Rock Island Argus., 1894-06-06
SWAP COURTESIES.
What tho Governor Of illinois
Said to the Sheriff
VAsHoTExAOTLYOo COMPLIMENTARY

And what the Sheriff Replied 70 the Gov.
esnor Il Equally Lacking In Urbanity-
eoas Cosrespondence Relating to the
Littls Industrial Dimculty In the Coal
RsGions-A Howline Mob Of Strikers
Takes Charge Of Matters 1t SlcKeesport,
Pa, and Storms the National Tube
works-Many workmen Bratally Beaten
MARION. nl., June 6-The long pent-up
feeling in the coal region in this county
has eliminated in a clash between the
governor and the local sheriff. Not
since the strike commenced has there been
any coal except slack moved by mine
owners, and even that is kept-by men
who will not work or allow others to work
from the main line of road. The shaft is
about two miles distant, reached by q
switch or short line. At the junction Of
these lines, with guns and pistols. these
men gather and threaten the lives Of any
who attempt TO open tae switch or move
train in that direction. The sheriff. with
deputies. has contended until his force is
entirely inadequate, and SO notified the
governor, who absolutely refused to order
out the militia. Seeing that further re-
sistance was useless. the sheriff called in
his force and SO notified the governor.
Altgeld Attacks the Sheriff.
The reply to this was as follows: From
| reliable information we get here it is ap-
parent that you have misrepresented the
| facts and that you are trying to shift the
responsibility for the preservation Of the
peace off of your shoulders. The law en-
i
cial deputies and make them serve as you
choose. This being so it may have oc-
CURED to you that the swearing in of only
thirty-ive deputies under the conditions
which you say exist at Carterville was not
| a fair course to use the resources at your
| command to maintain order. However,
as you seem to have absolutely surren-
dered, and life and property are in dan
ger, have ordered troops to Carterville in
order that peace may be preserved and
the law executed; but l will suggest to
you that if you have not the courage or
capacity to properly discharge the duties
pertaining to the office of sheriff then you
should resign at once and let somebody
take your place who can and will do it, for
under the law troops cannot be kept long
at point when the sheriff can by proper
effort preserve order and execute law.
| [Signed.l JOHN p. ALTGELD,
| Governor"
To Which the Sheriff Replies.
The reply to the above is fully as
"salty" as the governors dispatch and is
as follows: Il wired you the facts con-
cerCing Carterville strike, notwithstand-
ing your insulting telegram. You seem
to have q studied method of learning
nothing of strikes in Illinois, no matter
how dangerous, and have little desire or
capacity to control or assist in controlling
them. did not ask you for information
| as to my power and duties, and do not re-
gard you rs my source of power or infor-
nation. have sworn in already more
men than ! could respectfully arm, as the
county has no guns. / could swear in 500
or 40 men, but the county has no arms to
furnish them, nor means to pay such an
army; no clothing to designate them as an
army, and such a force without previous
drilling would have no prestige and SIM
ply provoke bloodshed. The people here
understand that the state militia is
clothed, armed and paid to preserve the
public peace in times of extraordinary riots.
The county treasures are certainly not
to lie impoverished and paralyzed by cop
ing with such armed forces when the state
troops are properly armed and paid to
do 1t.
Another Suggestion of Resignation.
81 find it to be the opinion of many here
that the strike throughout the state would
have been easily controlled and the whole
state now in peace without bloodshed if
you had resigned as governor, or had got
ten sick and left the state in the hands of
the lieutenant governor, who sympathizes
with and loves law and order. am frank
to say that have at heart only the good
of this county and its citizens, and if
designations are in order, ! stand ready to
resign when you do. / am ready to make
any sacrifice needed to benefit the citizens
of Illinois.
Il stand ready to render any assistance
in my power to militia you may send to
Carterville. / again repeat that troops
are needed there, and in my opinion order
cannot be restored nor bloodshed pre-
! vented without them.
''T. J.. DowELL,
'Sheriff Williamson county"