Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-07-19
GOV. STONES VIEWS.

| He CEaracteriZes Reports or HIS States
| Rights Attitude as sensational Ncfl-
| sense'-He SAYS He Cares Not Whether
| Nation or State Begins With a Big or Lit
| tie Letter-views ON Federal and state
| Authority.
Gov. Stone. says a Kansas City dis
patch, has written a letter to Col. John
Il. Stone, of this city, in explanation OF
his recent letter to Gen. Shelby. United
| States marshal, demanding to know by
| what right federal deputy marshals
had been stationed at Slater and other
points in the state.
| The first part of the letter is partly
| private. and relates to a conversation
between himself, Col. Stone and Gen.
Shelby six weeks ago. The newspapers
had said something about it that the
| governor didn't like, and, after saying
SO, he continues:
| Apropos to this. is it not remarkable how sem
| satlonal our city press has become, and how the
! injection Is reaching the people themselves:
| Nearly all city papers are devoting their coli
| nmns 70 sensations some simply to attract at
| tention and others often for far worse motive.
| An effort has been made by some papers in
| Kansas City and elsewhere to create the i'm
| preston that recent occurrences had occa-
| stoned great friction between me and Gen.
| shelby and that was also engaged in row
| L
for all this sensational nonsense is in the fol-
| lowing simple story:
On July observed in dispatches printed in
| ST. Louis papers that Gen. Shelby had sent
| deputy marshals to Slater to preserve the peace
| and enforce the law at that place.
HIS SLATER ADviCES.
During the same day received a dispatch
| from merchant who is also city officer at
| Slater stating that there were a number OF
| deputy marshalS at Slater doing police duty.
n 6r1a~i
| noy and exasperate the people. He stated fur
| ther that these marshals claimed to be acting
| under my authority or by my consent. and said
! that was absolutely disorder at Slater;
| that the mail trains were not being inter-
| rupted. and that local authorities were
| abundan:ly able to preserve the peace.
| Thereupon 1 addressed letter to Gen.
| Shelby, inquiring for what purpose these
| deputy marshalS had been sent to Slater. and
| asserting the ability of the state to properly
| preserve the peace within its jurisdiction. to
| which letter Gen. Shelby made a respectful re-
| ply informing me that ne had sent the mar
| ShalS to Slater under direction of the United
| states encouragement to prevent interior
ence with the mails. and said that if desired
| further information on the subject he would
| refer me to the attorney general 1 also wrote
/. letter to the sheriff OF Saline county request
| ing him to report to the situation of affairs
| at Slater. and whether he was able to maintain
| order and enforce the law.
/ u,
and that is the full extent of any trouble be-
| tween Gen. Shelby and myself L have had no
communication with the president. except of d
| purely official character, and that did not re-
| late to the employment of deputy marshals or
| federal troops in Missouri In conversations
held in my Office with different gentlemen at
| dlferent times have not heSltated to say that
! euphatically diSapprove of the growing habi.
| OF using the federal authority in the adminis-
tratOn of local affairs of the states: that whilst
| there he Question If no irb of bo
| United States to employ their official force to
| protect the mails. yet am unalterably opposed
| to the dangerous policy of making the protec-
| ton of mails or Interstate commerce a mere
| pretext for supplanting state authority.
NATION AND STATE.
Missouri is part and a very important part
| of the federal union. Its people love the flag
| and will make any necessary sacrifice for the
protection of its honor and the promotion OF it's
| well being, but they are just loyal to the
state. All this nonsense about spelling nation
| with big or little M state with big or
| little IS is wholly out of place. 1t is an abb
| Surdity which little men. who set great store
| by catch words resort to. l care nothing
whether the Ms or SIS big or little. The
line between the state and federal govern
| ment has been well drawn by the constitution,
| and by repeated and even recent decisions of
| the supreme court of the United States and the
| supreme courts of the states it is well eStab-
| lished that within their respective spheres
The present condition is full Of hazard to the
| peace of the country, but federal and state Of
| fcials alike should remember that the consti-
tuition and laws, both national and state, are
to be respected and upheld, and no matter
what the eXpedlency or how great the emer-
gency should be slow to establish pre-
cedents that may be made the basis of danger
| GUS aggression at another time. The flag of the
| United States is the flag of Missouri: the soil
Of Missouri is a part of the territory over
which the United States have. within
| constitutional limits supreme authority. Their
| officers both civil and military, have perfect
| right to be in Missouri and to perform their
| constitutional and lawful duties here without
| asking permission of anyone, and none has
J right to obstruct them.
CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS.
But the authority of these federal officials is
hedged about by constitutional and statutory
limitations, and they have no right to exceed
them. for when they do they tresspass upon
and disparage the authority of the state.
1 have no prejudice whatever against United
States marshals or troops, or any other federal
officials. Such an idea is absurd. Why should
I? These men the officials and soldiery of
| the country wish to uphold their hands in all
rightful ways 1 would not hesitate a moment
to call upon the president for assistance
whenever any emergency would seem to make
| it necessary. Why should I: If condition
should be brought about in St. Louis such as
now exists in Chicago. which God forbid.
would not hesitate minute to ask the preSi-
dent to send the troops at Jefferson barracks to
the city. there to cooperate with the authors
ties of the state in protecting life and property
and in preserving the peace: but if to-day the
president should. without any seeming neces-
| sty. without being asked to do so. without con-
ference with the state authorities, send these
troops into the city and quarter them there to
do police duty, would protest against it as an
insult to and an infringement upon the author
ity and sovereignty of the state. 1 object only
wnen federal officials arrogate to themselves
the exercise of an authority which does not
properly belong to them. and thereby not only
put discredit upon the state but establish
precedents fraught with danger to our institu-
lions.
PRONOUNCED VIEWS
Ientertain pronounced views in favor Of up
holding states rights, but so far during these
troublous times have had bEt little to say.
have had my hands full trying to so order mat
tiers as to keep the peace in this common
wealth. Some sensational newspaper starts a
story. which is taken up and added to from day
to day. and great mountain is made of mole
hill. have given no public expression con-
corning Mr. Cleveland or his course regarding
the disturbances now prevailing.
The governors views have received
considerable attention from, newspapers
of eastern cities. and the Presidents at
tention was called to them
Sequel to an E1opement.
Mrs. J. William Thomas formerly
Miss Edna l. Wilkins, has filed suit for
| divorce at Kansas City. The divorce is
the sequel to an elopement December
90, 1892. Mrs. Thomas is the daughter
of George E. Wilkins, manager OF the
Walto,. 4 JncJ u,,,o-+o..