The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-19
WANTED TO MUTINY.
Mayor Pingree of Detroit
Springs a Secret.
Regular Army Officers We're
Ready to Mutiny
DURING THE STRIKE
Last Summer, Says Pingree in a
New Book
DURING THE STRIKE
Which He Prints Because News
papers Suppressed the Story.


day. It has been long known that the
mayor of Detroit was writing book, and
that it would be in line with his bulle-
tins last winter, when he claimed that
the newspapers would not tell the truth
about the city and that the only way 20
get the facts before the people was by
the use of bulletin boards, which be put
up all over the city.
Mayor Pingree has written book for
the same reason. He mas chosen that
means of getting his views before the
public and at the same time makes it a
defense of his administration.
He has selected for the title of his
book Facts and Opinions; or Dangers
that Beset U.s."
The book is dedicated To the great
masses OF the American people," and this
dedication is described on the picture of
large potato, photograph of one of
those raised on The Pingree potato patch
of Detroit. The most sensational fea-
ture of the book is the introduction.
10 the introduction, the auth or pretends
TO give secret concerning the history
of the Chicago strike last summer. This
secret is that 1.-The officers of the regular
or United States troops who were brought
to Chicago by order of President Cleve-
Olney, the corporation lawyer, who was
attorney general in C!eveland'S cabinet,
met at one of the hotels and denounced
the policy of using the army to per-
petuate wrongs and by so doing degrade
it in the eyes of the people. x"
Whenever opportunity offered they
Che army clhcers) compared the inforna-
ron gathered by their own men and
themselves, and when they exhausted
~ Il
one of the Chicago hotels. That meet
lug was one of the most extraordinary in
this country. It WAS calm and quiet
comparison of notes gathered by the
officers themselves, and the conclusion
was clear that the army had been
brought to Chicago under pretense for
the purpose of siding with the corpora
tions in an industrial struggle.
1t was clear there was no emergency
OF sufficient moment 20 demand the ap-
pea-auce Of the United SAFES army
they we're in dilemma. Inc uahappy
operatives at Pullman were not armed
men. nor were the men of the Railway
union, who took their part, catthroats or
armed rebels. It was clear that it was a
tight for just wages against Pullman
. and his sympathizlng corporation gang,
who refused arbitration. Pullman had
eaid, "There is nothing to arbitrate." and
States had sent the troops to back Pull
man.
It was clear to the eyes of those Off
GERS that the police or at the utmost tie
state troops were equal to the dis
turbanee that had been going on
and it was clear to them that such
work for the army would. when
the real facts were known. render the
army obnoxious to the thinking people,
as showing that it was at the beck and
call of corporations, and as showing that
| a corporate aristocracy had the control
of the armr, and that if a republic were
to be maintained it would call for the
total abolition of an army that could be
made use of for such anti-re publican
methods.
There in that ROOM" says the author,
officers who had seen service in the
great war of the rebellion expressed
their indignation that they were called
out to be used, as was patent to them,
not so much to quell riot as to crush la
! Dor unions, in a city where cowardice
and greed for money predomiuated over
| common sense; where bowling newspa-
! pers egged on rather than allayed The
excitement of a badly misinformed city,
/ and all under the fiimsy plea of enforc-
| ing the interstate commerce act They
were to be used as the general mAnag-
ers might deem best.
! These officers did not confine them
selves to the mere expression Of indigna-
ton. Their patriotic feeling led them
! further than that They denounced
among themselves the advisers of the
/ president Of the United States who had
! sent tins m on such mission. 1t was not
the spirit of characterization, but of
righteous Indignation against being used
against the defenseless and the weak,
aud 70 bolster up wrong aud gree j,
which animated many regular officers.
"In their righteous anger they were
willing TO give their views TO the public,
and a second meeting was to be held to
formulate these views, which were to be
/ spread over the length and breadth of the
land to the people OF the republic It is
pity these did not see the light of day
at the time. Had they been published
| there might have been different end OF
the great strike. The people would have
known the truth. All the facts Of this
meeting were, however, well kaown tc
newspaper men of the Chicago dailies,
and those from other cities who were on
the ground, and some day it will be his
tory, and be TO the credit of our army, al
though now IL may not appear So"