Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-07
AL1cELO PROTESTS FURTHER.
lie Argues with the President Touching
Local self-Goyernment.

Local Selt-tTONefnnltnt.
SPRINGFIELD. ILL. July 6.-Governor
Altgeld tonight sent the following mes
sage to President Cleveland in continua-
ton Of the correspondence given to the
press last night:
ITO Hon. Grover Cleveland President Of
the United States Washington, ID. c.:
"sir.-Your answer to my protest in
wolves some startling conclusions, and
ignores and evades the question At issue
that is that the principle Of local self
government is just as fundamental in our
Institutions as is that OF Federal supre-
macy
u. You calmly assume that the TX
ecutive has the legal / ght 70 order Fede-
raj troops into any community or the
United States in the first instance when
ever there is the slightest disturbance
and that he can do this without any re-
gard 10 the question as to whether that
community Is able TO and ready TO en-
force the law itself; and. inasmuch as the
Executive is the sole judge Of the ques-
ton as to whether any disturbance exists
or not in any part Of the country. this
a-,ufnptilu means that the Executive can
send Federal troops into any community
In the United States at his pleasure ana
keep them there as long as he chooses
If that is the law then the principle OF
local self-governmcnt either never did eN-
ist in this country, or else has been de-
stroyed. for no community can pe sdlh
to possess local seif-gOvernmcnt If the
Executive can at his pleasure send milf
tary forces 10 patrol II under pretehce
OF enforcing some law. The kind of local
solf-c Government that could exist under
those circumstance can be found IN any
Of the monarchics OF Europe. and IS not
in harmony with tho spirit Of our lnsu-
tutions.
- II IS also a fundamental principle
in our government that except in times or
war the military shall be subordinate 10
the civil authorities. In harmony with
this provision the state troops when or
dercd out act under and with the civil au-
thorities. Fhe Federal troops you haze
ordered to Chicago are not under the
civil authorities and are In no way re-
sponsible 20 them for their conduct. They
are not even acting unIer the United
states marshal or under any Federal Of
ficcr of the State. but are acting directly
under military orders issued from militia
~ headquarters al Washington, and in
sofar as those troops act at al it is u
military movement
"2 The statute authorizing Federal
troops To be- sent into states In certain
cases contomplates that tn state troops
shall BE- taken first. This provision has
been ignored, and il is assumed that the
Executive is not bound by IL. Federal
Interference with industrial disturbances
In the various States is certainly a new
departure and il opens up 50 large
field that it will require n very little
,aff h. HT.rN. fa ffE..
all the details Of local government
~ You say that troops were ordered
into Illinois upon demand of the Post
Office Department, and upon representa-
tions Of the judicial officers Of the United
States that process OF the courts could
not be served. and upon proof that con-
spiracies existed. We will not discuss
the facts, but look for moment at the
principle involved III your statement. All
OF those officers are appointed by the
Executive Most Of them can he re-
moved by him at will. They are not only
obliged to do his bidding, but they are
in fact part Of the Executive. II several
Of them can apply for troops, one alone
can so that under the law. as you as
sumo il 10 be. an executive, through any
one OF his appointees, can apply 10 MN
self to have the military sent lnto any
city or number Of cities, and base MS
application upon such representation OF
showing as he sees iii to make. In iact'
il will be immaterial whether ne makes
any showing at all or not, FOR the IN
ecutive IS the sole judge, and nobody
has any right to interfere or even hiquh
ahout II Then the Executive can pass
on his own application-hls VIII Oeihs .he
sole. guide-he can hold the application
II. al
as many places as he wishes, ana put
them in command of any one he chooses
and have them act, not under civil ON
GERS. either Federal or state, bur act dl-
richly under military orders from Nasn-
fngton: and Their is not In the ConslItu-
ton or laws Of the land, whether written
or unwritten. any Limitation or restraint
upon his power. His judgment that is'
ms will. IS the sole guide. and IL being
purely matter OF discretion, his decision
can never b. examined or questioned
This assumption as to the power OF
the Executive il certainly new anu l
resnectf,,llv submit that il is not the law
OF the land. The Jurists have told u
that this IS a government OF law anu ho'
a government by the caprice OF t"u'
yiduals, and, further, that hs'eau y.
being autocratic. IL Is a government vi
limited power Yet the autocrat oil RUSSIA
could certainly not possess or cla'hl 70
possess greater power than Is possesseu
by the Executive OF the United states IL
your assumption Is correct.
s. The Executive has the commanu'
not only OF the regular forces Oh the
United States, but OF the military forces
OF all the States, and can order them 10
any place he sees fit to; and, as there are
always more or less local disturbances
over the country. 1t will be an easy mat
ter, under your construction OF ,',e 'a".
for an ambitious Executive to order OUT
the military forces Of all OF the states
and establish at once a military govern
ment. The only chance OF failure IN
such a movement would come from re-
bellion. and with such vast military
mower M command this could readily be
crushed. for, as a rule. soldiers VIII obey
orders. As for the situation In ILLINOIS,
that is OF no consequence now when
compared with the far-reaehihs pr'he'p'e