The representative., 1899-11-09
THE TROUBLE IN IDAHO.

THE TROUBLE IN IDAHO.
The Republican administration is he
ginning TO feel the evil effects of the
oppression of the. workingmen. the
miners OF Idaho, by the troops of the
general government, and they are COM
peiled to disavow all responsibility for
these actions. Consequently, Mr.. Root.
PRESIDENT McKinley's secretary of war
mas written to Gov Steunenberger of
lQaho, protesting against the further
employment of government troons IN
guard the prisoners, saying:
81 am informed that they are now be-
.s. uoeu ny the civil authorities of the
o .a'c anu county as guard for certain
prlsoners-upward of a hundred in n1,,,hnn
.,. ~ nave peen arrested by the civil an
lnoiIlies upon warrants issued by the civil
court, and are held under such warrants Nv
,mu,o.nen,s, na,,n found by the grand jury of the
tban, .na' tnese prisoners, or most of
% %enen nave been held for a number of
months and that during the period of tbo;r
uetenuon the district court of Sbosbono
county whfehyTs the court having iurisd;oe
t ;,on 70 Try indictments found by the grand
ui,h,4 n's twlce convened and adjourned
tbat ~ Diineihg these prisoners to trial:
l. mi
De heio until January of next wear and u,
isan'ime unless something is done to
prevent 1t, these prisoners would remain i,
PRISON under guard of the troons of thn
United States'' 'p' VI the
ne governor, under date Of Oct 10
replies to Secretary Root, and claims
'ha' the withdrawal of the United Statos
soldiers would result in great 1ocs 90
life and property:
covert threats" the governor adds. "are
constantly being made by those who on
saseu e IN ihe riot of April 49, which resulted
III the destruction of some $3.50 OOO worth ~
property and the assassination Of two ,,o,' ~
tnat as soon as the troops are removed thov
VIII sratlfy their revenge upon those citi
Zens VINO have been induced to asset tho
STATE IN its attempts to ferret out crime
tho. 'ue history or That region convinces me
,nat these are are not idle threats or tho
uoasting OF irresponsible parties but are
tHe expressions of deliberate and we'll ar
ranged purposes and plans
II should be understood that II is not
conlIIct between capital and labor, nor a
question OF wages, but it ia a conn;ot ~
tween the state of Idaho and cartoir or;,,,:
MAJ organizations which seek to cloak them
serves under the cover of labor organize
tlons. Inese organizations were Originally
undoubtedly legal and proper, and were
tn sanlHeu ior commendable purpose. but
tney nave been taken possession Of hv mo-,
who utterly ignore all law who oro nen
cnists In belief and practice, and nv sucb
men transformed into criminal con,bino
.,ons. we DO not concede for nomon+
tnat these organizations in shoshone county
% ~ WHICH we are referring have anything in
common with the great labor orpanizo+ior
throughout the country, and thev ora uas
20 oe considered IN that light. We are not
~ cohlllct with organized labor as such IN
any manner whatever" :"
we understand that these minors .ro
struggling for the same ends aimed .+
by all labor organizations. to-wit.
iair wage and fair treatment The mine
owners would like the miners to wor,,
at starvation wages. The governor
percelves that the treatment of these
miners has stirred up the friends of
labor all over the country, and NAV re-
suit IN great political damage to the Re-
publican party in Ohio, Nebraska etc
AND SO he seeks to show that labor in
1daho has no connection with labor in
any part of the United States. This is
ali nonsense and will deceive no ono
Inc mine owners simply desire to on
press the miners. and are using tho
military forces of the United States az a
sort OF police force to that end. The
constitution provides that a state shall
not De invaded by the military forces Of
the United States unless the legislature
or the governor, If the legislature can.
not be convened, asks for it. # is owl
dent that the people In Idaho are IN
sympathy with the workingmen: this Is
SHOWN by the fact, stated by Secretary
Root that the grand jury Of shoshone !
county has twice refused to find indict.
ments against the prisoners. so held bv
the soldiers Of the United States.
we DO not suppose that the miners of
!oano Will ask anything unreasonable.
II they do the people of Idaho viii not
sSmpathize with them. It is o. f1a++,o !
pet"een the greed of corporations ond
tne necessities of labor; and It is ah-
suro TO pretend that the whole state of
ioano' filled with fighting frontiersmen
cannot preserve peace within Its own
Dorders without provoking the aid eot
the general government.
Let the soldiers be withdro
we want no despotic military 60 80
ment in this country, -
n n