Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-03
PRESIDENT GIVES GOVERNOR A
CHANCE TO CALL SPECIAL SEES
SION OF LEGISLATURE.
HEEDS SPARKS NEW APPEAL.
Tells Him That Troops Will Not Remain
There More Than Three Weeks I'm
less Lawmakers Ask It.
NEVADA MUST DO SOMETHING.

that the federal troops now at Goldheld
will be ordered to remain there for a
further period of three weeks, provided
the governor within five days issues
call for a special session of the state
| Legislature. The telegram of, the Pres
ident was in response to one from the
| governor in which he sets forth the
need of armed intervention and express
es the doubt that to call the Legislature
would result in the request from that
body for federal aid The correspond
ence was made public at the white house
as follows:
Sparks Pleads for Troops.
! In his telegram to the President, Gov.
Sparks says:
There has been an almost constant
state of war between the miners union
and the mine owners. During the year
! 1907 practically one-fourth of the time
was occupied in actual strikes, and sew
! eral months in agitations about other
| strikes The union alone claims mem
| berShip of 1000, and fully One-haf OF
| the membership are constantly armed.
| On the other hand, the mine owners
| had in their employ a large number OF
watchmen and guards who are constant
! ly armed and on duty. Under SUCH
! conditions the civil authorities are prac-
| tIcally pOWerleSS.
Says Soldiers Are Needed
''In my Judgment it is necessary that
| troops be kept at Goldheld an lnoehlnie
! period Of time. They should remain there
until both sides have shown that the dis
trict is not to remain an armed camp &Ld
| Il scene of continual warfare.
| 1t is known as a matter OF leGlSla-
! tive history that | recommended a meas
IRE at the last session having for its
object the establishment OF a state con-
stabulary along the lines of the Texas
! rangers, which was rejected by that
body. The Assembly of that session,
with the vote of all but one, passed Il
resolution, denouncing the injustice done
! Meyer Haywood and PettibOne by the
denial of a speedy trial. The resolution,
however, was tabled by the Senate.
Three Weeks Before Session.
1T is a matter of only Il few weeks
since | called for the opinions of different
representatives and individual citizens
Of the state generally as to the adyisa-
| blllty of conVenlng Il special session TO
| act upon Il then existing emergency,
which, however, did not relate to the
present situation. The expressions re-
ceived at that time indicated that 80
per cent of the people were opposed 30
such extra session. For geographical
reasons and on account of the customary
| ten days notice to members, it would be
| impossible to convene and organize Il
! special session of the Legislature in less
| than three weeks, presuming on the most
expeditions action on the part of the mem
! bers. For these reasons | deemed it i'm
possible to convene the Legisla ture in
| To hn nI1ln or
gency and still think it highly inadyis
able. This telegram was in course OF
preparation on the 18th inst, in reply t.
your telegram of that date, but :, was
taken i'll and have only just returned tc
my office | am now sending it in lieu
of letter which | wired you was in course
of preparation. The delay was not in
territorial on my part and no discourtesy
meant thereby"
President Raps Governor.
In reply to the governor the President
says:
Your telegram, December 20, is re-
ceived. 1t in effect, declares that you
have failed to call the Legislature to-
| gether because, in your Judgment, the
Legislature would not call upon the gov
eminent of the United States for the
use of troops, although in your opinion
it ought to do SO.
! States imposes, not upon you but upon
the Legislature if it can be convened,
the duty of calling upon the government
| of the United States to protect the state
| of Nevada against domestic violence.
you now request me to use the
armed forces of the United States in vlo-
| lation of the constitution because in
your Judgment the Legislature would
fail to perform its duty under the con-
stitution. The state government certain
| ly does hot appear to have made any
serious effort to do its duty by the eff
| fective enforcement of its police func-
| lions.
Il repeat what / have already said tC
you several times, that under the clrcum
| stances now existing in the state of Ne
yada as made known to me, an applica
ton from the Legislature of the state is
! an essential condition to the Indefinite
| continuance of the troops at Goldtield
! Circumstances may change and II they
! do / will take whatever action the needs
! of the situation require so far as my con
stitutional powers permit. But the first
need is that the state authorities should
do their duty and the first step toward
this is the assembling of the Legislature
Now Up to Sparks.
at is apparent from your telegram
that the Legislature of Nevada car read
! ily be convened. You have fixed the pc
| riod of three weeks as the time necessary
| to convene and organize "a special SEES
| sion. If within FIVE days from the re-
! ceipt of this telegram you shall have is
sued the necessary notice to convene the
Legislature of Nevada. l shall continue
the station of the troops at Goldfeld dur
| ing such period of three weeks. If with
| in the term of FIVE Gays such notice has
| not been issued, the troops will be immc..
diately returned to their former stations.