Evening star., 1922-05-05
West virginia's Treason Trial.

From John Brown to Mingo is
long distance. But the majority OF
the nations newspapers are not slow
in drawing comparison between the
two trials which have placed sleepy
old Charles Town. w. Va. on the
map. Admittedly the trial of William
Blizzard now in progress there Is an
incident. Broader issues are at stake
and the editors are not slow to en-
phasize this fact. =:
The fundamental question" the
New York Globe points out. ''con-
Germs West Virginia's capacity to up
hold her sovereignty in the coal re-
gions. The fact that the will of the
coal company was the law in many
regions bred rebellion. The manaeles
and the chains which for seventeen
hours bound together nine OF the
m,neSs ,ss N.a are p0Y ss psfats BUT
must be admitted that the proclama-
tion of the President was defied and
it asks: How shall insurrection:b be
defended? What provocation and mftt-
cation, II any, were there for such
a rising. for such destruction of prop
erty. for such license and disorder and
the taking of life? Again. as on the
trial of the fanatic, John Brown. 1t
will have to be determined. no matter
what cause may be pleaded, whether
insurrection to maintain 1t is war
ranted" The socialistic New York
Call assails the federal government
for never having attempted to es-
tablish a republic In West Virginia.
which is a monarchy of the mine
owners" and add. III the shade of
John Brown hoyers over the trials
Of Charles Town, he must weep that
he gave his life for the extirpatfon
Gus freedom compared with this sys-
tenn of he'll which curses sections of
West Virginia today"
The trial. however, is not only that
of men, according to the Newark
IN. J.) News. which holds that West
the public opinion of her sister states
as the offenders before the bar. The
country is by no means convinced that
unionism should prevail in West Vir-
einia. But had not the mine owners,
with the connivance of the state. es-
fields, it is doubtful that men would
have taken up arms to force their
way into these fields. Human rights
must be conserved by West Virginia's s
Justice" The most unfortunate part
of the trials at this time. the Bal
sue will be confused with the present
coal strike. THE coal strike that
now obtains Is not on trial. 1t con-
tends, and this point cannot be too
strongly stressed. These cases should
be decided on their individual merits
erence to prevailing emotions" In the
view Of the Springfield (Mass.) Re
publican, whatever may be the guilt
Of the defendants before the. law. and
this is for the Jury to decide, with
out prejudgment, the failure 1o,one 81 one
system of justice has already been
proved. And equally clear is the fall
ure of an industrial system which
continues to foster; mutual hate and
lawless struggle for rights or Tor ad,
vantage. The treason trial Is q lriai
try" The motion Of trying citizens
for treason against West Virginia," /"
the Columbia g. C.) State, suggests,
"is incongruous-it smacks OF the
comical, west Virginia owes its be-
ing to treason against the state, ana
who inhabit Charles Town, would, II
they were allowed. reannex their
town and the county of which 1T is the
"a pital to the Old Dominion, leaving
the coal operators and operatives to
settle their quarrel In their own way
and IN thelr OWL UdIuW
Conditions in West Virginia nave
been q disgrace to the nation, the
Huffalo News believes. Several times
government there has broken down.
There have been times when It seemed
"a II west Virginia had ceased 70 De q
Sovereirn commonwealth, as II she
had fallen to the estate OF Haiti and
Santo Domingo. In these cases under
way the state government Is on trial
~,f iThat tt there is grave doubt that
the alleged crime was treason Is the
surrestion voiced; by. the Jackson
vile (Fla.) Times Union, which asks:
rDoes the crime become treason when
the military are resisted when 1t was
not reason when the resistance was
oniy to the civil authorities! There
il ample law for convicting these men
sH the charges against them can be
nroyed. and there Is ample law for
hanrinr them II they Were guilty,
huf did their conduct constitute
trea soYi?" The Providence ,-tRt -
Tribune urges that ut is to be hoped
fhafy fhe miners verdict will not need
ravsrsal. as did the Brown verdict,
nv the court Of last resort, the people.
This court later will decfde. whether
the Jury gives q just verdict or not
and that verdict viii be watched by
cit itfxens Of all classes because those
west Virgins mining clashes have
beAn marked. by extreme hatred on
hoth sides.. The Grand Rapids
(Mich.) Press believes that the West
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