Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-03-27
WILLIAMSON COUNTY
ORGANIZED LABOR
ENTERS OBJECTION

In Il Ens1 0DJE tn ltbN
The following letter issued IN tic.
tense ef Organised Labor, ana par
tieularly the Mlners' Union Of VII
hanson county. was recently received
BY the Carpenters Union OF the Twin
Cities.
Following discussion al u regular
meeting OF the Carpenters the letter
Was handed The Review with the Re
quest that i, be published IN ofdor
10 let the public know the facts per
tanning To Williamson county Us they
afeyiewed by Organized Labor The
letter follows In tull:
To Organized Labor and Fiends:
Greetings:
Williamson County, Illinois, is filled
with as good people as you will tnd
in any count yin the United State !,
the early settlers Mere descendeuts
Of the Tennessee and Kentucky rife.
mn, that fought under General Jack.
son az the Battle Of New Orleans
with distinguished service and with
honor 10 their county, being Of that
class they took their Stand under Lin
coin in the Black HaVk war and under
Lee in the war of 1884, stood by the
side Of Grant and Logan in the Civil
war and served thdr country with
honor, returning houtp at the close of
that war TO their Peaceful occupa-
tons; they stood by The side OF Roose-
welt in the war of 1898, fighting death
from both the enemy and tropical
fever in that infected territory seW-
ing without fear; jusi before the out
break Of that war Williamson county
had begun the development of then
coal fields. Now this Is one Of the
greatest bituminous coal fields in the
world the miner being of almost
every nationality and stand true to the
Stars and Stri = which gives them
their freedom TO organize for the pro.
motion and protection of their rights
and the rights of their families; this
county can nghtfully be said 10 be
the most thoroughly organized Union
county in the United States; business
is built upon Unions. in fact Union
ism is essential for the progress and
prosperity OF this Y .iity. Il being IN
terwoven to such an extent with its
progress that the two are insepefa-
bic and one would die without the
benefit of the other. During the late
war, the sons of Williamson county
stood side by side of the other sons Of
liberty and freedom and did their part
in winning the war, fathers ana
mothers in this county sent more than
400 sons to battle, those who re.
mained at home subscribed for and
took more than 5000 10000 in libef-
ty bonds, besides their other con.
tributons TO war activity ofganlza-
tons.
In the summer Of 1922 certain non
resi- dent capitalists, undertaken
apainst the advise of their advisors,
TO operate strip mine with import.
ed non-union labor, placed armed
thugs and gunmen TO guard them and
to intimidate the people that passed
that way which eventually got TO the
point of overflowing, then with that
bunch of imported gunner ninety
nine per cent imported into this coun-
t. an unfortunate thing happened,
and as usual when imported gunner
meet imported Runmen upon the field
of battle things that the community
cannot prevent and which leaves a
bad impression upon the public, also
the public press has never failed 70
print things about this county without
regard TO their being true or false
however the percentage of people that
is respected In this county Is as large
a percentage as you will find in any
after once being in the
everything that h" ans get
in the press which aggrevates the
situation; with the gunner depoTed,
they being the known enemy OF VI
ganized Labor. with Unionism 100
per cent efficient working for the man
who lives by the sweat Of his brow,
with a county that has never turned
down an honest nlea to help worthy
cause. with imnorted capitalism strik-
ing Unionism at the fountain, it Is the
desire Of this body, and a request that
YOU aid US in placing before the puDhe
the true conditions that mas piacea
Williamson county In its present
status, that the starting OF our trouble
was a challenge Of oroanlzed labor
and has continued 10 be war on
Uniopism TO this date. We sincerely
hone and trust that you VIII ASST
US in placing the true situation, ,Ql
Williamson county before the public
of this country.
No county in the United State has
a better record in defending the star
and Stripes. and no county IN the
worud mas been imposed upon more
than Williamson county by the hire1
s,5.up1an
In the face Of the above facts, We
find the coal Of Williamson county
by the capitalist VINO I'M
ported the first gunner into TINS
county TO break down the Unions, AMI
we assure you and all those VINO use
the product Of our county, that those
who speak the strongest against Us
are the ones who aggravated the
at the beginning.
Thanking you for any assistance
which you may render us, ] remain.
Fraternally yours,
W. +. MOORE, Secretary
Johnston City Trades Council.
-Efaff.fs. agfHH