Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-10-30
Federal Troops in Idaho.

Federal Troops in Idaho.
1t will be remembered that. last
spring, a serious riot, instigated by
striking miners, occurred in Shoshone
county Idaho, which resulted in the
loss of several lives and the deStruc-
ton OF over $3.50, 900 worth of property.
About 100 men responsible for these
crimes were arrested, and when the
selves unable to guard the prisoners
and preserve peace an appeal was
made to the national government for
assistance. A company of troops was
accordingly sent into the county, and
there they have remained, effectively
protecting life and property.
When these soldiers We're sent there
and while they have remained. the
demagogic PopOcrats of the West have
kept up an unceasing howl, denounc-
ing the proceeding as a military op-
preston of organized labor by the Re
publican administration One of the
noisiest of this class has been Henry
o. Morris, the Pueblo, Colorado, ro-
mancer and prophet Only the other
day, the Journal received from him
paper containing an article on the
Idaho situation. 1t was lurid and
blood -curdling, like all he writes. and
he drew an awful picture of despotc
militarism. Every vile epithet in the
wide range of his vocabulary was hurl-
ed at the soldiers and their officers.
and President Mckinley and Mark
Hanna We're reviled and denounced
with vicious energy worthy the au-
thor of Waiting for the Signal
All this senseless clamor has con-
tinued in spite Of the f,ct t.-at the
troops were sent in response TO an
urgent request from the Democratic
governor of Idaho. And now this gov
ernor has come out in a statement over
his own signature which completely
does away with the case of these noisy
slande; ers. The secretary of war hc;v-
ing expressed desire to withdraw the
troops and leave the care of the pris-
oners to the Idaho authorities, the gov
ernor protests against this and says
the withdrawal of the troops would
surely result i'll the destruction Of life
and property And the governor goes
on in these bold terms to ccnfound the
demagogues in his own party:
"It should be understood that this il;
not conflict between capital and la
Dor, ror Il question of wages. bnt it is a
conflict between the state of Idaho and
certain criminal organiza tions which
seek to cloak themselves under the
cover of labor organzat tione. Tines"
organizations were originally undouht-
cdly legal and proper, ard We're organ
lied for commendahlc purpose. but
they have been taken possession of by
men who utterly ignore all law, vino
are anarchists in belief and practice.
and by such men transformed into
criminal combina ions. We do not
concede for a moment that these or
ganizations in Shushrac county, to
which we are referring. have anything
in common with the great labor or
ganizations throughout thc country,
and that they are not in any way to be
considered in that light. We are not in
conflict with organized labor, as such,
in any manner whatever. At the pres
ent time in the Occur D'Alencs quiet
apparently prevails, but it is solely by
reason of the presence of the Federal
troops"
Thus it is seen that there is no
politics and no real labor question in
volvcd. 1t is simply a fight between
anarchy and law. and the frank tcsti-
mony of Governor Steunenberg com
pletely vindicates the federal govern
ment's action in sending the soldiers
to Idaho at his request. His state
ment should silence those PopocratiC
agitators who have been misrepresent-
ing the situation for party purposes.