The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-16
q. etter to the Editor

ssA1ANNINGTON, Aug. 14.-(Edi-
tor; The West Virginian)-I noticed
j an article in the columns of The
estNirginian, August 10, on
.YEost Wages" in which Mr.. Arm
Nstrong criticised labor and the
unions in a hasty, unjust manner.
%IfWish9to say a few words in reply.
y IsSmAygbe like Mr.. Armstrong in
soma. respects, a near-sighted hay
seeder, meddling where I have nc
business
s am not in any union or never
was, but I73worked sometime on a
: pery)it from the union The. small
dues paid in each month were nos
MISSED and the help and protection
(Which they gave was worth many
soon come .wnen all labor will be
II, &One union with wage scale to
ssuit each line of labor, which is the
\ only protection the laboring class
has-as people in the courts and
Selsewhere recognize capital.
Labor has as much right to form
4 q union and fix price on its work
:sas the coal operators have to fix
"a price on coal. The coal oper-
ators have an association They
sagres on the price Of coal and what
sESill be payed for unorganized
ltl4bor. All have the same price just
the same as any union, but that
sisf all right, nobody kicks. The
stockholders of railroad companies
have an association. They have an
as to extortionate
freight and passenger rates, but
4 that is all right, no one kicks.
Industries have
their associations. They fix the
price Of their products just the
Same as any union, but no one
kicks. The merchants have as
have their associations and fix the
price Of their fees, all the same
'Siprice,. just the same as any other
tnnfbn, but that is al right, no one
When laboring men form an or
ganization everybody jumps
straight up into the air, pulls thei1.
shair and yel1s Socialism, anarchy,
bolsheyism." Even Congress few
years ago passed law to break up
labor organizations. The whole
ssecret Of the thing is the capitals
;stic Aystem wants to crush labor
down as low as slavery was in the
CO.'S am like Mr. Hall of Monon-
gah, who wrote few days ago Of
o1ir flag being dragged in the mire
and muck Of the coal mines to pro-
tect capital. I will follow the good
old United States flag as far as
any other loyal American in Just
FUSED to protect capital, it lowers
the standard of every 1iberty-loving
American 1aborer.
We have ben paying an army of
deputy sheriffs SIS day for the
last month to protect the capitalist
ca industry. understand some
cNhese deputies were bootleggers
before they were taken into this
service and have been caught in
the crime while drawing pay, but
that is all right, no one kicks on
this waste of tax money Let some
i proposition come up for better
educa tfonaI conditions for the poor
little children and everyone throws
up their hands and yells tax
For example the last election we
voted on clinics for the school
ychildren in Marion county, only
dollars. People yelled TAX" and
voted 1t down three to one. But
that would have been nothing COM
pared to the waste above mention
ed.
< The mining bushes is danger
Gus employment. Think of, the
thousands of men who have been
krus1ied to death or blown up in
ysdamp, dirty places. The miner
should have the top price paid for
any employment. Their demands
are reasonable. Just and right. and
they should have the sympathy Of
everyone sswho loves justice and
. go AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.