Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-04
TWO OPINIONS
ON the Recent Conflict at the MorewOod
Coke Plant

PIrrsBURG, PA. April 3.-Adiutant
General William McClelland passed
through the city this morning, en- ronte
from Chicago to the scene Of yesterdays
riot. In an interview he said:
Il notice Il disposition on the part of
some people 10 cenSure Governor Patti
son for refusing 10 call out the militia
upon the first request Of Sheriff Claw
son, few days ago. Now, they are
doing the Governor an injustice, as he
had no authority under the COnstitu-
tion 20 call out the militia at that time.
Section % Of Article |. Of the Constitu-
tion of the State Of Pennsylvania says
that no standing army shall in time OF
peace 0e kept up without the consent OF
the legislature, and the military shall
fn AID cases aud at all times be
fr rrrIrt subordlnatiOn to the civil pow
er That is 70 say, the Governor has
do right % call upon the militia until
the civil power has been exhausted in
It's efforts 20 maintain peace. In this
case the civil authorities were still in
power. IL may be generally conceded
that bloodshed might have been averted
/ had the militia been called upon, Out
nevertheless the Governor took the
right course in the matter, according
10 the power vested in his executive po-
sition. aud should be at once freed from
| further cenSure on that score. do not
believe there will be any further trouble,
though. OF course, do not know just
| how the situation stands in the coke re-
gion. The militia will preserve order,
\ and now that so many OF the strikers
have been laid low, think the majority
of them, with the exception perhaps OF
/ a few hot-headed ones, will quietly dis
band and avoid all further hostilitieS.
Ex-Secretary Watchorn, OF the Min
ers' Union, was also on his way to the
coke regions. Speaking OF the trou-
bic, he said: From what | can under
stand the shooting Of the strikers was
an unprOvOked murder. have re-
eeived a report this morning that three
OF the deputy sheriffS under Captain
| L.auer themselves broke down the
\ fence and then shot the men. 1t GER
tainly is not reasonable to suppose that
500 men armed with guns and 500 with
other weapons would deliberately plan
nm attack and then be driven away by
thirteen men without shooting one oil
the latter. The people in the coke re-
gions are not such towards aS that.
The HungarianS or Slavs in the coke
regions have always been grossly i'm
posed upon. They were induced to set
/ tie i'm the coke regions under miSrepre-
sentatonS and constantly ground down.
Then if they strike the operators en-
ploy some of the brighter men at big
salaries TO 90 around among the others
and try TO induce them to return TO
work.
.'In this the Frick Coke Company has
always been especially forward. The
result of this course is to divide the
HungarianS among themselves and to
cause ever increasing bitterness. The
coke workers all hate Captain Loar, for
there has not been a strike in years in
which he has not petitioned the Sheriff
OF WeStmoreland county to swear in his
company Of guards As deputy SheriiTS SO
| that they can haye an opportunity OF
/ shooting some Hungarians. Captain
Loar has frequently made that state
ment We can bring many witnesses to
prove il.