The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-31
LlWLESSNESS REIGNED.
Altgeld's Statement Regarding Debs
Riot Reputed.
MAIL AND INTERSTATE COMMERCE
LINES WERE PARALYZED.

anu MOI Unt1i linen D1u IAoeAuohe
Interfere-Troops Were Withdrawn
Before Strike Was Declared .Off-Were
in Chicago Only Fifteen Days.
| Washington, October 3O.-In reply to
the statements in Governor Altgeld' S
speech in Cooper Union, New York, Oc-
tober II, I'M relation to the Debs riots
IN Chicago, wherein he said the United
States troops were ordered to be in readi-
ness five days in advance of any trouble,
with view to force employees to work
for the employers, the following state
ment is made, with the approval OF Gen.
| Miles, who commanded the United
States forces on the ocoasion.in question.
The hordes, or so-oalled armies OF
Coxiey were organized in Kansas, Colo
rado, California, Oregon and other states
and swarmed across the country, in some
cases seizing trains for transportation
and living upon the people of towns,
| villages and commun titles in their route.
Following this the employees of the North
ern Pacific struck and practically held
possession Of the road when it was not
earning running expenses. The same
thing was done on the great Northern.
the strikers holding possession of the
property for weeks, regardless of law or
the rights of hproperty owners. Then
strikes occurred In nearly all the coal
mines between the Alleghanies and the
| Rocky Mountains. In many instances
property was seizedsand unlawfully held,
regardless of civil authorities. Follow.
ing this In May, 1894, a strike was ordered
in the Pullman Works in Chicago wnen
that business was paralyzed.
| "a sympathetic strike was ordered on
all railroads, over which the Pullman
cars Icoved. This was in June, and ao-
coIding. TO Gov. AlJgeld's own statement
published in his Cooper Union speech
all freight trains IN certain portions of
Illinois were abandoned by the employees
and prohibited from moving by the
strikers. Trains were ordered side
tracked by the hundred, and the passen-
gers were practically held prisoners for
weeks. The interstate commerce of the
entire country, west of Chicago was sus-
pended by the end of June. few mail
trains were allowed to run, bat in many
instances every window was smashed.
In some instances operators were brutal
| iy treated.
"This was the condition of affairs on
| the last of June. Under the laws OF
| Congress it was the duty of the Presi-
dent to protect interstate comm cree. the
mail routes, the sub-treasury at Chica-
go, containing twenty millions Of gov
ernment money, and other United States
property. When the mail and Interstate
| commerce lines were obstruoted and
| paralzyed, it became the duty of the
United States court to take action which
| it did, although the lives of its marshals
were threatened and they were unable to
carry out the lawful orders of the court.
SIT was then and not until than, July
2nd, that President Cleveland ordered
the federal troops to protect the United
States marshals in the lawful execution
of their duties and protect the property
under the jurisdiction of the United
States authorities. At the same time the
longer a strike, but a rebellion. When
the United States marshals under the
protection of federal troops had opened
the lines of Interstate commerce and
mail routes and protection had been o b.
tanned for the property under the juris-
diotion Of United States the troops, were
removed to their former stations, July
"Hence they were in Chicago only
| fifteen days and did not 10 any way In
terfere with the municipal or state au-
thorities. 1he strike was not ordered off
until two weeks later. This demon
sUrates clearly that the federal authori-
| ties had nothing whatever to do with
the so-called strike. Neither had they
anything whatever TO do with the ques-
tions between capital and labor. :"