The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-04-28
A LABOR UNION MAN.
Gov. steunenberg of Idaho Denies
Charges Made by Democrats
In Congress-.

Human life is not safe in Sho-
shone county. Property is not safe
there. Men are afraid to speak open
ly of what they know"
These were the concluding words
of Gov. Steunenberg's testimony at
| the redirect examination into the
Occur d'Alene riots in Idaho by the
military affairs committee of the
house of representatives.
The governor of that state had
preceded these words by telling of
| the labor troubles that had existed
there since 1892. Property had been
destroyed time and again. Murder
| and assassination had been COM
mitted. Yet, in his efforts to bring
proof against the criminals, Gov.
Stunenberg found that all efforts of
the authorities were futile. Men had,
time and again, told him things that
| they knew to be facts, yet had as
sured him with equal positiveness
that If he dared to use their names
| they would denounce him and declare
that what he said was false. They had
spoken to him in confidence, and he
had to respect their confidence.
Business men knew that nobody
would trade with them if they
opened their mouths. Some had in
deed been compelled to give up bust
ness and leave the state. An era of
fear, dread and terror still exists
there, due solely to the riots and in
surrection that have been melted by
the miners. The governor also said
that he had found Secretary Root de-
termined to withdraw the troops
from Shoshone county on October
| 90 last, in fact an order had been
| issued to that effect. But at his earn
est protest the withdrawal was finally
| postponed. Such was some of the tes-
| timony given by democratic gov9
ernor, elected on a democratic ticket,
and who declared that he would
again vote for Bryan this year if he
received the presidential nomination.
The governor is also, himself, u la
Dor union man, and friend of law
abiding organized labor.
| When Gen. Dick, of Ohio, began the
reexamination of Gov. Steunenberg, he
| questioned the witness closely as to
the charges made in the resolution Of
fered in the house by Representative
Lentz, as a result of which the in
vestigation was ordered.
| The governor denied that the writ
Of habeas corpus had been suspend
ed. He denied that Gen. Merriam had
made any arrests. He denied that
| the prisoners were held "under the
most brutal and tyrannical condi-
tons" He denied that the "bull
pen" was unfit for human habitation.
He denied that the treatment Of the
| prisoners was brutal and degrading"
He denied that an escaping prisoner
was shot by one of the soldiers. He
denied that dying prisoners request
for priest had been refused, charge
that had been made by the San Fran
cisco Examiner, and which had been
investigated and found false at the
instigation Of a very high official of
the Catholic church.
Other statements made in the res
olution of Representative Lentz were
also fatty denied by Gov Steunenberg,
viz, that the men had to sleep on
bare boards; that they were com
PEELED to stand erect for several hours
each day in the hot sun under pen
atty of death If they attempted to
move or sit down; that Capt. Ed
wards, of the United States army, had
called them "cowardly curs;" that
the right of free speech was stopped;
that peaceable assemblages were de-
MED; that union men were not al
lowed to appear before the industrial
commission; that the wives and fam
lilies of prisoners were subjected to
insult and outrages by the soldiers
of the United States. Each and every
one of these charges, specified in the
resolution submitted to the house by
| Representative Lentz, was strongly
and emphatically denied by Idaho's
governor, himself democrat.
| Equally as important were the very
positive assertions by the governor
that neither Gen. Merriam, his COM
missioned and noncommissioned Off
GERS, or the privates in the United
| States army had in any way usurped
| the rights Of the state, or acted other
wise than for the convenience and
comfort of the prisoners. 1t was
| also shown that both their food and
sleeping accommodation were bet
| ter than those for the soldiers. The
miners were not put into prison, but
were temporarily restrained until
good order had been restored.
|