The New York herald., 1922-07-20
The Men to Dig the Coal.

The Men to Dig the Coal.
With the insolent criticism of the
President of the United States that
iaihabitual to SAMUEL GoMPERs the
American Federation of Labor chief
abuses Mr.. HARDING for his notice to
the mine owners to resume opera
tions. Who, sneers GoMPERs, is going
to dig the coal, even to the tune of
'thesroll of drums, the rattling of
sabers and the pounding of the
mailed fist" when the skilled min
erS on strike will not dig it and
nobody else knows how?
Bat If there is nobody to dig the
coal let SAMUEL GoMpERs explain, if
he can, why murderous strikers find
the only way they can stop the min
ing of coal against the strike orders
is[to commit an unspeakable butch
cry of coal mine workers at Herrin,
Illinois.
If there is nobody to dig the coal
let SAMUEL GoMpERs explain, if he
caI1,.s why frehzied mob tries to
slaughter the working miners and
their protecting guards in Brooke
county, West Virginia.
III, there is nobody to dig the coal let
SXMbEL GoMPERs explain, if he can,
whyathe Norfolk and Western Rail-
road in territory where mining is
free from violence is loading 5000
carloads of coal a day instead Of a
normal number Of 1000; why, in
Ike circumstances, the Virginian
Railway is making similar records.
IF there is nobody to dig the coal let
SAMUEL GoMPERs explain. if he can,
whythe non-union bituminous mines
right now are supplying upward of
two4thirds of the country's soft coal
needs instead of normal output by
the non-union mines of only one
third of the country's soft coal needs.
If SAMUEL GoMrERs, president of
the American Federation of Labor.
honestly thinks there is nobody to
dig coal so long as the strike is on
let him cooperate with American
government, Federal, State and To-
caf. to protect from violence and
assassination the lives of those work.
ers that dig coal. Let him compel
the subordinate unions of his organi-
zation to keep out of mobs assembled
and directed for a Herrin butchery
OF miners that dig coal. Let him en-
roll his strike leaders on the side Of
every heroic Sheriff Duval in resist
-anee Of the assailants and murderers
ofminers that dig coal.
let SAMUEL GoMPERs stop the gen.
eral 1awlessness, violence and crime
tlfAt emanate-and emanate only
from unions subordinate to his ma
tiona1 federation-against miners
that dig coal anywhere against the
strike orders. Then we shall see
whether enough coal cannot be mined
toisupply the needs of the country
see whether the work cannot be
sk6rted far and wide within seventy
two hours.
There are men to dig the coal
which the President of the United
States demands, men to dig it by the
thousands, If they can dig 1t without
having their throats cut.
The Governors of the coal States
that, are answering President HAIR
niSa's demand that they protect life
and property can show SAMUEL
GoMPERs almost Immediately how
many men want to dig coal and will
Dig coal IL they can dig 1t in safety.
Ifsfiiey will enforce the laws of the
country against crime and violence
directed at men who want to dig the
coal the Federal and State govern
ments will never have to take ton
OF coal out of the ground. Mine
owners will resume operations
skilled miners will work, and the
coal will come out by the millions
okstpns.
BIT the law must be upheld, the
workers must be protected. Nothing
more than that is needed, but that
much is needed absolutely and al