Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-07-07

war the military shall be subordinate to
the civil authority. In harmony with this
provision the state troops when ordered
out act under and with the civil authori-
ties. The federal troops you have ordered
to Chicago are not under the civil authori-
ties and are in no way responsible to
them for their conduct They are not
even acting under the United States mar
shall or any federal officer of the state, but
are acting directly under military orders
issued from military headquarters at
Washington, and in so far as these troops
act at all it is military movement.
Third. The statute authorizing federal
troops to be sent into states in certain
cases contomp|ates that the state troops
shall be taken first. This provision has
been ignored. and it is assumed that the
executive is not bound by it. Federal in
reference with industrial disturbances in
the various states is certainly n new de-
parture and it opens up so large a field
that 1t will require n very little stretch of
authority to absorb to itself all the details
OF local government.
Fourth, you say that troops were or
dered into Illinois upon the demand of the
postoffice department and upon represen-
tations of the judicial officers of the
United States that the processes of the
courts could not be served, and upon
proof that conspiraces existed. We will
not discuss the facts, but look for a mo-
ment at the principle involved in your
statement. All of these officers are ap-
pointed by the executive. Most of them
can he removed by him at will. They are
not only obliged to do his bidding but
they are in fact part of the executive.
If several OF them can apply for troops
off ..a,N,
law, as you assume it to, be an executive
through any one of his appoin:ees can ap-
ply To himself and have the military sent
into any city or number Of cities and base
his application on such representations of
showing as he sees tit to make. In fact
it will be immaterial whether he makes
Bny showing or not, for the executive is
the sole judge and nobody else has any
right to Interfere or even enquire about
it,
The governor goes on to argue that the
whole process resolves itself into one
man power and closes the fourth part of
his argument with the statement
that this is not not gov
eminent of the caprice of individuals, not
an autocratic government, but one of
limited powers. He adds: yet the au-
| crat of Russia could certainly not possess
or claim ia possess greater power than is
possessed by the executive OF the United
States, if your assumption is corLect.''
The fifth and closing argument of the
governor is as follows: The executive has
the command not only of the regular
forces of the United States but of the mill
tary forces of all the states and can order
them TO any place he sees fit to- and as
there Is always more or less local disturb
ances over the country it will he an easy
matter under your construction of the
law for an ambitious executive to order
ont the military forces of all OF the states
and establish at once military govern
ment. The only chance of failure in such
movement could come from rebellion.
and with such II vast military power at
command this could readily be crushed,
for as n rule soldiers will obey orders.
AS for the situation here in Illinois.
that Is of no consequence now when com
pared with the far-reaching principle in
volved. True, according to my advises
federal troops have now been on duty for
over two days. and although the men
were brave and the officers valiant and
able, yet their very presence proved to lie
an irr liant because it aroused the indig-
nation of large mass of people who,
while unfolding the laaw and order. had
been taught to be believe in local self-gov-
eminent and therefore resented what they
regarded as TN unwarranted interference
''1nasmuch as the federal troops can do
nothing but what the state troops can do
there, and believing that the state troops
are amply able to take care of the situa-
ton and to enforce the law, and believing
that the ordering out OF the federal troops
was unwarranted, again ask their with
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