The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-24
THE FAILURE OF MARTIAL LAW.

IMPORTS from Idaho to the effect that persons
~ brought from the notorious bull pen at Kellogg
to attend court at Wallace have in some in
stances obtained exemption from the indignity OF
confinement in Jail by paying tribute to the county
jaer adds the thing required to complete pub
lie Indignation against the methods which have been
made use of by the authorities to bring to punishment
the persons guilty OF the crimes committed at the out
break of the miners strike.
1t has been urged in justification of the action of
the Governor in procaiming martial law, and OF the
subsequent action of the military authorities that
condition of lawessness prevails in the mining dis
trct around Wardner with which the civil authorities
are powerless to cope Even if the charge true
it would not justify all that has been done there IN
the way of suspendng the habeas corpus act, sup
pressing trial by jury and sencing the press. Still
less would it in any way atone for the license per
mitted to the soldiery to insult women, or to the
seeming immunity of the ailer in evying tribute
upon prisoners committed to his charge.
1t must be remembered, however, that there has
been no proof offered to sustain the charge that the
striking miners either abetted the commission of
crimes or sympathzed with those who committed
them No class of the American people have been
more earnest or more severe in condenning such
crimes than the workngmen OF the country, and par
ticularly those who stand representatives OF
ganized labor There are ample reasons for believing
that had the civil law been left to take its the
workingmen of the district would have cordially
operated with the authorities in hunting down the
criminals in obtaining evidence against them and in
furnishing them after conviction.
From all reports that to it appears no op-
portunity given the workingmen to show their
respect for law and their adherence for crime AS
soon the outrages committed and they were
even injurious labor than capital, martial
law was proclaimed and the authorities began to
hunt down and harass the workingmen of the dis
trict as if they were outlaws. Men arrested by
wholesale and confined in the bull pen" and eff
fort made to establish rigid censorship which would
prevent the proceedings of the authorities being
made known to the public.
Fortunately The Call managed to obtain reports
some from the Hon. Patrick Reddy and others from
sources equally reliable, all tending to show the ex-
cess to which the development of imperialism
and martial law has been carried 1t is in vain there
fore that the press of the district has been sienced
The truth is becoming known, and the more that is
learned OF it the gross appear the ofenses
mitted against American freedom and American law
The workingmen of the mining district affected by
the strike should have been given a chance to free
themselves from any suspicion of completely with
cowardly crimes and outrages. That has been the
attitude assumed by workingmen throughout the
country who have taken action the subject No
slightest exists for believing that the
Miners Union any other union OF American
workingmen either abet crime sympathize with it.
and martial law in this country, which leads to the
insulting OF women by negro troops or any other
troops, and to extorton by jaiers, find just-
fcaton in anything encouraged by American work
ingmen, either by precept practice