Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-01
MILITARY AND CIVIL POWER.

The interchange of kilograms between the
Sheriff of Westmoreland and the Governor,
relative to the suppression of the riots in the
coke regions, and the use of the State arms
by the deputy sheriffs, raises a point which
should be clearly understood. The position
of the Governor in the matter is strictly cor
rect; but il should be coupled with a clear
understanding that the moment the civil
power in any section is unable to repress
disorder, the State military authority will
take prompt and rigorous action.
The Governor is entirely right in declar-
ing that the civil power must be exhausted
to repress disorder before the military power
of the State can be invoked. The use of
military methods is grave resort, only to
be called into operation when the more
equitable methods of civil law have proved
insufficient. From the statement of the
facts given yesterday, this was not the case
in the coke regions. The representation of
the Sheriff was practically that he wished to
use one company of the State force as his
deputies, and to arm them with the State
arms. This presents dilemma, either side
of which is inadmissable. If the men thus
employed were considered merely as depu-
ties, it would be taking the arms of the State
beyond the control of the State officers. and
placing them where they might not be at
the command of the State should emer-
gency require their use. II the company
thus used were regarded as part of the
militia acting under the Sheriff's orders it
would be tantamount to the exertion of mil
itary power under the command of a civil
officer. Under the facts as presented the
course of the State authorities must be ac-
cepted as correct.
Nevertheless it is necessary to say that
when mobs of thousand strong attack
property and assault men exercising the
individual right of honest labor, it presents
strong prima facie evidence that the States
power should be promptly exerted to restore
order and secure protection. Such things
ought not to be possible in a civilized
country, and when they are perpetrated,
there should be thorough suppression. In
the fact that the riots were permitted to
reach the degree they did, there was an
error of judgment on tire part of the Sheriff.
He should either have made so vigorous
use of the power within his hands as the
civil officer, as 70 suppress the riots, or he
should have notified the Governor that his
power was exhausted, and that the power of
the State must intervene. That a man, en-
gagged in the task of summoning whatever
power he can find to prevent infraction of
the laws should try to establish mixture of
the civil and military power is natural and
perhaps excusable. Nevertheless, it is
necessary and vital rule that the two shall
be kept separate. and that the military
power shall be held in reserve, as a final
resort, to be used only when the authority
of the civil power is successfully defed.
But it should be understood that the in
sistance of the State authorities on this rule
is not from any sympathy with those who
are disposed to override law and individual
rights. The rule of order must be main-
tained in every section, if the entire military
power of the State should be necessary to
maintain it.