The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-31
REIGN OF TERROR EXISTS
POLITICAL BOOMERANG FOR MESSRS.
I.ENTZ AND SULZER.
The Governor a Bryanite of the Rank
est Kind. and Never Conferred
with Hanna Dick.

with General Merriam. He first met him
in May last and went over the insurrection-
airy conditions and the necessity for troops.
The Governor said he requested General
Merriam to order the troops to Shoshone
county and he did so.
When asked who was in supreme COM
mand in Shoshone county, General Mer-
Ram or Bartlett Sinclair, the Governor
stated that he himself was the responsible
head of authority, although he did not ex-
ercise any control or command of the
troops. There was no agreement with Gen.
eral Merriam. said the Governor, that the
labor organizations were to be broken up.
nor was there any talk of suppressinG
them.
The Governor again went over his trips to
Washington, his call on the President and
the brief talk with Mr.. Mckinley. Cues
toned as to what the President said, Gov
ernor Steunenberg replied that the Pres
ident listened to the brief recital of condi-
tons and the necessity of the continued
presence of the troops but made no reply.
The Governor also was examined as to the
calls on Secretary Root and said the latter
intended to withdraw the troops from
guard duty on Oct. 20. The Governor called
to protest against this He found the Sec
rotary was quite determined to withdraw
the troops. an order to this effect having
been issued. and most of the Governors
efforts were directed to showing to the mill
tary authorities that the troops should not
be withdrawn. The withdrawal was finally
prepared.
NO POLITICS IN 1T.
Tha tai
of politics in connection with the postpone
ment. He told the secretary there was no
militia available and not sufficient time to
raise a local guard before the troops were
to be withdrawn, and these representa-
lions brought about the postponement. At
present the troops were not on guard, but
were in garrison. Further questioned as to
calls on the President. the Governor said
that the President told one of the delega
lions that he had acted official send
ing troops on the Governors call, and that
any other course would not have been a
compliance with his sworn duty.
When Mr.. Sulzer referred to the reign
of terror you inaugurated' Governor
Steunenberg answered emPhatically; II did
not inaugurate reign of terror. 1t was
there before / got there and has existed
there for the last seven years. He said.
further, to Mr.. Lentz: Il know that coun
try has been hell on earth for the last
ten years.
Representative Dick opened the redirect
examination when the cross-questioning
had closed. He said he was sorry politics
had been brought into the inquiry, but, as
this had occurred, he would pursue that
course extent. He asked Gov
ernor Steunenberg as to reports of his conf
municating with Senator Hanna or with
him (Mr. Dick), to which the Governor re-
piled that he had never seen either of them
Until he came to Washington. The Gov
ernor said he was elected as Democrat
in 1896 and 1885,
"Did you support Mr. Bryan" asked Mr..
Dick
.'I did,
Would you support him again?"
Most assuredly III he is nominated
again 1 will support him. by all means"
Mr. Dick inquired If Mr.. Bryan had ever
written or expressed any protest or dis
approval of the Governors course.
Mr. Sulzer and Mr.. Lentz protested and
Mr.. Hay, of Virginia, objected on the
ground that Mr.. Bryan was not President.
But he will be SOON remarked Mr..
Lentz who added that Mr.. Bryan would
not declare martial law.
The committee voted to allow the ques-
| ton as to whether Mr.. Bryan had protest
| ed, and Governor Steunenberg said he had
never heard from Mr.. Bryan in protest or
otherwise.
HAS any prospective vice presidential
candidate the Democratic ticket pro-
tested to your" asked Mr.. Dick. amid much
The Governor said there had been no such
protest. The inquiry then directed to
| showing the circumstances under which the
| Governor had called for troops.
| NO CRUELTY IN THE BULL PEN"
Representative Dick then went over
number of the alleged acts of cruelty oc-
| curing in the "bull pen" AS to statements
| of the killing of prisoner, Johnson, the
| Governor said that on investigation he
| learned that Ii was a case of suicide of
the insane man. AS to the charge of a dy-
ing prisoner being refused the services
| of priest, the Governor said that an in
vestigation showed the story to be alb
Soutely false.
| charge that men were subjected to vile
and inhuman imprisonment. Everything
was done for the prisoners that was posi-
BILE under the circumstances he said. War
| den Coakley was in charge of the prison.
and no complaints were made against him.
Many persons who visited the prison ex-
| pressed establishment and said they had
| been led to believe by the newspa pers that
| the prison was hell on earth, whereas
| they found it orderly and clean. Senator
| Shoup made such a statement and others
were specified by the Governor. AS the
charges that an army had placed the men
on a standing line. had called them Cow
ardly ours the Governor said he never
heard of this action and no complaint was
ever maze 10 MIN. he prisoners were at
| one time placed by the military on bread
| and water because OF an infraction Of
prison rules.
Governor Steunenberg said he never sus-
| pended the writ of habeas corpus, nor was
| the writ otherwise suspended. Specific wrts
were denied by the courts, but this did not
operate as a generel suspension of this
| process. To the charge that free speech
was suppressed the Governor said he had
| given notice that a memorial service COM
| memorating fight between the union and
| nonunion men in 1892 when the Frisco mill
was blown up. should not be held while the
| community was in such an excited state.
\ There was no interference with the deco
| charged. On the charge that the free press
! was suppressed the Governor said the only
| Interference with the Mullan Mirror
| be cause of seditious and infiammatory pub
| locations calculated to arouse further
trouble
| Governor Steunenberg denied that meet
| ings Of labor unions were prohibited. There
| were many union men in the district as
| they were free to hold meetings He
/ characterized as outrageous the charge
| that the Bunker Hill mine and other or
4 CARNATIONS had dictated the policy OF the
| State This policy. he said, was dictated
| solely by a desire to give to "A county that
/ security and order IL had not enjoyed in
| ten years. Many of General Merriam's dis
patches and reports were read and Gov
/ ernor Steunenberg confirmed most of the
/ statements made. He also reaffirmed that
| the disorder was caused by criminal and
anarchistic organizations. cloaktag them
selves as labor organizations and having