Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-04-20
THE IDAHO TROUBLE.
DEMOCRATS WILL FAIL 70 MAKE
1T a NATIONAL ISSUE.
The Attempt Has Been Nullifed Main
ly Through Gov. steunenberR, Him
self a Democrat-Chief objection to
Free Trade with Porto Rico.

The efforts that have been made to
develop u national issue in the line OF
anti-militarism out of the use of United
States troops in suppressing the rioting
in connection with the Occur d'-Alene
mining strike have been nullitied MAIN
ly through the manly stand of Gov.
~Steunenberg, of Idaho. Gov. Steunen-
berg is IL Democrat and IL member of a
labor union. When the trouble between
union and non-union laborers In the
mining districts developed into Il riot
the Governor called upon the President
for troops to aid in the restoration of
peace. He represented that lives We're
being lost and property destroyed In
riots which the State authorities were
unable to suppress. Under the consti-
tuition, which guarantees government
protection to the lives and property of
citizens in every State in the Union. 1t
was President McINinley's duty to aid
in restoring peace in Idaho. once lie had
been convinced that the State authori-
ties We're unable to cope with the exist
ing disturbances. That was the eX-
tent of the Presidents connection with
the affair.
The United States troops co-operated
with Gov. Steunenberg and no mild
measures We're used. Scores of rioters
were arrested and kept in confinement
until all danger of further lawlessness
WAS ut an end. The United States
troops We're kept OH duty only until
Gov. Sterncnberg could secure trust
worthy men to take their places as
guards. but as the sympathies of ill.,
habi;ants of the mining regions We're
almost unanimously with the striking
miners who had been responsible for
the rioting this WAS not an easy mat
ter. The troops we're retained for sew
eral weeks after the war department
had requested their release at the
earliest possible moment.
Naturally there was resentment
among the strikers and their friends in
Idaho that their plans for intimidating
the mine owners and non-union miners
had failed. and the presence of the
troops was bitterly inveighed against
as an invasion of State rights. militar-
ism, etc. OF course the matter found
it's way into politics. and i'll the course
of time Il Congressional investigation
was instituted. The investigation is
=. still going on. but it has proceeded far
enough to show the emptiness of the
hopes of the Democrats toward making
any political capital out of it.
Gov. S~teunenberg. in his exhaustive
testimony, has from first to last taken
the responsibility for summoning the
troops to Idaho, for their retention and
for everything they did while on duty
there. He insists that the reign of an
archy in the mining regions could never
have been controlled without the
troops; that he retained their services
no longer than was absolutely neces-
sary and that nc other measures than
the vigorous mes he adopted would
have resulted in the eventual restora-
ton of order. He declares that lie
would resort to the same %eXpedients
again If the same conditions should
arise.
In the light of the testimony of the
Democratic Governor of Idaho and his
own positive assumption of the re.
sponsibility for the reign of .smilitar-
ism" in Idaho the Democratic hopes for
making capital out of the unpleasant
state of affairs there last fall have been
summarily disposed of.-Sioux CITY
Journal.