The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-07
PLACED IN~STOCKADE
WITH THE RIOTERS
County Commissioner William Boyle
Also In Custody.
For the Removal of
These Men From Office Will Be
Commenced neutrality-suspicious.
France Now Acting Sherif-Gen-
eral Merriam Says Formation of
Such Labor Unions Should Be
Made a Crime.

! Wardner, Ida, May 1.-THE first step
toward removing the county officials
of ShOshone county who are accused
of being in sympathy with the rioters
was taken today by the state, assisted
by United States troops, when Sheriff
James d. Young and County Commits
sioner William Boyle were arrested by
order of State Auditor Sinclair, who
represents Governor Steunenberg in
Shoshone county.
Sheriff Young and Commissioner
Boyle were placed in the stockade with
the 300 other prisoners. Proceedings
for the removal of these officials from
office will be commenced on the ground
that they aided and abetted the riot
last Saturday. Coroner France, by
statutory regulation, becomes acting
sheriff.
The trial of those accused of murder
and riot will in all probability be held
at Wallace, the county seat of Sho-
shone county. The United States troops
have taken charge of the office and
safe of the Burke miners union, and
when the safe is opened the federal
officials expect to find discriminating
evidence against some of the leaders
who are absent from the state.
Want a Military Post.
Citizens and business men here are
almost unanimous in favor of the es-
Enlistment of military post in the
Occur d'Alene district as a means of
protection against the riotous element,
but General Merriam believes the state
authorities should provide protection
for mineowners.
Speaking of the matter. General Mer-
RAM said there are grave difficulties
in the way of establishing a permanent
military post here. The constitution
of the United States does not contem-
plate that the federal government shall
intervene in state affairs until the state
has exhausted every resource of self
protection. Indeed. were the post here,
the situation would not be materially
changed, for the soldiers would be pow
erless to move against the rioters until
authorized by the president on request
of the governor.
With garrisons at Spokane. Helena.
Fort Sherman and perhaps Missoula,
troops could be crowded in here almost
as rapidly as if they were on the
ground, and the time gained by having
the post here would be slight.
Fault of the Governor.
When the request came for troops
this time the soldiers were rushed in
here at once. That they were not here
in time to avoid loss of life and prop
erty, is the fault of the governor, who
failed to call for troops until the dam
age had been done. The same condi- |
ton would exist were a permanent pos: /
here. Until the governor called for |
their aid, the soldiers would be power |
less. 1t is the fault of the state that |
she was not ready to give protection |
to her citizens against such outrages |
as these. She should have militia |
enough to cope with such outbreaks.
When the national guard of Idaho |
went TO the war the militia should |
have been reorganized, so that it would |
still be ready for such trouble. The
laXity which has prevailed in the pros
ecution of murdererS who have infested |
this district would soon be remedied
should the state pass a law for indem-
nifty from the state funds of $4,000 to
the family of every man killed in a
riot. The law might also provide that
owners of property destroyed by mobs
should be reimbursed TO the amount of
its full value by the state.
Payment Of a few such awards would
soon bring the people to sense of the
crimes being perpetrated here. At the
same time, since the trouble largely
originated in hostile organizations of
men known as labor unions. he would
suggest law making the formation of
such unions or kindred societies a