The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-11-01
TWO LATE OUTBREAKS
Recent Strike and Coxeyism
Considered by Merritt.
TROOPS USED WITH DISCRETION

The Brigadier- General Says That the
Principle Of the Boycott Has Been
Reduced to Science in the State Of
Montana.
WASHINGTON, October 22.-In his an
nual report, just published, Brigadier-
General Merritt, commanding the de-
partment of the Dakotas, said the move
ment of troops in his department during
the last summer was occasioned by two
remarkable outbreaks, which it had been
necessary to control by the use OF the
army. In April was the organization
and movement of the so-called common
wealers or Coxeyites; the other was the
strike, commencing in June, on the
Northern Pacific railroad, precipitated
in sympathy with the strike at Pullman,
Ill. General Merritt says:
"The first of these developed to the
greatest extent in the farther northwest
portion Of the department, in the State
of Montana, being augmented and ag-
gravated by causes like to those which
made the strike occurring subsequently,
and which was of considerable proper
tions and more or less difficult to con-
troll. The causes are large floating
mining and at times unemployed popu-
lation, which, being more or less free
from the restraint of law, is always
ready to join any movement in which
idleness, viciousness and lawlessness are
found. Another cause is an affected
sympathy extended to the lawless by
both high and low in Office, who depend
on the suffrage of the less law-abiding
for their terms of office. The principle
of dependence is apparent among all
classes of the community. The mer-
chant, grocer, the tradesman and all who
live by others patronage are constrained
to sympathize or openly express symrs-
thy with the violent, and In many cases
with the lawless, because of the princi-
pie of the boycott, which has been re-
duced to science in this newly and
meagerly protected State. While many
in the communities of the class of which
l speak privately condemn lawless con-
duct, the fear that their means of pro-
curing livelihood will be taken from
them by the boycott places them so far
as their public expressions of opinions
90 among the worst element. 1t is not
wonderful under the circumstances that
lawlessness was in the ascendant in Mon
tana during both of the outbreaks re-
ferred to. It is perhaps only necessary
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 of
fcers in command and the law enforced
without violence"
In treating of the great strike, which
stopped every wheel on the Northern
Pacific railroad and inflicted great loss
and untold inconvenience on the public,
he said:
cit is difficult TO conceive of worse
state of affairs than existed on this road.
There was no mail communication with
any point west of Fargo. Posts situated
on this road could hold no communica-
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 says:
"It is especially gratifying to note that
all these movements, which involved in
many instances considerable marching
under the least pleasant conditions, were
performed promptly and in the most
creditable manner. The dispatch with
which the troops moved. without being
cautioned to that effect; the alacrity with
which they reached their several desti-
nations, and the clearness with which
orders were understood and reports were
made, reflect on the soldierly instincts
of the responsible officers at the posts
and in the field. have no doubt that,
if ample M easures had not been taken
in time to prevent it, great destruction
of railroad property, even to the eface-
ment of the road for considerable time,
would have been wrought by the law
less element, whose character has been
limited at in the foregoing"
In conclusion General Merritt returns
his thanks to the officers of his staff, and
to Colonies Wayne and Burt especially,
for the excellent management OF the
operations in their care. In connection
with the labor troubles he calls atten-
ton to the necessity of system OF tao
tics for machine guns.