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

! wish to briefly discuss the
economic situation in West Viri-
ginia. West Virginia has been
cruelty treated by the public in its
unwittingly falling into the great
error OF believing the lurid news
paper reports which have been
sent broadcast, J as to its condition,
AS an illustration, it has long
been held up as the teudist state
tLet me say a word abou, this SO
you will understand. Thirty years
ago in a small, wild, isolated sec
ton Of West Virginia, feud,
neighborhood row. occurred between
two families separated from each
other by the Tug River. The news
papers seized this family feud in
one isolated section of the state,
and made a national matter of it.
The most of it was in Kentu c11y,
and small part Of it only in West
Virginia, and there are more peo-
pie killed in one-half week in the
city Of New York than were killed
throughout the years OF this much
advertised feud in West Virginia.
My recollection is that there We're
not over a half dozen people killed
in this so-called terrible feud that
occurred between the HAITI e1ds
and McCoys. mere neighborho 1000
fight extending over one-half coun-
ty gave West Virginia. through the
yellow newspapers, this unenv1-
able notor1- Yet today, although
every participant has been dead
for years, and although this then
isolated region is now populated
with peaceful towns and villages,
and filled with thousands and thou
sands Of people who never saw a
Hatfield or Mccoy. it is still spok-
en- Of outside as the feudist region.
The whole so-called feud section
was not bigger than Louden Dis
trict in Kanawhs County.
Now let US examine for a mo.
ment the present situati in West
Virginia, and see how it, came
bout West Virginia is a virgin
coal field It IS the largest one
coal field, and the richest coal
section in the world It has just
begun its development Thousands
upon thousands Of miners have
poured into this section where
coal can be mined more cheaply
than any other place and for this
reason this region has been sought
! by the coal miners and the coal
operators with The result that to-
day ninety thousand coal miners
are in West Virginia. heterogen,
eous lot Of people of ~ every cline
condition, nationality and color. II
lis becoming recognized as one OF
the two or three great soft coal
producing sections in the world
The whole coal country has center
ed upon it, Both the operator who
invests his money and the work
man who gives his labor have
sought this section in their sever
| al vocations. The result is a vast
Ehive OF business, heterogeneous
and composite in its color and so
cial conditions, all gathered to
\ gether in "a very short time :
q Many Of these sections are iso
lated. Where today in silence ano
at night is only heard the boot o.
the owl, tomorrow there is the
sound OF varied industry, and the
| glare OF the coke ovens, and thou
sands Of people are filling the erst
/ while quiet valleys. The result is
! that in many instances there IS
NATURALLY unrest and trouble. Nor
| mally this condition has come te
a head and been adjusted and
lpeace and quiet reigns, The alb
normal condition Of today arises
from these peculiar conditions; It
lis virgin territory; It is recog
nized as one OF the great, cheap
coal districts in the world; it was
filled quickly with great operations
which crowded into this section
| and which are success fu1 in the
mining of coal; lit was recognized
Thy the United Nine Workers as a
place where the fight for recogni
ton OF the Union must be made,
| for the reason that the wealth oi
ioperation was pouring into this
Isection and they could mine coal