Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-06
WASHINGTON, July 5.-The following
is Governor Altgeld's telegram:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF ILLINOIS,
.Inly 4 1894


July 5, 1894.
Hon. GrOuer Cleveland, President Of the
United States, Washington, d. c.:
DEAR SIR:-I am advised that you
have ordered federal troops to go into
into service In the State Of Illinois.
Surely the facts have not been correctly
presented to you In this case or you
would not have taken this step, for it is
entirely unnecessary, and, asit seems to
me uniustifabe. Waving all questions
of courtesy, will say that the State OF
Illinois is not only able to take care Of
Itself, but II stands ready to-day to
FURNISH the federal government
ANY ASSISTANCE 1T MAY NEED
elsewhere. Our military force is ample
aud consists OF as good soldiers as can
be found in the country. They have
been ordered out promptly whenever
and wherever they were needed. We
have stationed In Chicago alone the
three regiments OF infantry, three OF
battery and one troop OF calvary, and
no better soldiers can be found. They
have been ready every moment to 90 on
duty and have been and are now eager
to 90 into service. But they have not
been ordered out because nobody In
Cook county, whether official or private
citizen, asked TO have their assistance
even intlmated In any way that their
assistance was desired or necessary.
So far as / have been advised the
local officials have been able to handle
the situation. Bot If any assistance
were needed the State stood ready to
furnish one hundred men for every one
man required and stood ready to do so
at a moments notice. Notwithstand-
ing these facts, the federal government
has been applied to by men who had
political and selfish motives for wanting
to ignore the State government. We
have Just gone through a long coal
strike, more extensive here than la any
other State, because our soft coal field
is larger than that OF any other State,
we have now had ten days OF the rail-
road strike, and we have promptly fur
nished military aid wherever the local
officials needed 1t.
At present some Of the railroads are
paralyzed. not by reason Of obstruc-
tions, but because
THEY CANNOT GET MEN
to operate their trains. For some rea-
son they are anxious to keep this fact
from the public and for the purpose are
making an outcry about DISTRACTIONS In
order TO divert attention. Now, Will
cite TO you two examples which will IL
lustrate the situation. Some days ago
I was advised that the business OF one
OF our railroads was obstructed az two
centres-that there was con-
dition bordering on anarchy
there. and / was asked
10 furnish protection so as TO enable the
employes of the road TO operate the
trains. Troops were promptly ordered
10 both points. Then it transpired
that the company had not sufficient
men on its line to operate one train.
All the old hands were ordered, but re-
fused to 60. The comdany had large
sbops in which worked number OF
nen who did not. belong to the railway
rnion and who could run an engine.
They were appealed to. to run the train,
hu, Aatly refused. We were obliged to
hnnt mn soldiers who could run al en-
cine and operate train. Again Two
dovs ago appeals which were almost
Srontir came from officials OF another
road stating that at an important point
a. their lines trains were forcioly OBJ
.t,nctsd and that there was reign oil
.nsrchy at that place, and they assed
sor projection so that they could move
heir trains. Troops were put on tne