The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-04

Washington. July 3.-The cabinet ses-
sion began at IL o'clock today. Secre-
taries Morton, Smith and Carlisle were
absent
The great strike was the topic of dis
cussion, and every phase of the situa-
ton was carefully canvassed. Attor-
ney- General Olney was the leading
spirit, inasmuch as through him comes
all of the information bearing upon the
situation as reported from time to time
| by the United States marshals and ne
| had a pile of kilograms to read to his
associates.
| Even while the cabinet was in session
messenger boys were passing between
the telegraph office and the White
House. The secretary of war laid be-
fore his associates the plans of General
Schofield so far as they were perfected.
for meeting any emergency that might
arise, and they were approved. He
also received the instructions that had
been given to General Miles prior to
his departure for Chicago. 1t is under
stood that General Miles return to his
| headquarters was fastened by an in
timation of the department that his
presence at Chicago was desirable at
this juncture. The cabinet meeting
eIlueu dDOuI . CLOCK, DuJ an
jhour General Olney had further infOr-
nation to communicate. That it must
have been of an important character
was shown by the Fact that hasty calls
went out from the White House for the
secretary of war and General SchOfield.
The latter was the first to respond, and
was soon in close consultation with the
president
1t is not intended to allow the troops
to act at the whim of a deputy or
marshal who might lose his head in
the face of danger, and therefore, while
assisting the discharge of judicial pro-
cesses the troops will be kept strictly
under military command in the first
instance, and secondly under the con-
troll of the president. This is pro
vided for by the general order issued
a little over a month ago in the height
of the CoXey disturbance. 1t provides
that whenever the troops are employed
to enforce the execution of the law of
the United States by judicial process
they must act as a part of the mill
tary power of the United States and
''act under orders Of the president as
commander-in-chief and his military
subordinates. They cannot be directed
to act under the orders of any civil
officer. The commanding officers of
the troops employed are directly re-
pOnS1Dle to their military superiOrs.
Any unlawful or unauthorized act on
their part will not be excusable on
the ground Of an order or request re-
ceived by them from a marshal or any
other civil officer"
From the above. it can be seen how
carefully the army officers must pro-
ceed in acting and the necessity that
they are under Of awaiting orders from
the president before taking the field.
So far. the troops have been called out
IN strict conformity with the statutes,
provided by section 5SS which makes
it lawful for the president to employ
them to enforce the faithful execution
OF the laws of the United States wher-
ever they may be forcibly opposed or
the execution foreibly INSTRUCTED.
The federal government having de-
clded that the present attitude of the
strikers is in violation of the inter-
state commerce law, as he would be in
the case of any other statute, although
THIS IS the first instance where re-
course has been had to this particu-
lar act, guaranteeing unobstructe6
commerce between the states.