The age-herald., 1898-10-15
TANNER DEFENDS
 HIS POSITION Emphatica||y Against Importation
 of Labor Into Illinois. HO GRUDGE AGAINST NEGRO Believes in Granting Them the Same Pr' .>ges as White Men. 
 = =
  CRlMikS 5 AND IDLE GLASSES N q DS s.ot Intend for His Stale to be Z < Dumping Ground. V
 CRAIG EXCEEDED AUTHORITY Searching Trains Was Not Done By the Governors Orders Colonel
 <l
2 .ot Intend for His Stale to be
 Dumping Ground.
CRAIG EXCEEDED AUTHORITY
Searching Trains Was Not Done By the Governors Orders Colonel Young Was Instructed Motto
 Interfere With Railroads.

Springfield, H., October Ex-Governor Tanner tonight gave out lengthy inter- vew to the associated Press regarding the situation at Virden and his attitude in the importation of miners into the state. He said:
 My position has been from the beginn ng and I am now positive in that position emphaticallly against the importation of la- bor into Illinos is not from the southern states alone, but from all other states, be- cause such a pernicious system as I have said before necessarily brings to our state and dumps upon society an undesirable class of citizens and I do not propose, if can help it, that the state of Illino shall be used as dumping ground for the crim- inal and idle classes of other countries or states.
 If one, two, three or even larger num- bers come to our state in the proper order and in the ordinary way, seeking honest employment and the mine owners see fit to employ them, I wll give them all the protection necessary to peacefully operate their mines The Chicago Virden company has been an intentional law breaker; has sent an agent to Alabama and by false pretenses induced negroes to come here, loading them on the trains like cattle lock- ing the doors of the cars, feeding them like stock and procuring the services of armed guards from detective agency and involving the state in an Illegal manner
 He says if he had been apprised of the coming of the train he should have had it met at the state line with the nat onal guard and q sarmed and made prisoners of every man bearing arms.
 Guards Fired First He charges the owners of the Chicago Virden Coal mine with firing on the miners first and with being law-breakers and criminally responsible for the bloodshed or Wednesday, and their detectives and guards as guilty of murder. He says he believes they should and will be indicted by the grand jury for murder.
 Referr ne to the action of Captain Craig in searching the train which bore the negro miners back to Virden last evening, she governor said that Captain Craig had ex- ceeded his authority and that he had in- structed Colonel Young, now commanding at Virden to not interfere with the opera ton of the trains nor to invade them, but to only prevent the unloading of imported laborers which unloading would at once bring about trouble.
 "As said in the beginnig,'' continued the governor, it is not my purpose, nor sas it been from the first, to discriminate against the negro The negro has the same righe under our laws and constitution az 6g other classes and nationalities. What am opposed to is the pernicious system of im- porting labor.
 "Perhaps in placing an embargo upon im- ported labor I am a little in advance of statutory enactment. Howevr, sometimes in the interest of society it becomes neces- sary to enforc law in advanc of it's statu- tory enactment.
 Many good people, perhaps. think that I should have sent troops to Virden before this difficulty occurred. Had l done so l would have been using the state as an agent to further the interests of the mine owners, as the moment the troops had been landed they would have dispersed the idle miners, and of course, the avaricious mine owners could have landed their imported labor without difficulty, thus accomplishing their end"
 Culver of Excitement
 Virden, Ill., october 14-A new culver of excitement swept over this town hourly throughout the afternoon and from 2 o'clock till nightfal rumor followed rumor and not even the best informed had any definite idea as to what would develop dur ing the night. Rumors that another train load of negroes was on its way here kept the excitement at high tension, but the militia are in complete possession of the stockade and are closely guarding the rail- road proper. The eoroners jury heard large number of witnesses today but did not conclude its work.
 Warrants were sworn out today before local mag strate by an officer of the miners union charging Pres dent Loucks and Man ager Lukens and others with conspiracy to murder, but on the advice of the military officers fin charge here they were not served.
 General Manager Lukens, of the Chicago virden Coal company, today made the fol- lowing statement in regard to the wages