Bisbee daily review., 1903-06-17
UNJUST CRITICISM.


 We cO not agree with the TucsoL Citizen in its criticisms os Acting Governor Stoddard because he called or the authorities at Washington for federal troops. which he asked to be sent to Morenci to assist in protecting life and property The alarm at Mo renci was no imaginary one; 1t was the real thing. Fifteen hundred Mex jeans and Italians had been worked on by agitators until they had reachad a state of excitement which menaced not only life. but the destruction of a vast amount of property, which would have stopped many wheels oi industry in Graham county for mon,hs and months. Had such a calamity come on the territory, it would have been an injury which could not have been overcome for years. It was tfs cor rect policy to force disor6e7 out of Morensi. and that at once, aad 10 sum- mon a force that would stop the dis turbance without bloodshed We do not bsiieye the editor of the Citizen would be understood as advocating policy of waiting until all O'r terri torial soldiery and the Rangers and deputy sheriffs were killed before call ing for outside help.
 The vigorous action at Mcrsnci in aCelling disorder will result to the credit of Arizona rather than to any discredit It will show to the world that in Arizona constituted authority is relied on, and that every pre- caution. ary step will be resorted to to averg bloodshed, regardless of expense.
 Acting Govsrnor Stoddard acted on the representations made by author ties on the ground at Morenci: by men who had been surrounded by many hundred angry and armed for. e:gners and compelled to abandon property they were guarding or 90 into a fight that would have meant a car. mage of death and perhaps the com piete destruction of all the great re- auction plants in the Clifton Moreno; district The property of the arizone Copper company and of the Detroi. Copper company at Morenci is scat tered over very large area cf hills ard canyons, to protect which would require very large force had the con ditions continued as they were cn the day the rangers and deputy sieriffs were practically overpowered. The company vas forced 10 close their works by the Mexicans and Italians. who were armed The object in send ing troops to Morsnci was to protect the men who were ready to worK, ans to see that they or the property was not again irterfered with Who will undertake to say how many men this would have required had the armed strikers maintained ths same attitude towards the territorial troops that they had towards the sheriff's posse and Rangers Acting Governoc Stod. dard was induced to ask for federal troops on the representation of the officers ol the ground who had faced the guns and pistols of the strikers and had become convinced that unless an overpoweTing force of soldiers were brought to the camp, bloodshed would De inevitable. The owners Of the property al Morenci were also earnest fu their request for the regular troops rot oa account of any doubt as to the efficiency of the territorial troops, but because they wanted to avoid any pos sibility of another conflict with the strikers by having a force in Morenci that they would not dare to go against
 The territorial troops reached Mo renci tgenty-four hours before the reg ulars. Their arrival was a relief tc the dreadful strain of uneasiness t1at had prevailed in Morenci for several days. The federal troops were or dered to Morenci before Colonel Nc Clintock arrived with his forces. The appearance of the soldiers ended any danger of the strikers making any fur ther resistance to the operation 0f the sznelters, mills and. inclines of the companies, but who could assure sucl 2 welcome condition would follow :ht arrival of the militia.
 Governor Stoddard was called on by Sheriff Parks and Captain Rynning Tbese officers had force of men yitf them numbering about sixty, and com posed of men who are known fol tEeir determination and bravery. ye they were practically driven from h. works of the company. which wer' shut down by order of the strikers. |