The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-04

One OF the most vielously demagOgiC
attempts oil the part OF the Bryan wing
of the Democracy to array labor
against the Republican party was the
scheme of the blatant Lentz and the
oratorlcal sulzer TO folst this RESPONSE
blllty of the Occur de Alene mining
troubles on the administration Luck
ily. however. the Democratlc-Po pullst
governor OF Idaho. who voted for Bry-
an two years ago, and expects to vote
for him again, has dIscredited all the
political capital that Lentz and sulzer
expected 10 make out of the affair.
Governor steunenberg during his &C.
cupancy OF the witness stand. while be-
ing examined by the congressional COM
mlttee, has taken advantage OF every
occasion to assume full responsibility
for the presence Of United States troops
at the scene of the trouble. He had
q difficult situation TO face, but from
all the evidence adduced. shorn of the
political infections that Lentz and
sulEer attempted to place upon It, 1t
appears that Governor steunenberg
has acted throughout the difficulty in
u manly way. What he had to contend
with is best explained by the Salt Lake
Tribune, which says: HE had to deal
with red-handed murderers, with in
cendlaries, with men who deliberately
killed other men for no cause except
that they wore trying to earn 4 living
to support themselves and their fami-
lies. There was band of rufllans
there to which the Molly MaguIres Of
Pennsylvania were radiant angels by
comparison"
Both Lentz and Sulzer supposed that
they had great card up their sleeves
when the investigation was started, as
they hoped the governor of Idaho would
be sufficiently non-commitai to give
them case to cry out from the house
tops. How sadIy they missed their
guess in the man is already known,
for in his testimony he stated that when
the President wanted to remove the
troops, he Cthe governor) and other
leading citizens Of the state, including
the most prominent Democrats. pro-
tested to the President against the
withdrawal of the troops as certain to
lead to murder and disorder. The
President consented to allow the troops
to remain short time longer, and for
fear that they may be removed the
governor Saturday presented his petit
tion, signed by 1000 leading citizens,
stating that the presence of the troops
is absolutely necessary to preserve or
der and prevent the wholesale destruc-
ton of property.
Speaking on the features Of the diff
Guilty that has brought Idaho into such
prominence. Governor steunenberg
says:
1t is not against organized labor, but
against organized crime, that the state
OF Idaho has been waging war. Covert
threats are constantly being made by
those engaged in the riot Of April 20,
which resulted In the destruction of
come S2500OO worth OF property and the
assassination OF two men. that as soon
as the troops are removed they Will
crafty their revenge upon those cii-
zens who have been Induced to nssist
the state in its attempt to ferret out
crime In the beginning Of the present
prosecution upon the part OF the state,
great many gooG citizens were In
duced to testify and give evidence upon
the representation tina. they should be
protected. and have no doubt but that
each and every one OF lhess would be
compelled to leave the country and sac
rifice their homes and property should
the protection which was assured them
be taken away by the removal OF the
federal troops, This Is not a conflict be-
tween labor and capital, or question
of wages, but It is conflic5 between
the state OF Idaho and certai& criminal
organizations which seek to cloak them
selves under the cover OF labor organ!-
cations,
As Governor steunenberg himself is
a member OF organized labor, we fail to
see Just how the Lentz-sulzer search
for n campaign Issue has been in any
respect as conspicuously successful as
they hoped it would be.