The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-10-23

Z having the
president to interfere at pleasure"
The speaker then goes on to demonstrate
the fact that the disturbance in Chicago at
its worst did not equal in point OF destruc-
tivencss the disturbances that occurred
at Buffalo. y. Y, the year previous; was
not near so bloody or destructive as a
number OF disturbances that have occurred
IN Pennsylvania. and was not as bloody
or destructive as had occurred In Ohio
while Mr. Mckinley was governor. The
amount of property actually destroyed was
less In value than the amount destroyed in
the disturbances in the other states that
he had mentioned. and when Il is remern-
bered that the property destroyed con-
sisted chiefly Of freight cars found In rail-
road Yards that extended over miles Of
territory and that 10 was easy for lawiess
men 70 stealthily set cars on fire under
this situation. II will be seen that the prop
erty destroyed by actual rioting or by
large mob was very small The Chicago
fire department. which officially investi-
gated every case where there was n car
or any other property destroyed. reported
the total figure at sS55.612. Subsequent ex-
aminations have shown that even this sum
Effect Of Strike on Mail Service.
with regard to the effect OF the strike on
the mail service the governor quotes from
letter of the superintendent OF the rail-
way mail service at Chicago, stating that,
with the exception Of some trains that
were held at Hammond, Ind: Washington
Heights. Danville and Cairo. Ill. the great
est delay 70 any OF the outgoing and in
eight TO nine hours at any time"
This shows that whatever the diff
cuities may have been at other points there
were no great delays at Chicago. and when
IL IS remembered that the railroads for a
time were helpless because they could not
get men 70 man their trains, X Is apparent
that the DELAYS there were very insiCnif-
can't and that I'm so far as the mails are
Concerned nothing had happened to call
for federal Interference. The truth is that
there had been strikes In Chicago that
m n than
yet the mayor and local authorities had
found themselves amply able to preserve
&C Sc the mayor had sworn In large num-
her of extra policemen and the sheriff OF
the county had sworn In a large number of
derutv sherihs and they believed them
selves to he able to easily control the sit
uatton Early in the trouble Sheriff Gil
bert who was a republican, teleeraphed for
arms with which to equip his deputies, and
these arms were at once sent him This
was the last request he ever made for as
sstance."
Interested Attorney Appointed Special
Counsel
The governor then goes on to show how
the federal government had appointed
special attorney to represent the United
States IN ne strike before the govern
mont any way involved II had just
bee there was no serious delay
in thu and there was nothing In the
situation at in any way affected the
federal government
The government already had a United
States district attorney with large num-
her of assistants in that city who were
amply able to attend to all the govern
mcnt business there, but instead of SIM
My increasing their number, Attorney
General Olney and President Cleveland
decided to appoint a special counsel who
should still more directly represent the
government during this strike.
There were hundreds Of able and dis
tinguished democratic and hundreds OF
able and distinguished republican lawyers
in Chicago. who were not connected with
corporations. land who were in no way in
volved in the strike on either side and
whose appointment would at least have
aroused no suspicion: but tho attorney
Peperel and the president evidently felt
that they would not do. that for the par-
ticular work which they wanted dore they
needed corporation lawyer and here
again there were a large number Of able
and distinguished corpora ton lawyers in
Chicago who were republicans and who
We're in no way involved in the strike on
either side: bur the attorneys general and
the president evidently felt that for the
peculiar and revolutionary work they
wanted done these men might not be re-
liable. So they rejected these and ap-
pointed Mr.. Walker. who was not only a
republican and corporation lawyer, but
who was at that time the attorney for
great railroad that was directly involved
in the strike, so that he himself was al
ready involved in the controversy, he on
one side and the railroad employees on the
and the president took one of the parties
10 the controversy and placed at his dis
nosal United States marshals. United
States courts and the United States army
Never before in the history of our coun-
try were the courts. the grand iuries. the
United States marshals and the United
states army stripped OF all semhlance of
lmparuaIty and given as a convenience
TO one OF the parties
This hear In mind. was on the first
day of july. three DAYS ahead OF any riot
n IN n rraf v-sr.r,-
riotinc, and on the same day the United
States troops Fort Sheridan. within an
hours run OF Chicago. were ordered to be
in readiness to go to that city on a mo-
ments notice. The plan determined upon
was to have the United States courts issue
blanket infunct'ons. hereafter explained
against the strikers and all other people
forhidding everything lima gina bic, and
then use DO Darshals for the purpose Of
carving cut those iniunctiors and use the
federal troOnS for this and other PURPOSES
In 70 this time neither the republican
sheriff ~ tho county nor Mayor Hopkins.
the democratic MAYOR 81 the city, nor any
other local state official nor any federal
Official 81 Chicago or elsewhere had ap-
nlied 20 the rovernor for troops."
Perversion of Interstate Commerce Law.
Citing the fact that the injunctions is
sued were based upon the interstate COM
merce law. which had become almost inop-
erative so far as the purpose of its enact
mont was concerned because some OF these
same judges / first held one clause and
tNen another clause To be uQcODSttuIlQnal,
90 that IL was practically destroyed as
measure that should prevent disCrimina-
tiOl by the railroads, the speaker said
that after having rendered il harmless so
far as the railroads were concerned at
that time (the supreme court has since re-
versed some Of their decisionsl they, to the
auaZement Of the American people. made
~ this law a club with which 10 pound the
backs OF the laboring men"
Call for Federal Troops Unwarranted.
After plainly showing. by official bulIe-
tiEs OF the railroads themselves, that there
was little or no interruption 10 their bust
ness, except as they could not md men
TO operate their lines because OF the strike,
up 10 July 3, and when there had been no
attempt made 10 destroy railroad property,
the governor says: Mr. Walker, the
special counsel, dictated dispatch which
was sent to Washington, asking that fed
eral troops be sent into the city, and on the
afternoon of the Sd the federal troops APP
pcared In Chicago and camped on the lake
front and ostensibly went on duty. Let
me repeat here that up TO this time there
had been no serious disturbance Of mails,
no destruction of property, and. according
TO the reports of the railroad managers
themselves, no serious Interference with
the operation of the railroads or with inter-
state commerce"
State Authorities Ignored.
And let me also repeat that up TO this
| tine the state and local authorities had
| been cOunplcIelV ignored. the state WAS nor