The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-05
TN TRI OF TOPICs.
The Pullman stri.s, ,o1eyism and the In-
dians.

dan@.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Dec. 4-Three
toplcs-the Pullman strike, the Com
monwealers,. and the Indian Territory
the annual report OF Attorney-GeneraI
Olney, submitted TO Congress to-day.
ut Is not germane 70 this report
he says, ito consider the origin or the
merits of the labor disturbance which
has passed into history under the name
of the Pullman strike The relation
TO IL of the Department or Justice was
indirect and arose only. when the rail
roads of the country became involved
and the passage of the United States
mails and the movements of interstate
commerce were interfered with. on the
2sth OF June last the First Assistant
Postmaster-Generali informed the depart
ment that there was detention of the
mails at Chicago. San Francisco, 81,
Paul, Salt Lake City, Portland oregon,
and Los Angeles, and requested imme-
diate action for the relief OF the mail
service and Tor the punishment OF ali
persons engaged in the obstruction. The
action of the Department of Justice in
bringing into action the machinery OF
the United states Courts Is then de-
scribed, as recorded in the public prints
at the time, and goes on 10 say:
WHY THE STRIKE FAILED.
THE strike at Chicago, so far as il
involved the obstruction of United States
mails and the paralysis of Interstate
commerce. was practically broken when
the United States troops reached that
city, and. being broken at Chicago,
was in reality broken everywhere else.
twas at once realized that II necessarily
ahtagonized the laws Of the United
States. and therefore must fail, unless
the power behind II was stronger than
the whole power OF the Federal Govern
ment."
1t is not usually considered fortunate
for property to be In the hands or re-
ceivers, but that fact made it easier for
the United States Government TO deal
with the "Commonwealers OF Christ"
This department" says the Attorney
General became involved because the
railroad properties seized were in the
hands Of receivers appointed by the Fed
eral courts. and because these courts at
once issued DEGREES for the protection OF
the receivers and their property and d.
rected the United States marshals to exc
cute them. In very many Instances the
marshals found themselves unable to
execute such orders by any force or
special deputies or any posse at their
command. This inability was due to va
rious causes-to the large number OF
lawbreakers, to the local sympathy win
them 10 the sparsely settled cOmmu-
mites traversed by the railroad lines i'm
Dlicated and to the absence OF any
organized State militia. which though
not available for the enforcement OF tne
orders OF the United States courts, might
well have been used to reprees organized
robbery and depreciation.
However obvious the existence of these
causes i'm no case was il taken for grant
ed that "A marshal would not be able 10
execute the processes OF the courts. lie
was held bound TO use ms pest error %eiLortS ~
nlshed. the matter was called TO the at
tention of the President, with the request
| that orders and processes OF the court
| might be enforced by such military IolCe
as was necessary. The request was inVar,
iably aCceded to, the troops DelhS useu
| in such case. not as a posse coinitatus
under the command of the marshal, but
AS an independent instrumentallty. actlnS
| under the immediate direction OF the
President through the army o1llcer per
| sOnallv I'm command. by thlS means tle
perils of a grave situation were @Ect Vet
nr,idespread lawlessness was checked IN
| its initial stages, great DESTRUCTION OF
property was preVented, ana ldibe
numbers of persons-oHenders not 80
,N,ch from vicious intent as from dctCdI
ma threatened want and suffering-Were
saved the consequences OF serious cIiineo'
and escaped with only moderate penalties
RAP AT CONGRESS.
Tho "inefflcient administration Of Jus
| tjce" in the Indian Territory was caIleu
! 10 the attention Of Congress last year py
| the Attorney General, and only a rev
u,eeks ago what he terms rampant law
Iessness" broke out again in the absence
| of any remedial legislation on the SUD
| ject AS presenting the necessary lor .,i11 ao
lion he presents the report OF the Srahu
| Jury for the western districts or ARKANSAS
| Ii says in part:
"The causes for a failure of more
prompt and efficient enforcement of the
| law in the Indian Territory lie with the
| law itself and the interpretation or those
| laws by the department at Washington.
Two causes appear TO be most promi-
| nent-viz.: % An utter absence of a
! proper understanding of the situation in
| the Indian Territory on the part OF the
| congressional committees having appro-
priations for the service in charge, by
| the Treasury and law departments of the
| Government, and by the public generally;
| (D a failure of the law to provide ade
| ouate pay for the service.
| "Ihe latter cause is the natural offspring
| of the former, and the removal Of the
| first will undoubtedly remedy the second
| but until the real situation is understood
| and adequate pay for this service is pro-
| vided no improvement in the enforcement
| of the law can or will be secured"