The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-11
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Gov. Atseld Obj acts to Federal Troops In

Gov. Atgeld Obj acts to Federal Troops in
WASHINGTON, July 5.-The Presi-
dent. Secretary Lamont, Postmaster
General Bissell, and General Sheffield
remained at the White House tonight
until nearly IL o'clock. Many tele.
grams were received and sent during
the course of the evening; General Ru-
giles bringing one over to General Scho-
field from General Miles. When the
conference broke up Secretary Lamont,
acting as spokesman for the President,
announced there was nothing to make
public, except the telegram from Gov
ernor Atgeld of Illinois and the Pfesi-
dents response thereto. Governor At
geld protests against the presence Of
United States troops in Chicago. To
this the President responds:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, D. g., July 5, 1894.
Hon. John z. Atgeld, Governor of Illl-
nois, Springfield, Ill.
Federal troops were sent to Chicago
In strict accordance with the ConstiJu-
tion and laws of the United States, up.
on the demand of the Postoffice De-
partment that the DISTRACTIONS to the
mails should be removed and upon the
representations of the judicial officers
of the United States that the process
of the Federal courts could not be ex-
ecuted through the ordinary means and
upon abundant proof that conspiracles
existed against commerce between the
States. To meet these conditions
which are clearly within the province
Of Federal authority, the presence OF
Federal troops in Chicago was deemed
not only proper, but necessary, and
there has been ne intention of thereby
interfering with the plain duty of the
local authorities to preserve the peace
Of the city.
(Signed) GROVER CLEVELAND.
Governor Atgeld says that waving
all questions of courtesy the State OF
Illinois is not only able to take care OF
itself. but it stands ready to furnish
the Federal government any assist
ance it may need elsewhere. The State
troops have not been ordered out be
cause nobody in Cook County, official
or private citizen, has asked for their
assistance or intimatedthat it was
needed.
The railroads ale paralyzed, he says,
not by reason of obstruction, but be-
Gauss they cannot get men tc work
them; that such was the case when
State troops had been recently called
out at the request of the Railroads else
where than in Chicago. Atgeld, says
the conditions do not exist In Chicago
which bring the case within the FEEDER
al statutes and that he (the President)
has bten imposed upon for polltlcal
ends.
The following is the concluding par
agraphs of Governor Atgeld's tele-
gram: To absolutely ignore a local
Government in matters of this kind,
when the local government is ready to
furnish any assistance needed and IS
amply able to enfore the law, not only
insults the people of the State by
imputing to them an inability
to govern themselves or unWill-
ingness to enforce the law, but
is in violation of a basic principle
of our institutions. The question OF
Federal supremacy Is in no way 10
yolved. No one disputed it for a mo-
ment, but under our Constitution Fed
eral supremacy and local self govern
ment must &C hand in hand and to lg-
more the latter is to do violence to the
Constitution. AS Governor of the
State of Illinois l protest against this
and ask the immediate withdrawal of
the Federal troops from active duty In
this State. Should the situation at any
time get so serious that we cannot con-
troll it with the State forces we will
promptly and freely ask for Federal as
sistance, but until such timeI protest
with all due Difference against this un-
called for reflection upon our people
and again ask the immediate with
drawal Of these troops. l have the
honor to be,
Yours respectfully,
JOHN 2. ATGELD,
Governor of Illinois.