The morning call., 1894-10-20
FEAR OF BOYCOTT
Leads Citizens to Favor
LaWEesSneSS.
ARMY MEN ALL IN LINE
Upon the Lessons of the Great
Strike.
SOME THINGS BETTER NOT SAID,
AS Showing the Animus Which
Marks the Soldiers Relations
With the Civilian.
SOME THINGS BETTER NOT SAID,


reporl, just published, Brigadier-General
Merritt, commanding the Department of
the Dakotas. says that the movement of
troops in his department. during the sum-
mer was occasioned by two remarkable
outbreaks, which it became necessary 30
control by the use of the army. In April
was the organization and movement Of the
so-caled CommonwealeTs or COxeyites,
the other was the strike. commencing in
June on the Northern Pacific Railroad and
precipitated III sympathy with the strike at
Pullman, Ills.
General Merritt says: "The first of
these developed IL the greatest extent in
the farther northwestern portion of the
department, in the State of Montana, be-
ing augmented and aggravated by causes
like to those which made the strike, occur
ring subsequently,, of considerable proper
tions and more or less difficult to control.
The causes are a large floating mining, and
at times unemployed population. which
being more or less free from the restraint
of law. is always ready to join any move
ment in which idleness. viciousness and
lawlessness are found. Another cause is
an affected sympathy extended to the law
less by both high and low in office who de-
pend on the suffrage Of the less law-abid-
ing for their presence. This principle of
dependence is apparent among all classes
of the community. The merchant, grocer,
the tradesman and ali who live by
the patronage of others are con-
strained to openly express sympathy
with the violent. and In many cases with
the lawless, because of the principle of
bOycotting, which has been reduced to
science in this newly and meagerly pro-
tected State. While many communities of
the classes of which I speak privately
condemn lawless conduct, fear that their
means of procuring a livelihood will be
taken from them by the boycott places
them, so far as their public expressions 60,
among the worst element II is not won
derful under these circumstances that
lawlessness was in the ascendant in Mon
tana during both of the outbreaks re-
ferred 10.
'It is perhaps only necessary to add that
all resistance was made to civil authori-
ties. In no instance did the people in-
cluded in this outbreak resist the military
when il appeared on the scene of disturb
ance. The troops were used with COM
plete discretion by the officers in command
and the law enforced without violence"
In treating of the great strike which
stopped every wheel on the Northern Pa
cifc Railroad and inflicted great loss and
untold inconvenience on the public Gen.
eral Merritt says: sit is difficult to con-
ceive a worse state of affairs than existed
on this road. There was no mail commu-
nication with any point west of Fargo.
Posts situated on this road could hold no
communication with department head
quarters save by telegraph. Ii the block
ade had been continued communities liy-
ing and troops stationed at different points
on the road were in danger of starvation,
resulting from the stoppage of supply
trains"
General Merritt tells in detail how he
disposed of his forces to meet the emer-
gency and open up communication, and
says: sit is especially gratifying to note
that all these movements, which involved
in maDy instances considerable marching
under the least pleasant conditions, were
performed promptly and in the most cred-
table manner. The dispatch with which
tro ops moved, without being cautioned to
that effect: the alacrity with which they
reached their several destinations and the
ceaTness with which orders were under
stood and reports were made, reflect on the
soidierly instincts of the responsible Off
GERS at the posts and in the field.
81 have no doubt that if ample measures
had not been taken in time to prevent it. a
great destruction of railway property,
even to the effacement of the road for
considerable time would have been
wrought by the lawless element whose
character has been limited at in the fore
going"
In conclusion, General Merritt returns
his thanks to the officers of his staff and to
Colonels Wayne and Bert. especially, for
their excellent management of the opera
tions in their care. In connection with
the labor troubles, he also calls attention
to the necessity of system of tactics for