The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-31

R|VESV 4 iii WAN Y.
now ACG { j 81: ] ] 4: ]
DE.EIAM ! I l |! [: STATE It
State Publicity Commission
Demands Either Proof
or Retraction.
CHARLESTON,

CHARLESTON, Aug. 81
| Charges that Lawson Mcmillan OF
| RlyesyiIle, Marion County, un-
truthfully libeled the state of
West Virginia were made today in
| a, statement given out by the " est
Virginia Publicity Commission.
which dem ands that Mcmillan
| either name the persons involved
in the dastardly acts he describes
or else admit he has rwilfully# and
maliciously lied.y1 The charges
| are based on the report of an aad
dress said to have been delivered
! by Mcmillan at the third annual
! convention Of the World War Vet
erans in ST. Paul, MINI.
The statement issued BY the
commission today follows:
"At.the third annual convention
Of the World War Veterans held
in st. Paul, Mimi, one lawson
Mcmillan of Rivesville, w. Va, at
tended as a delegate from this
state. From the press notices
! which purported to quote a speech
made by Mcmillan, it would seem
thatithe good citizens of West Vir-
| ginia should demand an explana-
ton and veritication of some of
| his statements.
THE following is an excerpt
from his address delivered to the
! delegates assembled from every
section of the United States. j
"' In West Virginia the mine
operators have imported thugs
! and gunner. of the most vicious
type. These damn crea lures, pos
sessing no manhood, have insti-
! gated a series Of riots designed to
| stir up an tagonism to the cause of
! the strikers. In instances too
numerous to mention, even women
and children have been the victims
| OF their brutality. One case which
! I shall n ever forget was IN assault
committed upon the persons Of six
women. These girls were stripped
Of their clothing and otherwise
mistreated and thrown into a
stream of water
These are serious charges. Mr.
| Mcmillan should name the persons
involved in the Sdastardly5 acts he
describes or else admit he has will
fully and maliscious1y lied about
the State of West Virginia. He
should expose the persons who
were responsi Bile for such outrag-
es. If he does not name them
here. we will assume that he made
up the story in order to create =
III the above story is true the
manwho stood and watched those
girls Being mistreated and who
afterwards did not have those per-
sons arrested and sent to the pen.
/ itentiary who perpetuated the at
rocious acts, should not be consid-
cred man in any sense OF the
word. And then for him to report
that he stood bygand took no part
in defending the girls who were
mistreated brands him a coward
OF the W. rst stripe.
There are courts Of law in
t West Virginia. There are law
! abiding citizens in as great pro-
portion as can be found in any
STATEN. the Union And these law
abiding citizens resent such SEN
sational reports as Mcmillan IS
said to have given to the delegates
Of the veterans Of the World War
convention.
present governor was elected over
Caudidat Montgomery of the
labor faction. Montgomery, feel
ing that there had been crooked
n less Ia the counting of the ballots,
in sisted on recount Shortly
after this demand was made, the
ballots were destroyed IN mys-
FERROUS fire.
This will doubtless be news to
Mr.. Montgomery. We are sure ne
knows nothing about this "mys-
FERROUS fire" that Mcmillan has an
bounced to the world In fact we
feel sure that Mr. Montgomery
, will resent this false report con
| corning his efforts to secure the
| domination as Governor Of West
! Virginia
"There are enough people on
the outside making up diabolical
lies about the fair state of4West
| Virginia without having one Of
our own citizens making such a
| report to the delegates Of the
world War Veterans. II Lawson
| Mcmillan is not satisfied with this
| state where he makes his living
there are trains going IN every
direction. He is not the kind Of
citizen that adds to the we'll being
of one Of the greatest states IN the
| American Union.
| when such statements are
made as are credited to Lawson
MACMILLAN it is time for the Good
people of the state 70 coHe " :
| and demand that he produce proof
of his accusations. Every citizen
Of the state is under indictment:
| when our children and loved
ones leave this state. we VIII pc
| heartily ashamed to have someon-
say:&'West Virginia. yes, that -
the place ruled by thugs and cut
tnros.s who assault women, strip
| OF their clothing and throw them
into creeks-'S5 When that Is denied
a. a false report the answer will
be: 1T is true. One Of your own
! citizens reported 1t. rms ln nl[c1--
! nation comes direct. etc.
s.If Mcmillan and his friend !1 $
were the only persons affected IN
this matter we would pass tbs.
story without notice But there
are one and one half. million 1ll1ll1!c' !
| people in this state who must
sufferfon account of the SANDER
| o,1s astnries told about conditlons