The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-26
THE THREAT.0F FEDERAL TROOPS.

The threat of Mckinley and Griggs to
send troops to North Carolina to over
run the State if necessary" should serve
to call attention to certain tendencies
that are becoming more and more marx
ed of recent years-the tendency of the
central government to interfere III purely
local affairs The time has been when
the President of the United States would
no more have thought Of sending Federal
troops into State to supervise its cleo
tons than of sending an army into
Canada for a like purpose. That was
''in the days when u President of the
United States was n servant of the peo-
pie" instead of a tool of the trusts.
The Democratic party when it repn-
dated Cleveand's action in sending
troops to Chicago was denounced as Il
propagator of anarchy" and many men
of small calbre and smaller courage
were thereby frightened into supporting
the trust-ridden party of Capitalization
and Federal tyranny. Emboldened by
success in the election of their candidate
and the ease with which that class Of
men called conservative" because that
is more polite than timid, were caught
by the silly campaign cry this govern
mcnt by aggregated interests IS minded
to try the temper of the people little
further. Hence this declaration of
pettifogger-General Griggs that States
will be "overrun' if at any time they |
should appear FESTIVE under the demina- |
ton of the negro or tool of the trusts
Does the pettifogger-General imagine |
that the States of the Union are settled |
Nv more or less naughty children who |
have to receive words of warning and |
admonition at stated intervals from the |
legal adviser to paternal government! |
Is not Grggs suffering from that oaty |
feeling? And do the negro-hecling |
cuckoos of this State imagine that white |
men will crawl under the bed at the |
wagging of the Griggsy tongue and the |
brandishing of the Griggsy slipper? Does |
a cowardly Governor and a scalawag |
Senator fancy that other men are as
easily frightened as they?
In this new move of the Mckinley adj |
ministration there is food for some quiet |
Illumination on the part of those who
have been inclined to throw up their |
hats and shout for an increase of the |
standing army to 100000 men. Federal
troops are to be sent into States ad
libitum to restore order" Who created |
the disorder in this instance? The par
tisans of Governor Russell, who is to
call for these Federal bayonets, melted
thereto by unprincipled scoundrels of
Governor Russell's party. Can not a
few partisans always be found about
election times to stir up strife which
their Chief Executive will be quiet pow
erless to suppress for the simple reason
that he will not want to suppress it?
With an army of 100000 men under his |
command a liberty and peace-loving |
President can spare a few thousand for |
every disorderly State that is about to
vote against his party in the Union at |
election times. And they can be instruct |
ed to show no favors to anarchists" and |
such like.
From sending out troops to 'overrun" |
States for disorder created by partisans
of the President who sends them, dis |
corning men will not fail to see it is not |
far cry to a military despotism main |
tanned in the name of law.
If Russell were to call for troops to-
day they would be sent Griggs' declara-
ton makes that plain. Would they come
to preserve law and order? Not at all.
They would come to keep Russell and
his gang in office that they may be in
a position to create more disorder,
and by the help of more Federal bayo-
nets steal the State in 1900 for McI<in
ley and the trusts Of whom he has shown
himself always the open friend, if not
the plant tool.