Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-08-19
TANNER SHOULD ACT.
The Invasion of illinois by Iowa
Militia Arms at
Fulton.
INVESTIGATION Is WARRANTED.

the Same. aud hey Won the Day.
The position taken by Gov. Tanner
in reply to THE ARGUS inc uiry 10
TO what part the state of Illinois pro-
posed to take in view Of the invasion
of Fulton with Iowa arms last Fri.
day night, has occasioned much
comment in Rock Island, and while
there are those who maintain that
the governor should be provided
with affidavits from men in the ex.
petition who knew absolutely the
situation. the majority OF citizens
conversed with take the ground that
the governor should not wait for
more Information than the advice
that such thing occurred. He
need not act until he orders the in.
vestigation, but he should act 80 far
as the investigation is concerned.
As one citizen said this morn
ing: "Who but the governor
have we to look to in matters Of
this kind? That is what we have
such an officer for"
Osps. Roots vindIotivensss.
The Clinton Age, speaking Of the
possibility of interstate trouble over
the Clinton arms incident, says:
"Capt. c. l.. Root was seen at his of.
flee by an Age representative Tues
day afternoon. He opened his vault
and showed the Age man where Com
pany LIS ammunition is kept, and as
he alone has tho combination, and
was not on this eide Of the river dur
ing the progress of the riot. it is
plain to be seen that none Of that
ammunition was taken to Fulton.
Said Capt. Root:
mo part Of the riot was INDUCED
in by single member of Company
L. No ammunition Of any kind be-
longing to Company L. or anyone
else, was taken to Fulton. The
riot was instigated. and its expenses
will be paid the same as the
last one was) by the board of di-
rec,ors, of which Gen. Reece is a
member. The only rifles which l
saw in Fulton were in the hands OF
officials Of the state OF Illinois-not
one OF whom had a single cartridge
and they were used to protect the
Rock Islanders from the gathering
crowd drawn together by the form
er's unlawful raid on a peaceful city,
without cause or justice.
capt. Root laughs at what he
terms the way Rock Island is trying
to draw attention from their unlaw-
full acts and direct it elsewhere, and
calls attention to the letter written
to the mayor Of Rock Island by the
governor of Illinois, and says: Il
advise Gen. Reece TO come to Fulton
to make his Investigations, instead
Of getting his information from the
lips of lot OF whipped and mis-
guided men,"
These utterances show the deep
interest Capt. Boot took in the trou-
bic at Fulton. This Root is q broth.
er of. c. Root. the erstwhile head con-
sal Of the NV. A. order. who with the
Bastians, Clendenin and others we're
deposed in 1890 from control of the
order. and hence their antagonism to
every act on the part of the order
since-including the removal qres-
tion-is very clearly established.
Capt. Roots insult OF the Illinois
people is. therefore. taken for what
it is worth. The Rock Island men
were whipped only by the use of the
arms Of the Iowa militia. the bring.
ing Of which into the state Capt
Root ordered. And the facts are
that had the Illinois militia compa-
MES been ordered to Fulton the night
of the riot. they would have found
Iowa militiamen and arms to COM
bat.
Evidence 10 Flsntifol.
Capt. Root seems inclined to sho y
that no ammunition was brought
into Illinois, but he does not say
anything about the arms. An inves-
tigation, however, will probably
show that the guns of the Iowa Ma
tional Guard we're not without am.
munition, but be that as it NAV, the
fact that guns were brought over
and used to intimidate is sufficient
cause for the investigation in itself.
Abundance of evidence can be pro-
duced to aid the governor, il he will
order the investigation. Here is the
prepared statement of one witness
whom The ARGUS will produce II
necessary, and who will 90 to Clin.
ton. il the governor desires. and pick
ont the witnesses in support OF the
charges made: "Fridsy Aug. Is. l
mpanied the people o; Rock ISL
and to Fulton. should Judge there
were $50 people on the train. They
went to Fulton for the purpose Of re-
moving the records Of the head Office
Of the Modern Woodmen from Full.
ton to Rock Island. / am not q
member Of the order and went with
the party ont of mere curiosity.
The Rock Island people were un-
armed with the exception that two
or three had revolvers. This 10 onlv
hearsay. l did not see but one re.
volver. and that WAS the one taken
from the city marshal of Fulton.
The Fulton people attacked the Rock
Islanders before oil Of them were on
the train. A pitched battle ensued,
both sides using stones. brick bats,
elm bs etc The Rock IalanA ell.