Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-29
ROOSEVELT GIVES SPARKS
TIME TO ACT
SOLDIERS WILL CONTINUE TO
KEEP PEACE
Conditions In Mining District Such
az to Warrar4 State In Organ
izins Efficient Corps
of Guards

Roosevelt today indicated by telegram
to Governor Sparks of Nevada that the
federal troops now at Goldfeld will be
ordered to remain there for further
period of three weeks. providing the
governor, within five days issues a call
for a special session of the state legis-
lature.
The secretary of war telegraphed
General Funston countermanding the
orders to withdraw the troops.
The telegram President Roosevelt
sent was In response to one from Cow
ernor Sparks in which he sets forth
the I eed of armed Intervention and ex-
presses the doubt whether to call the
legislature would result in a request
from that body for federal aid.
The correspondence, which was made
public at the White House, follows:
Carson, New, Dec 26.-To the
President, washington: AS clief me =
istrate of the state of Nevada I have
been of the opinion for the past year
that condition bordering on insurrec-
ton las existed in the Goldfeld min
ing district. There has been an almost
constant state Of war between tho
miners, union and the mine owners who
! g. oloy the members of the union. Dur
| in- the year 1907 practically cne-fourth
! of the time was occupied in actual
strikes and several months in agita-
tions about other strikes.
| without considering the merit OF
any of the controversies 1t Is only
necessary to state that the entire dis
| trict became divided into two hostile
camps. On the one hand the miners
| and their adherents and sympathizers.
and on the other the mine owners
Union Men Armed
"The union alone claimed member
ship of 5000, and fully one half OF the
membership were constantly armed.
| Arms and ammunition were pur-
| chased and kept by the union as
body. On the other hand the mine
| owners had in their employ 2. largo
number of watchmen and guards who
fwere constantly armed and on duty;
in addition to those opposing forces
were an unusually large number of the
criminal element attracted to the new
and booming mining camp
Under such conditions the civil au-
thorities were practically powerless
They could attend to the ordinary
petty offenders from day to day. but at
the first conflict between the real
have been swept away. The repeated
strikes and continued threats of strikes
irritated the mine iwners more and
more 1t was clear to me, therefore.
| that when the last strike was called in
the midst of the financial crisis spread
ing over the country and with long
winter facing the people situated on the
desert, hundreds of miles from any CEN
ters of population, 1t was time to rec
ognize the actual condition of AFFAIRS
| and to act accordingly.
"a state of violence and insurrec-
tion arises, in my Judgment. when
armed bodies are in existence with sur
| ficcnt power to overcome the civil au-
thorities and continual threats are
made by the dissatisfied people This
has been the condition of the Goldfield
mining district the past year, and It
exists there now.
Troops Needed
1T calls for the presence of the
troops to keep the peace AS this con-
dition has been slow of growth it will
| take time to remove it, In my judg-
ment 1t is necessary that troops be kept
at Goldfield an indefinite period of time.
They should remain there until both
| sides are shown the district Is not to
remain an armed camp and q scene OF
continual warfare. The communist
! and anarchist must seek new fields;
| The laboring man must be convinced
that reason and peaceful methods are
\ more certain and lasting methods OF
! improving his condition than by dyna-
| mite and the shotgun. This conclusion
| can only come about with time and for
the present and for some time in the
| future, the strong arm of the military
must be in evidence to convince all
that no other method will be tolerated.
1t is known as matter OF Legislative
history that I recommended measure
at the last session having for its OBJ
| iect the establishment of a state con-
| stabulary along the lines of the Texas
rangers, which was rejected by that
| body, the members thereof still being
| in office The assembly of that ses-
sion, with the vote of all but one.
passed a resolution denouncing the In
| Justice done Moyer, Haywood and Pet
| tibone by the denial OF speedy trial
The resolution. however, was tabled by
the senate.
Opposed to Extra Session
TT is matter of only a few weeks
since / called for the opinions of differ
ent representatives and Individual citi-
zens OF the state generally as to the adj
| Visibility of convenlng special session
| to act upon a then existing emergency,
which, however. did not relate to the
present situation. The expressions re-
| ceived at that time indicated tl4L % per
! cent OF the people were opposed to such
extra session.
''For geographical. reasons. and on ac-
count of the customary ten days notice
to members It would be impossible to
| convene and organize special session
of the legislature In less than three weeks.
| presuming on the most expeditions ac-
! ton on the part o. members. For theso
| reasons deemed It impossible to conr
venn the LEGISLATURE IN special session 10
(Contlnusd on pnge twoa