatment by
the operators, and each for his own
purpose giving opinions to those
who would exaggerate what both
have done, and thus have hurt the
good name of the State.
The state has had another trouble
! in this economic strike. Many OF
/ tIoca in com notitixra CT have in
! terefered and have done everything
, they could to blacken the name OF
| the state, and thereby hurt its
| competitive ability, decrease the
production, and raise the price OF
coal Thus. the state has not had
| the backing of the great coal in
dustry of the United States, but
has had the criticisms rising from
the miners condition, as we'll as
| the same conditions intensified by
! the action Of the operators in many
of the competitive states In the
Union, where action in many in.
! ed and selfish business reasons.
| Thus the state has been between.
! two fires.
The normal population Of West
Virginia is largely Scotch-Irish, the
most law-abiding@ of all the races
that have come into the United
States and it is utterly wrong
/ cruel and unjust that all over this
! country. the name Of the State,
(which under the most tremendous
! trials, has witnessed revolution
unparalleled in domestic and econ
omic life, which from a wild, isola-
! ted and mountain country has been
thrust quickly into the midst of a
l ca 11o Tn LOO n,
Of nearly one hundred thousand