Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-11-02
MILITARY OPINIos
Commander Merritt MAXI. ;.
Annual Report.
THE STRIKE AND coxpv,.

The Brigadier-Gene Saws ~
Principle of the Boycott H.
Reduced to 4" Science in the Sta
Montana.
WASHINGTON, October 22.-In hi.
nual report, just published, Briosa,
General Merritt, commandin, i.
partment OF the Dakotas, said the nv
ment of troops in his Departmental
the last summer was occasioned bv
remarkable outbreaks, which if bodh.
necessary to control by the use ~ ~
army. In April was the orcari,,e
and movement of the so-called CONN.
wealers or Coxeyites; the other NO.
strike, commencing in June, on 4
Northern Pacific railroad, precinit.t,
in sympathy with the strike at Punm.,
Ill. General Merritt says:
"The first of these developed 70 a
greatest extent in the farther nortbv..
portion of the department, in the St,,
Of Montana, being augmented and ~
gravated by causes like to those wb;SIi
made the strike occurring subseouena-.
and which was of considerable nrono,
tions and more or less difficult to cnn
troll. The causes are a large foatir,
mining and at times unemployed bonn
lation, which, being more or less r..
from the restraint of law, is alvsT
ready to join any movement in WIFI
idleness, viciousness and lawlessness an
found. Another cause is an affects
sympathy extended to the lawless n
both high and low in office, who deneAI
on the suffrage of the less law.abidirV
for their terms of office. The princpiI
Of dependence is apparent among 4
classes of the community. The mg
chant, grocer, the tradesman and all Will
live by others patronage are constrained
to sympathize or openly express sympa.
thy with the violent, and IN many cssaG
with the lawless, because OF the prime
pie of the boycott, which has been r.
duced to a science in this newly and
meagerly protected State. While NAM
in the communities of the class of whd
| speak privately condemn lawless con-
duct, the fear that their means Of Do
curing a livelihood will be taken from
them by the boycott places them 50 IA /
as their public expressions OF opinion !
go among the worst element. 1t is not /
wonderful under the circumstances that
lawlessness was in the ascendant in Nor
tana during both of the outbreaks r.
ferred to. 1t is perhaps only necpsssu
to add that all resistance was made TO /
civil authorities. In no instance did the
people included in this outbreak resist
the military when it appeared on the \
scene of disturbance. The troops were
used with complete discretion by the o..
ficers in command and the law enforCei /.
without violence"
In treating of the great strike, which
stopped every wheel on the Northern /
Pacific railroad and inflicted great los /
and untold inconvenience on the public
he said:
at is difficult 10 conceive OF WOrs
state of affairs than existed on this rosd
There was no mail communication with /
any point west of Fargo. Posts SITUATED
on this road could hold no communl@
ton with department headquarters save /
by telegraph. If the blockade had been
continued, communities living and troops
stationed at different points on the road
would have been in danger OF starvation
resulting from the stoppage OF supply
trains"
General Merritt tells in detail how he
disposed his forces to meet the emergency
and open up communication, and saIys
at is especially gratifying to note lna \
all these movements, which involved my
many instances considerable marching
under the least pleasant conditions, Wei't
performed promptly and in the mosI
creditable manner. The dispatch VIII /
which the troops moved, without Dei.b
cautioned to that effect the alacrlty VIII
which they reached their several 0s!IE
nations, and the clearness with WnN~
orders were understood and reports Sea
made, reflect on the soldierly lnsuncaE
of the responsible officers at the P@sE
and in the field. | have no doubt sI%e
if ample measures had not been laha I
in time to prevent it, great destrueu@
of railroad property, even to the elS
ment of the road for considerable lm
would have been wrought by the ns
less element, whose character has p'
limited at in the foregoing"
In conclusion General MERRITT rev.,
his thanks to the officers of his stal,
to Colonies Wayne and Burt espett'.
for the excellent management VI
operations in their care. In conn s.,a,
with the labor troubles he calls aT
ton to the necessity of a system u
tics for machine guns.