Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-04
TROOPS NOT NEEDED
MINORITY REPORT ON THE COEUR
D'ALENE INVESTIGATION.
1t is Claimed That Quiet Had Been
Restored When the Soldiers Ar
rived on the Scene.

The minority report on the Occur d'Alene
investigation was given out today by Rep
resentatives Lentz of Ohio and Hay of Vir-
ginia. who drafted it. The following is a
summary Of its main features:
THE minority point out that the evidence
taken during the investigation shows that
there was absolutely no rioting in Sho-
shone county, Idaho after April 20, 1899:
that when the United States troops ar
rived upon the scene quiet had been re-
stored and no resistance was being made
to the state authorities, who were arrest
ing as rapidly as possibly those who were
suspected of being implicated in the crime
of April %, 1899.
the troops sent to Idaho by the President
of the United States continued to be under
the control of the President. and that the
military commander in command could
only use the troops in aid of the civil au-
thorities of the state to preserve peace and
order and prevent resistance being made
by lawless persons to the process of the
courts and the proper civil authorities of
the state. The President of the United
States has kept and is still keeping sol
diers in that community, and by so doing
is upholding a tyranncal course of conduct
pursued by the governor of Idaho.
Alleged Abuse of Power.
THE minority point out five fragrant in
stances of abuse of power and violation of
law by General Merriam, the commander
of the troops.
IL General Merriam sent on May about
$50 troops to the town of Burke and ar
rested without warrant the entire male
population of that town. consisting of about
300 persons. 1t was an outrage upon the
liberty of the citizens which has no paral-
lei in the annals of this country.
80. General Merriam sent a detachment
of frOOnS ne of Montana the
purpose of arresting fugit!ves from Ida1o.
an inexcusable exercise of arbitrary power
by General Merriam.
.33. Lieutenant Lyon. acting under the or
ders of his superior officer by threats of
violence forced certain citizens to work in
the Tger-Poorman mine against their Will.
No such fragrant invasion of the right OF
the citizen can be cited in the history Of
this country.
Il. Major Smith suppressed the Mullan
Mirror. a newspaper published at Mullan.
thus denying free speech and free press.
This was a gross violation of law wholly
unjustified.
IS. The permit system-in fact. a black
list system-apprOved by General Merriam
and kept in operation to this day by the
presence of the military forces of the United
States Is violation of law which cannot
be defended"
Gen. Merriam's Attitude.
In summing up the minority say they
'are satisfied from the evidence adduced
before the committee that Gen. Merriam
was wholly mistaken as to his powers and
duties; that his conduct has resulted in the
gravest injuries to the liberty of the citizen
and the rights of individuals. Innocent
men have been kept in prison for months
without trial and have been finally dis
charged without any charges being pre-
ferred against them.
AT one time or another there were over
100 men in the prison at Wardner, known
many months. They were not tried. They
We're not charged with any crime; they
were held and guarded by United States
troops 1t was the duty of Gen Merriam
and of the President of the United States
to inquire into the causes and reasons for
the detention of so many American citizens.
No such inquiry was ever made. Such in
difference is hard to understand and harder
to excuse.
THE plea that Gen. Merriam was acting
at the request of the governor Of Idaho and
is not good. Neither the governor nor Sin
clair had the right to violate the law. And
Gen. Merriam knew 1t, or should have
known 1t.
although the governor Of Idaho has for
year and more been governing Shoshone
county by martial law, he has never called
the Legislature together; the laws of Idaho
provide that session of the legislature can
be called on twenty days notice. The
minority hold that the President is not JUS
titled in keeping United States soldiers in
will of one man. when the legislature rep
resentative Of the people, could have been
and ought to be convened and their wishes
ascertained."