The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-16
IGNORANT OR vIcIoUs-wHICH.

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A week ago the Cincinnati Central FEEDER
Ram for the action Of the Governor OF
Idaho in breaking up the labor unions in
that State which nave undertaken TO drive
away all nonunion miners. On Sunday the
organization in New York denounced Gen.
Merriam and called upon the President to
investigate. One delegate attributed the &C.
ton to Imperialism and another spoke Of
shouldering a gun. II seems impossible that
men of ordinary Intelligence do not under
stand why General Merriam In In idaho
and why he is arresting the members Of
labor unions I'm that State. 1t may be that
they dc not care to know, yet II seems i'm
portant that all should know. Neither the
President nor any officer Of the United
States army has authority to enter a State
and proceed to quell any disturbance unless
1t shall be an Instruction against the au-
thority of the United States. The lawIess-
ness In Idaho Is not Of that character.
Bodies of miners have organized to drive
%nonunion men working in a large mining
establishment from their employment. To
tAAo tAN q idt6C iHlC DO0e dtldChCu dAlo
scattered several hundred n~onunion men,
killing two and destroying a stamping or
smelling works worth $4,000. The Gov
ernor, who is a Democrat, had no available
armed force to suppress this lawlessness.
Acting upon his constitutional right, he
called upon the President for troops to en-
able him TO suppress insurrection. The
Draofl.-x h. - ~ 49,. a.
respond to his call. General Merriam was
directed to report to the Governor of Idaho
with troops. This he has done, and he is
acting under the Governors orders. The
policy OF breaking up the miners unions
is the Governors policy; the arresting of
ernor. General Merriam and his subor-
dinates are simply under the orders of the
Governor and are no more responsible for
making the arrests than the sheriff who
serves the writs of a court.
A few years ago the miners organiza-
tons in Idaho melted a relentless persecu-
ton of miners who would not join the
mining region, destroying property and
hunting nonunion miners and mine man.
ayers. numbering and wounding a large
lumber. They were permitted to have
things their own way. The present outbreak
threatened to be a repetition of the troubles
of a few years ago. Governor ~Steunenberg
decided that there should not be a repeti-
ton of that lawlessness and called upon
the federal government for troops to en-
able him to prosecute the instigators. He
has declared martial law because the civil
officers in the locality were Ineffective; he
has directed the arrest OF all union miners
in the region. his purpose being to break
up the unions. which he believes TO be the
cause of the lawlessness. The Governors
remedy seems drastic. but whether it is or
is not, it is his remedy and not that of an
officer of the United States army.
1t seems necessary to dwell upon this
case because there are many conscienceless
political capital, have been warning the
people that the regular army is a menace
to their liberties. Gathered into labor asso-
Citations in the larger cities are a consider
able number of loud-mouthed lawless per-
sons fittingly called Anarchists. They regard
as enemies the officers of the law, whether
police or troops They are specially enraged
at the appearance of armed men because
they are effective. So far as federal army
officers are concerned it will be difficult TO
cite an occasion where they have trans
cended the strict Interpretation of the orders
under which they nave acted.