Evening star., 1922-06-14
Verdict in Treason Case Is Studied
From All Angles.


generally because the West Virginia
officials announce that they plan 10
continue the so-called treason trials
in Charles Town. despite the fact that
the jury wasted little time in acquit-
ting William Blizzard. the first of the
accused miners to be arraigned. The
hcquittal of Blizzard has been accept
ed as at least ending the suggestion
that the Mingo riots constituted
either war or treason. But the an
nouncement that the other men In
dicted are to stand trial on the trea-
son charge has come as surprise
20 the editors generally. who suggest
some other crime should have been
alleged if the suits were not dropped.
That the original indictment had
too many complexities seems to be
the general belief because. as the
Baltimore Sun carefully points out,
the truth is that the charge of trea-
son was preposterous one to bring
under the circumstances Blizzard
may have been guilty of many other
things. morally and legally. but it is
impossible to believe that he medi-
tated treason against the state. or
that he was actually guilty of any
thing that constitutes that offeuse."
Even the armed march itself did not
constitute treason, in the view of the
New York World, because "it cannot
be treason by any definition to rebel
against denial of constitutional
guarantees" and If state of war
existed the New York Tribune in
sists, 1T was a dual state of war.
Blizzard has been found not guilty
of treason in the restricted sense. But
what broader verdict is to be returned
on general conditions in West Tir-
ginia?' The verdict also was not sur
priSing, the Scranton Times says, be-
cause much of the disturbances is
blamed on the arrogance and unfair
ress of paid hire!ings toward union
lists and sympathizers. OF course the
demonstration staged by the striking
miners was unlawful. but that union
officials encouraged or sanctioned law
violation was effectively disproved
during the recent trial..
In 50 far as the verdict was con-
cernod, the Fort Wayne Journal-GaZ-
cite believes that "Americanism
scored a victory in the acquittaL If
the acquitted man had committed a
crime it could have been reached by
other laws than that covering treason
in West Virginia" There was little
doubt that the miners were engaged
in "an unlawful mission" the Ashe-
vile Times points out, but "prosecu-
tlOn III lnlS case ''Decame perSecu-
ton, and the sentiment of the coun-
try-and perhaps the court-deserted
it." Anyhow, the whole proceedings
We're i'll advised the st. Louis Globe
Democrat is convinced. because
hard working miners may affront
the law, but they don't plot treason"
This all being so. the Pittsburgh
Press thinks that the threats of fur
ther trials will not work out, because
i if the officials "are determined to
make themselves ridiculous that is
the way to go about it, and the jury,
the Chattanooga News further as
serts. passed upon a far more i'm
portant thing than merely William
Blizzard; it passed on the lives of his
200 compatriots and on the ethical
status of the whole coal war;" Their
verdict, in the opinion Of the Provi-
dence Evening Tribune. shows that
the "jurymen saw the charge to be
an outrageous and false one," and
their verdict 'is proof that their
sanity was in no sense impaired by
the fierce fires of hatred. prejudice
and i'll will that were burning about
them
Characterizing the trial as "the
most preposterous Of the century,"
the Minneapolis Star labels the
charge of treason as "preposterous.
The treason, II there was any, was
not against the state Of West Vir-
local government. which has super
seeded popular government in the
mining districts of West Virginia"
and If the result means any practi-
cal reform in Logan county the pub
lie should find it even more pleasing"
the New York Globe points out:
meanwhile the government of West
Virginia will probably take measures
to disassociate itself from the opera
tors who so nearly succeeded in max
ing themselves the state" Fully
agreeing that the acts complained OF
were illegal, the Grand Rapids Press
believes that to convict Blizzard's
fellow miners "of treason against the
state might serve technical pur-
pose of example, but to do SO, as Is
planned, without any collateral ac-
tion against the mine tyranny. is an
injustice against which American
thought revolts. If there is no way
to bring the privileged instigators to
trial it will be better to let these
miners go their way"
One of. the greatest points involved
in the present case, the Newark News
suggests, is that ''in the outcome la
bor, at least, cannot complain that It
was denied justice in the courts"
The Lincoln State Journal character
ICES the verdict as suggesting that
west Virginia "stil contains the
geIIns Of Americanism, while the New
York Post remarks that "the lesson
Tor West Virginia is that indictments