Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-12-26
PRESIDENT REFUSES LONGER
TO PERFORM POLICE DUTY
FOR NEVADA.
SAYS STATE MUST DO ITS PART
I'M WORK OF PRESERVING
ORDER,
CANNOT SUBSTITUTE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT FOR ITSELF UN-
LESS EMERGENCY ARISES.

Washington, Dec. 21.-President
Roosevelt yesterday directed the
withdrawal OF the United States
troops stationed at Goldfeld, New, on
Monday, December goth, next.
Telegrams on which the decision 70
withdraw the troops is based were
given out at the white house yescer-
day. The first, under date of De-
cember 18th, directed to Govcrncr
Sparks of Nevada and signed by the
president, read:
Il sent the troops at your request
because from the tenor Of your tel
egTam and from representations made
to me by the senators from Nevada
and the member of the lower house
Of congress from Nevada, it appeared
that an instruction was imminent
against which the state authorities
would be pOwerless. The troops
now have been in GoldfeId 10 days
and no instruction has occurred,
and seemingly no circumstances exist
to justify your now calling on me
for action by the troops under the
provisions Of the constitution. The
troops were sent to Goldfield to be
ready to meet a grave emergency
which seemed likely at once to arise
and not to provide a substitute for
the exercise by the state Of it's po-
lice functions. | do not feel at Iiber-
ty to leave them indefinitely under
,fv -,
effect be performing on tie part Of
the United States those ordinary du-
ties Of maintaining public order in
the state Of Nevada which rest upon
the state government. AS the leg
islature of Nevada has not been con-
vened I am bound to assume that
the powers already vested in the
peace officers of the state are ade-
quate and that if they choose to do so
they can maintain order themselves.
Under these circumstances, unless
there be forthwith further cause
shown to Justify keeping the troops
at GOdfeId, I shall direct that they
shall return to their former stations.
(Signed) Theodore Roosevelt"
State Must Do Its Duty.
The following telegram was sent to
Governor Sparks yesterday by the
president:
81 have received no answer from
you to my telegram of December II,
in which I said that unless there
was forthwith further cause shown
To inc fyy Of TD1
field | should direct their return to
their former stations. am in
formed by the three representatives
OF the department of commerce and
labor who are in GoldfeId by my
orders, that you have stated to them
in writing that you WI not convene
the Legislature to consider a call for
troops nor take the necessary steps
to form q state military force. Their
report further satisfies me that there
is no disturbance threatened which
the government of Nevada ought not
to be able to control if it starts to
work with a serious purpose to do
so, but that no effort is being made
by the government of Nevada t.,
take the steps necessary i'm the mat
ter. I stand ready to see that the
national government does it's full
const tutiOnal duty in the matter of
preserving order, but this readiness
on the part Of the national govern
ment does not excuse the state gov
eminent for failure to perform it's
full duty IN the first place. Federal
aid should not be sought for by a
state as a method of relieving itself
from the performance of this duty.
and the state should not be permit
ted to substitute the government of
the United States for the government
of the state in the ordinary duties
Of maintaining order within the state.
For the reasons given in this and
my former telegram I have according
ly directed the troops to return to
their former station on Monday, De,
cember so. next.
lSlgned) Theodore Roosevelt"
Sensation in GoIdfieId
Goldheld, New, Dec. 21.-News of
the presidents order removing the
federal troops from Goldfeld Decen-
Der 80 caused a sensation. The news
was received at noon and during the
afternoon conferences were held be-
tween Captain Cox, the representative
Of Governor Sparks in GoldfeId. and
Colonel Reynolds, commanding the
troops here, and between the mine
owners and members of President
RoOsevelt's commission.
President AIcKinnon and other Of
ficials Of the miners union said that
the possibility Of disorder or violence
of any sort will be no greater after
the removal of the troops than now
and that they will use every endeavor
to maintain peace and quiet.
Captain Cox said the governor will
at once issue instructions TO Sheriff
ingalls, of this county to the effect
that he shall expect the sheriff tC
adopt vigorous measures to insure the
safety of every resident of Esmerelda
county and that he will be prepared
at the first sign of trouble to declare
martial law. He also said that if vic
lence is attempted upon the remova
of the troops they will be brought