The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-05
MERRIAM Is ROASTED
In the Minority Report on
Occur D'Alene Troubles.
EVERY RIGHT OF CITIZENS
Viola ted Under the Military
Regime, 1t is Charged.

L
port on the Couer d'Alene investigator
was given out today by Representative
Lentz Of Ohio and Hay OF Virginia, who
drafted It, The following is a summary
drafted it. The following is summary
of its main features:
THE minority report shows that there
was absolutely no rioting in Shoshone
county, 1daho, after April Is, 1853, that
when the troops arrived upon the scene
quiet had been restored, and no resist
ance was being made to the state author
tiles, who we're arresting as rapidly as
| possible those Who were suspected of be-
ing implicated in the crime of April 20,
1899
1t is maintained by the minority that
the troops sent to Idaho by the president
of the United States continued to be I'M
der the control of the president and that
the military commander in command
could only use the troops in aid of the
| civil authorities of the state to preserve
| peace and order and prevent resistance
| being made by lawless persons TO the pro
authorities Of the state. The president OF
the United States has kept and is still
keeping soldiers in that community and
by so doing is unfolding a tyrannicaI
| course of conduct pursued 10y the gov
ernor of Idaho
1.-The minority point out the fragrant in
stances of abuse of power and siolation
of law by General Merriam, the COM
mander Of the troops.
81. General Merriam sent, on May g.
about $50 troops to the town OF Burke,
and arrested without warrant, the entire
male population of that town, consisting
Of about 800 persons. 1t was an outrage
on the liberty Of the citizens which has
no parallel in the annals of this country.
q. General Merriam setn a detachment
Of troops into the state of Montana for
the purpose of arresting fugitiyes from
Idaho.
g. Lieutenant Lyon, acting under the
orders of his superior officers, by threats
work in the Tiger-Poorman mine against
their will No such fragrant invasion of
the right of the citizen can be cited in
the history of this country.
"a. Major Smith suppressed the Null
Mullan, thus denying free speech and
free press. This was a gross violation
of law wholly unjusti1ed.
IS. The permit system, n fact a black
list system, approved by General Mer-
Ram, and kept in operation to this day
by the presence of the military forces OF
the United States, is a violation of law,
which cannot be defended"
In summing up, the minority say they
''are satisfied from the evidence adduced
before the committee that General Mer-
riam was wholly mistaken as TO his pow
ers and duties that his conduct has re-
suited in the gravest injuries to the lib
erty of the citizen and the rights of in
dividuals Innocent men have been kept
in prison for months without trial and
have been finally discharged without any
charges being preferred against them.
AT one time or another there were over
LOO men in the prison at Wardner known
as the bull pen They were kept there
many months. They were not tried They
were not charged with any crimes; they
were held and guarded by United States
troops. 1t was the duty of General Mer-
Ram and of the president of the United
States to inquire into the causes and rea-
sons for the detention of so many Amer
lean citizens No such inquiry was ever
made. Such Indifference is hard to under
stand and harder TO excuse.
"The plea that General Merriam was
acting at the request of the governor Of
Idaho and his state representative, Bart
lett Sinclair, is not good. Neither the
governor nor Sinclair had the right to
violate the law, and General Merriam
knew it. or should have known it.
Although the governor Of Idaho has
for year and more been governing Sho-
shone 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 justified in keeping Unit
ed States soldiers Indefinitely in Shoshone
county at the mere viii Of one man, when
the legislature. representative OF the peo-
ple. could have. and ought TO have, been
convened. and their wishes aseertained-
The majority report was also completed
today and submitted to the minority
members. but it will not be made pubic
until approved by the house military COM
rittee which conducted the investiga-
ton.
Last spring Z. ]. Evans, caro- Iii-' vas
SO run down in health had 10 give UP
work. Was also troubled with boiis and
eczema He writes: Doctors dti ne no
good but before rad snished ne bottle
OF Beggs' Blood Purifier, l began % i'm
prove and an now a wei man : r
Alien. Dockum & Higginson, Geo. \ an