The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-02

cotting workmen are wrong. then the
boycott vi be raised and an efsc,rs,
effort made TO have it cease. Arrange
ments are being made so that members
OF the League can be transported from
one city or county to another Ia snn-
press any riot that might take plaee
For instance; If riots occurred in ST
Louis and became 50 serious that the
League OF that city was not able to con.
troll 1t, the associates in the League at
Chicago or st. Paul would be called
upon, all members being bound to obey
the orders of the League officers.
Oneis surprised to learn of the or
ganization of such a society as the
above in a time Of peace, with all the
machinery Estate and national govern
ments in full operation. One is led to
ask, have We reached a period in our
experience as a nation when our system
of government is no longer adequate to
protect our society," If 50. ought it not
10 be ltered so that it will accomplish
that one purpose OF its creation? There
may be times in new communities, be-
fore the machinery of government has
been arranged-before the bulwarks
for the protection Of life and property
have en- comprehension the or
ganization of such societies would
have some color of justification,
as was the case with the vigi-
lance committees Of California in 80
and those of like character later on in
Nevada. Or when society is thrown
INTO such chaotic confusion as were the
Southern States at the close of the civil
war; or during the period of the recon-
struclon, when carpet bag rulers were
sent down to take charge OF their local
offices, AID Cypress and plumber the
people; and when three mill ons of
slaves were. turned loose upon the So
ciety of the south, whose ignor-
ance and arrogance led them to FIRE
quently insult the wives and daughters
of their former masters. Under suci
circumstances we can readily see how
secret law and order leagues,
vigilance committees, Ku Klux Klans,
ETC., would be about the only
agencies that could keep tie
lawless element in check. But now
that our government has been estab-
Ished. is not every good citizen a mem
Der of a law and order league-the
government? And if riots occur and
the civil authorities are not able to
-cupe with them, cannot the Governors
of the respective States call upon the
militia. which the law authorizes him
to arm and equip for effective service?
But if the riot amounts to an insuirec-
ton, and gets beyond the control of the
State militia, cannot the Legislatures of
the respective States, or the Governors,
if the Legislature is not IN session. call
upon the President OF the United States
for a sufficient force to suppress the
rebellion or force Instruction. And the
Constitution specially provides that
the President shall furnish the required
aid under such circumstances. 1t
seems to us that such arrangements as
are provided by the National Constitu-
ton. the State constitutions and the
laws of the country should furnish the
best possible protection for society,
much mare efficiently than can ever be
supplied 5y any secret society.
When society has TO depend on such
associations for its security, rather than
upon government, then revolutions OF
serious character are not far off.