Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-24
DISASTER OR DEATH.
The Miners Make the Governor
a Proposition.
UnleSs it is Accepted They Will Hold
Out to the Bitter End, SO
They Say.
ATTY.eEN'L PICKLE EXPLAINS.

A special from Knoxville to to-
days American, dated a. m. says:
"Late tonight the miners COM
mittee is seeking another conference
with tine governor tomorrow. If a
conference is agreed upon the troops
will scarcely move in advance of it.
When the miners left the governor
tonight they were very mad. Soon
after the governor withdrew from
the reporters. But late tonight the
miners have been mingling with the
citizens and now desire another con-
ference"
A later telegram has the following:
"The troops will scarcely move
early this morning. The chances are
they will be held until later in the
day, but something definite will be
done to. day."
THE PROPOSITION.
At the miners meeting at Coal
Creek yesterday resolutions were
drawn up containing a proposition
to the governor. This proposition is
that the troops must be taken home
from Knoxville. Convic;s can be
returned to Coal Creek for sixty days
only, and the Legislature must meet
and repeal the convict lease system.
This is briefly the proposition of the
miners, the official document now
being in possession Of the committee,
which is in conference with the Gov
ernor.
1t is stated, upon what seems good
authority, that the Governor will
not accept the proposition of the
miners, for he is said to have no
authority.
He could not assume in advance
that the lease system would be
abolished by the Legislature, nor
that the convicts should remain
there but sixty days. More than
this, says the American, the best
legal talent in the city gives the
hasty opinion that the Legislature
has no power to rescind the contract
made.
HAD NO AUTHORITY.
Attorney-Gen, raj Pickle has de-
livered his opinion in the Governor
Militia case and holds that the Gov
ernor of the State has no au-
thOrity to call out the mill
tia until the General Assembly
shall declare by law that the public
safety requires it, and then only in
cases Of rebellion or invasion. He
thinks, however, that there are ade-
quate means at hand to enforce the
laws. An extra session of the Logis-
lature could be called to declare that
an emergency exists for calling out
the militia. This could be effected
within five days. The Attorney
General then goes on to say:
"But it may be that the situation
will demand more speedy action. In
that event | suggest that the Superin-
tendent of prisons, or in his absence
the Warden, may appoint sufficient
force of guards to keep the convicts
safely. The guards that may be EN-
ployed are not limited in number.
1t is required that in all cases said
guards shall be sufficient for the safe
keeping of the cOnvicts. Code ON &
W. Sec. 1894. These guards may be
taken from any part OF the State.
Any citizen may be employed to act
as guard. The entire military force
may be thus used if the Superinten-
dent, Warden or Inspectors shall
deem proper"
He furthermore says that the gov
ernor could demand if deemed nee
essary immediate aid from the Fed
eral Government.
Putting the situation at Briceville
and Coal Creek in nutshell it is
about this: The miners are deter
mined that convicts shall not work
in the mines as heretofore. The
Governor is equally as positive in
saying that the law must be up
held and that the cOnvict5 will be re-
turned to work at any cOst-peace-
ably il possible, fOrcib y il necessary.
The troops were all resting on their
arms at Knoxville at 10 o'clock this
morning, but it was semi-oilicially
stated that marching orders would
be given to-day and that they
would go to the scene of the trouble.
The American announced this
morning that on to morrow it would
print its exposure Of McDowcll's de
Tense.
NOuny q Reach arp in rpppint of q