Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-11-14
The Mining Troubles in East Ten.
negsee.

hundred c0nVlcls upon the Stale is
gradually giving way to a more
sensible feeling and people are begin
ming to realize that great many of
the miners and labor agitators are no
better class of citizens than the con-
victs they released. The following
special to last Sundays American
establishes the same position taken
oy the STANDARD at the very begin
ming Of the Briceville trouble:
KNOXVILLE, Nov. 7.-Informa-
ton reached this city tonight from
Nashville that the Governor and
prison officials have decided that the
convicts must be returned to the
Briceville and Coal Creek mines.
The better class of citizens here are
unanimous that this decision is right
and the Governor will be sustained.
If he needs help he can secure it here
by calling on the proper men in the
right way. The question now arises,
"Will there be trouble if the con-
Victs are returned?" This cannot be
definitely answered, but the opinion
of conservative men is that there will
not. The miners have been playing
bluff game from the start, feeling
that they were backed by public
sentiment in this section. They
never intended any bloodshed. In
the attack on the militia last July,
when the soldiers and convicts were
boxed up and all sent to Knoxville,
no blOOdshed was intended. Pre-
viOus to the attack the miners in
secret meeting decided that there
should be no blOodshed. They dis
cussed the proposed attack freely and
decided to make 1t, "because," said
their leaders shave not the militia
invited us 10 come and get their con-
Nicts, and said they would not fight
for Them"
Thus did the evil come from the
act of one company which was on
guard there, company from Chatta-
nooga. 1t is too late TO go back to
previous mistakes now, but il may
be said that in the veryafirst instance
it was mistake to take the militia
there, as the convicts could have been
taken back by the Governor in per-
son. The Individual most to blame
for this error is the sheriff of Ander-
son County, who called on Gov.
Buchanan for troops. The subse-
quent attack and capture of the
troops are matters of history. The
result of it all has been to embOlden
the miners, particularly the lawless
element among them, so the violent
acts of Il week ago came as a natural
consequence. The miners now feel
so perfectly masters of the situation
that they may resort to arms, but
they will not do so if given to under
stand that they are to come in con-
tact with men who know what it is
to obey law and uphold it. Should
a strong force of militia from Middle
and West Tennessee be sent there
under the command of experienced
men, who will give the lawleSs
spirits to understand that any act on
their part looking to an attack means
death 70 them, there will never be q
gun fired. The only really serious
question to be considered is this
phase of the case. The militia cam
not be kept at the mines always
What then will he done when they
are withdrawn? To this the ans
wer is made, punish those engaged in
the previous attacks and forever des'
troy the disposition to mob.
Your correspondent has beer
among the miners a great deal, anC
there are many good men among
them. But there are many who
propose to override all law. Stern
prompt action is demanded to NEE
their case. The vast majority O
people are opposed to the convict
laws and convict lease system, bu
they say that the miners must wal
until it is repealed, and that the law
must be upheld while it is on the
statute books. The public is interest
ed in knowing what the outcome O
the trouble will be. The review il
given after careful investigation. 1
has been stated several times since
last summer that when the next at
tack was made the convicts would bC
released, furnished clothes and rur
into the mountains, 1t turned on
true. 1t may now be stated that any
half-hearted policy, if the convict,
are taken back, means trouble anC
prOhahly hIfH,l-hpl ADD death