Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-19
His Part in the Idaho Labor Trou-
bles.
ISSUANCE OF PERMITS TO WORK
Complaints Of the Unions anc
Action Taken.
PRESIDENTS INSTRUCTIONS

chief item of interest in the report is the
| fact that General Merriam disclatms all
| responsibility for the order refusing en-
| ployment to union men in the mines. He
| says that this regulation was drawn by
| the state authorities, and his only connec-
! ton with it was to liberalize certain of it's
| provisions, after which he placed his name
| at the bottom with the words, examined
| and approved" He says it was not his in
| tention that his troops should have any
part in debating the condition of labor in
| Idaho and that they never did so.
The other point which he makes is that
the prisoners, of whom at time there
| were more than 400, were not properly
| cared for until he had called the attention
of the state authorities to the matter, after
which their condition was materially i'm
proved
| In order to show that he was acting I'M
| der orders from Washington in suppressing
| the labor riots, General Merriam gives all
| the correspondence that passed on that
| subject.
Orders to Go to Idaho.
1t opens with a telegram from Adjutant
General Corbn to General Merriam al Dem
yer, Col, dated April 80, 1899, as follows:
THE governor of Idaho reports an insur-
rection beyond the power of the state to
control existing in Shoshone county of that
state. The acting secretary of war directs
that you repair at once to the capital of
that state and after conference with the
authorities thence you go to the seat OF ac-
ton, calling to your aid such troops as may
| be most convenient regardless of depart
ment lines"
In accordance with this telegram General
Merriam was at Glenns Ferry, Idaho, May
/, where he was met by Gov. Frank Steu-
nenberg, who, with several officers of his
staff had come out from Boise to meet him
iy1S ~flar TO hcSf an he Tn ne
and undertaken for the restoration of law
and order in the turbulent mining region
of Shonshone county.
Gen. Merriam then narrated in detail the
steps taken by him for the arrest of the
rioters and the preservation of peace, after
the governor of the state had proclaimed
the county of Shoshone to be lin state of
instruction and rebellion" When the
governor declared martial law in that
county General Merriam co-operated with
the state authorities in arresting everybody
implicated in the riots.
The President inquired of General Mer
Ram, May 4, If the situation called for the
issuance of a proclamation under section
$500. and was informed, under the same
date that there was at that time no sign
of organized resistance.
Issue of Labor Permits.
In reference to the governors proclama-
ton with respect to labor permits Cen
eral Merriam says:
1T was not intended that the troops I'M
der my command should assume any part
whatever in carrying INTO effect these or
any other rules affecting laborers or labor
In the state OF ldahO, nor nave they done
SO in the remOtest degree.
1t has seemed TO me necessary TO peVery
explicit in reporting upon this system of
labor permits because of the persistency of
a portion of the public press, and especially
of the various labor unions all over the
country, in charging me with making the
order which is quoted in the preamble OF
the above proclamation.
rms practice has been continued and
emphasized in spite Of the sef-proclaimed
authorship SHOWN IN the phrase by the
utiy co Oh s C s.ate dulhoilltes.
Nay - ereheLai MeCLialin Ie C, d tsl5
Slaii from AuJu'ai' 1eNeial Coroih DIS loi-
lows ,, ,.,
~ IS charseo III fesolatons by me
$3.50 10 mo-. jug t Gu py Iiie
4 4, .iat o"Hs " itithoS III Soeul
1919 @ ~ a., ~ tile NJ VI en-
; ing any MAJ uiiesn ne ms niahss am
49, tii'. 10 60. t VA ~ iiliie anu
tt,.; ;iie a. ny sst " "tu me S'ale ao
nronort,, ;s 49, ,,od ~ $500 au ~
10y - - ,rin -. t,, ~ sI -. &c ~. ne az
I1t e it,,i airuIs ne me
S,s VI i uilrsI t "a NJ MIllCH
dent wishes a Statement of focts ne o,1ae -
"ehi' "'si'es =" 9e"Nei'ie'i' W iacls al ohee'
Gen. Merriam's Explanation.
General Merriam replied to the adiutant
earersI nrountIv &c foI,ous.
.nSi.i
Nesoio'ions ieleiieo 10 III your teie-
gram are at fault, ike most others on that
subject State authorities require miners
to obtain permits, but no affidavits are re-
quired. Men must sign paper denying
participation in the crimes of April %, also
deny membership in any society which did
incite or approve those crimes and promise
to obey the law.
Troops are taking no part in this unless
Keeping the peace does so. Every mine
owner have seen strongly approves
To show his policy in the matter Gen.
Merriam quotes the following order issued
by him to Major Allen Smith, LIST Cavalry
at Wardner, May "a:
In my absence you viii become the
senior officer on duty with troops in this
county, now under martial law by procla-
nation of the governor of Idaho dated
May 3. 1899. The troops are here by order
~ w. me e. rresi rai 10 aa .he STATE eNecu
the state government to fts leeirimate funr,
| lions. To this end we are exercising the
extraordinary powers which obtain under
naa "a. iam' ~ we nus not IoIseI tlte
a'S % usais 'iits power win eIeal
+1no r uo,,,t ~ .ne emu ma VIII
sons tn al enres maadfuI ~ tb a., hit
~ az r.as re-. ne, ieeui III ~ .lie opJece
~ go -. aie We iias tiot w i. "