Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-07
PATT|SON'S POSITION
He Is Very Much Displeased
With the Policy Of
Sheriff McCleary.
NO TROOPS TO BE SENT
Until the Civil Power Is Demon
strated to BE insufficient.
SWEARING In A DOZEN DEPUTIES
Was Most Absurd Proceeding, According
to the Governor.
SWEARING In A DOZEN DEPUTIE
Was q Most Absurd Proceeding, According
to the Governor.
A MEETING OF THE CABINET HELD


outbreak that had already resulted in the
death of several persons. This information
was supplemented short time afterward by
intelligence announcing the death of ten
men.
The Governor was shocked at the serious
turn of affairs and anxiously awaited
official information concerning the fight.
About 1045 dispatch was received at the
Executive Department from Sheriff Nc
Cleary, stating that the civil authorities
were utterly unable to cope with the strik-
ing workmen, 5000 of whom were on the
ground. He spoke of his deputies having
been driven away by the strikers and
briefly referred to shots that had been ex-
changed and to the fact that several men
had been killed. Prompt measures were
suggested to prevent further bloodshed and
to avert great destruction of property.
The Governor and the Sheriff.
The Governor was evidently not satisfied
with the message, as it did not show what
efforts the Sheriff had made to secure rea-
sonably large force of deputies to preserve
the peace. A reply was promptly wired
that the s1ocal authorities must exhaust
every means at their command" after he
had eliminated from the dispatch as origi-
nally framed statement that there would
be no military interference until it had
been demonstrated that the civil power was
inadequate to the preservation of peace.
The Governor during the early afternoon
received a large number of dispatches of
private nature from residents of Pittsburg
and vicinity making suggestions as to the
policy he should pursue with relation to the
violent disturbance. Some of the writers
urged him to have the troops ordered out
promptly in the interest of peace, one of
them expressing the fear that if such action
were not taken the riots of 1877 would be
more than paralleled.
Any Quantity OF Advice.
Most of these dispatches were from per-
sonal friends of the Governor Other
friends counseled him against too much
haste in showing the military to the front,
as this mode of meeting the difficulty might
be attended with more serious consequences
than an attempted suppression of the out
break by the civil authorities. Several
persons, who kept the Governor posted as
to the progress of the fight, insisted that
the Sheriff had not exhausted his means to
restore peace, and that, in view of that fact,
military interposition was not justifable.
One of them strongly intimated that the
active presence of Pinkerton detectives had
the conflict, which was not
started until these obnoxious people made
their appearance OH the scene. Owing to
the divergent views as represented in the
various kilograms and the unsatisfactory
character of the Sheriff's appeal for help.
the Governor was unable to make up his
mind as to the best policy lie should pursue.
Action of the Executive.
In order to reach an early conclusion he
dispatch to Sheriff McCleary
asking him how many deputies he had sworn
in and what measures he had taken to en-
force order and protect property. Over two
hours elapsed before he received reply,
which stated that IL deputies selected by
the Sheriff had been driven away by the |
strikers and closing with the statement that |
The civil authorities were powerless to meet |
he situation, that an armed and disciplined |
force was needed to prevent further loss of |
life, and that immediate action was de- |
handed from the Executive.
The Governor read the reply with evident |
lispleasure and promptly dictated the fol- |
owing:
Your telegram indicates that you have |
lot made any attempt to execute the law to |
,nforce order,and 1 must insist on your call
ng upon the cltlzens ior an adequate number
u oepu''es'
During the morning and afternoon the
Governor had several conferences with Sec
etary Harrity and Attorney General Hensel
eiatlye to the situation at Homestead.
AdIutant General Greenland, who had been
N Philadelphia, reached Harrisburg this
'fternoon, and Just before Sheriff McCleary's
elegram, which elected the sharp answer
rom the Governor, was received, the Chief
executive and his AdJutant General had
on'ui'a'ion as " rn1 "~T ieaoii'S VI us
,a'onins Pot'i1 VI .ne Ia'ioh"i o"'io "
ne scene ol Tie iaoor trouoies'
A Meeting OF the Cabinet.
AT late hour there was full meeting of
he Cabinet on the same subject. The Gov
rnor is thoroughly convinced that the mil
tary should not be called out to suppress
he outbreak until clear evidence has been
ecured that the civil power is inadequate
o the emergency. As an illustration of
he virtue and force OF the exercise OF the
ivil power he refers to the settlement Of
he strike at the Pennsylvania Steel Com
'any's works, two miles east of this city,
early year ago. The Dauphin county
sheriff and his depaties then had no diff
culty in preserving the peace, although
early 1000 men were on strike.
Pattison received a dispatch from Pitts
uro to-nipht from ono of the Governor'q !