The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-12-08
oLNEY's REPORT.
1he Attorney General Tells ~ tho Opera
lions q tIIs Department.

tions q Ills Department.
WASHINGTON. Dec b--The topics-the Pull
lu'ln strike the commonwcalers and the SUI
plome court-elaiEn particular attention
"a inc annual report OF Attorney General
olney. 1T Is not germAne 10 this report !"
ne says, TO consider the origin or the merits
OF the labor disturbance which has passed into
history underline name OF the Pullman strike
me relation 20 IL OF the department Of justice
Vas indirect and arose only when tho railroads
OF the country became involved and tho pas
sage OF the United States mails aud the move
ments OF interstate commerce were lnterferod
with"
The attorney general then tells how lnforma-
ton concerning interference with the mails az
various points and requests for immediate ac-
uon oy his department for the relief OF the
mail service and punishment OF all engaged In
its obstruction. were presented 10 HIN by tho
post ONCE department. He also details his
instructions 10 United States attorneys to use
all legal means 10 prevent obstruc-
ton 10 the carrying OF tho mails.
10 issue warrants or other processes
against persons engaged Ia such distractions,
ana commanding the United States marshais
10 execute the same, employing such deputy
marshals or such posse as might be necessary.
chicago being the center OF the trouble. tho
loss OF the very necessaries OF life threatened,
the most vigorous use OF legal weapons at the
command OF the government was. the report
e"sot lANtlNtu AlcOfulnRlT tho united
states attorneys at Chicago we're directed 10
az once begin proceedings IN equity IN the
United States court against Debs and
bis associates aud OH others promoting
ana participating IN tho strike and II
possible TO procure inlunctions against tho
defendants restraining them from all inter-
ference with trains carrying the United States
mails or engaged In interstate commerce lie
follows the strike in its several phases the
presence OF troops to enforce the order OF tho
courts and concludes:
THE strike at Chicago, so far as II involved
the obstruction OF United states mails and tho
paralysis OF Interstate commerce, was pTac-
tically broken when the United States troops
reached that city. and being broken at Chica-
go, was IN reality broken everywhere else. 10
was nc once realized that II necessarily antag-
onized the laws OF the United states and
therefore must fail unless the power behind IL
was stronger Than the whole power OF the fed
erai government"
II is not usually considered fortunate for
property 70 be in the hands OF receivers, but
that fact made ~ easier for the United States
government 10 deal with the ''commonweal-
ers OF Christ" This department says the
attorney general. became involved because
the railroad properties seized were IN the
hands OF receivers appointed by the fed
eral courts and because the courts
ut once issued DEGREES for the pro-
lection OF the receivers aud their
property and directed the United States mar
shals TO execute them In very many In
stances the marshals found themselves unable
20 execute such orders by any force or special
deputies or any posse az their command This
inability was due 70 various causes-to the
large numbers OF lawbreakers, 10 the local
sympathy With them. TO the sparsely settled
communities traversed b. the railroad lines
implicated, hHd 70 the absence OF any organ
tied statesoilitia.
Upon evidence OF such inability being fur
nlshcd, the matter was called TO the attention
OF the president, With the request that the
orders and processes OF the court might be en-
forced By such military force as was neoes-
sayy. The request was invariably acceded to,
the troops being used In each case not as q
posse comitatus under the command Of the
marshal, but as an Independent instrumental-
ity. acting under tho immediate direction OF
the president through the army onicer per-
sonally in command.
by this means the perils OF a grave situa-
tion we're averted. widespread lawlessnoss
was checked IN It's initial stages, great destruc-
tion OF property was prevented ana large num-
bers OF persons offenders not so much from
vicious intent ns from ectual and threatened
want and suffering-were saved the conse-
quences OF serious crimes and escaped with
only moderate. penalties.
The business methods and arduous labors Of
the members OF the supreme court come In for
n we'll nerited compliment, the attorney gem
eral stating that NJ the close OF It's term for the
year 1890 the court had 800 cases on its docket.
OF which LII were cases previously docketed,
while 623 had been docketed at that term. AZ
the close OF its term FOR the yenr 1893. on tho
other hand the cases on It's docket numbered
I ,ei4, OF which S3i were cases previously dock
eted. while only 30 we're docketed during tnat