The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-12-14
Trouble In Nevada.

Inc Otate OF Nevada is confronted by COndl-
ton into which its executive has drawn the Federal
authorities, with, perhaps, insufficient cause 1t is
revival upon the soil of Nevada, of the intense
struggle between organized mine ownership and
organized mine labor, with the seat of trouble at
Go1dfeld
Public attention rather sharply attracted to
the situation last week by a request filed by the
Governor of the State for the assistance of the
military arm of the general Government Nevada
having State militia. President Roosevelt re-
sponded as quickly as the order could be trans
mitted through the War Department and on Sat
urday afternoon nine companies of regular troops
were landed at Goldfeld and placed in camp in the
vicinity of mines rendered idle by strike of the
workngmen there employed
Governor Sparks, the Nevada executive based
his appeal to the Federal authorities upon an allie
cation of the existence of demonstrations of vio-
lence, unlawful conspiracies and conditions brought
by the mine workers and the obstruction of the
execution of the laws of the State by them He
said that "the constituted authorities of the State
of Nevada are and continue to be unable
to protect the people in their rights" That the
authorities unable to apprehend and punish
the perpetrators of crimes, specifying the dynamt-
ing of property, commission of felony threats against
lives and property and the unlawful possession of
firearms.
The Governor based his appeal for Federal as
sistance section four of article four of the Fed
eral Constitution, which reads
The United States shall guarantee to every State
IN this union republican form of government, and
shall protect each of them against nvasion and on
application of the Legislature, or the executive
(when the Legislature cannot be convened) against
domestic violence
The action taken by the Governor came as
surprise to the citizens of Go1dfe1d The sheriff
declared that he was able to maintain order and
had made no request for interference on the part
of the State. Many of the county officers and mem
bers of the State Legislature made formal protest
against the request for Federal troops, stating that
there disturbance at Go1dfied and had been
none. The president of the Go1dfe1d miners union
declared: "There is no sane man in the district
who will say there was any need for Federal troops
in Goldfeld"
On the arrival Go1d6eld of the troops sent from
San Francisco their commanding officer, Colonel
Reynolds, met by Captain William Cox, of the
Governors staff and personal representative of the
Governor, who was not at the scene Captain Cox
said that Governor Sparks action in requesting
that troops be sent to Goldfie1d was merely pre-
and not based on any overt
acts of the union men,
Shortly after the arrival of the soldiers of the
general Government the Go1dheld Mine Owners
Association went into session and, so the newspaper
accounts say decided to make determined strug-
gle to free Goldhe1d of union domination and make
t open camp" 1t is understood that under the
protection of Federal authority men are being hired
o take the places of union miners and that pref
,rence is being given to Godhe1d workingmen who
will abandon the union This action is looked upon
n labor circles as clue to the motive behind the