The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-11-08

condition the first few days of the
street car strike. Mobs overran the
streets The city police force was alb
solntely demoraiized and failed to
handle the situation. 1t was Just be-
fore the city election. 1t was prac-
tically certain that the Democrats
would carry the election, and this
would mean a change or administration
the first of the year. The members of
the police department were impressed
with the idea that they had better not
do much in the strike. for fear that
they might offend those who will COM
pose the incoming administration. The
city administration did not give the po-
lice any definite orders to stop the dis
orders. because 1t was afraid that such
action would hurt the Republican ticket
at the city election. The result was
that nobody did anything Politics of
the rottenest character was played by
both sides.
Got Beyond Control.
Finally the city administration an
nounced that 1t could not control the
situation and put down disorder. It
said that the sheriff must take charge.
| The city administration is Republican
! and the. sheriff Is Democrat. The
sheriff then began to sidestep the is
| sue by picking out about $50 of the
leading business men. manufacturers
and professional men of the city for
service as deputy sheriffs. and 1t was
noticeable that most of the men were
| Republicans and many of them active
| in politics. Charges of political manip-
ulations were made against the sheriff
| but he denied 1t.
| These deputies were sworn in. Some
of the wealthiest men in town were
among them, including big bankers.
| Then 1t began to dawn on the sheriff s
party that this move had been boom
| erang. 1t had been thought that the
business men would decline to serve
| and that the sheriff could then say that
| he had done all he could and the whole
1 business would be showed off his hands
| to the governor. Everybody was try
ing to get out from under the respon-
sibility in the matter. But the business
men responded and were sworn in and
were ready for serice as deputies.
Governor Got Busy.
1t was about this time that the out
look become so threatening as to induce
the governor TO call out the state
troops. Agitators were threatening a
| general strike all over the state. TherA
| were threats of general strike Of all
| trades in this city, and 1t looked as II
they might carry out the threat. At
tempts were made to run cars and mobs
prevented Il, and three men were
killed and scores hurt. Then the gov
ernor quietly called out the troops and
they were at the gates of tho city be-
fore the strike leaders knew of 1t.
The, governor made 1t plain that the
troops were here only to preserve or
der but that they would preserve order,
regardless of eerything. It was then
that negotiations for a settlement OF
the strike were started. The strikers
had been demanding arbitration and
the company said there was nothing to
arbitrate. But 1t was here that the
governor got in his work. He acted
as the intermediary and passed the
propositions and counter propositions
back and forth. He even cut some pro-
visions out of the propositions himself
which he said had no business to be
there. He showed a firm hand but =
desire for peaceful settlement. and at
ter several hours of pickering back
and forth. IN which both sides haggIed
over minor details. the governor him.
self prepared a written proposition and
said to the conference that they had
fooled eround until he was tired of IT.
We told them that settlement mus,
be made, and that the proposition
which he prepared must be accepted by
both sides. There was no more follow
ing around. He brought them to time
with g. sudden jerk. The whole dispute
is submitted to the public service COM
mission as a board of arbitration.
In all of this time not a soldier wal
| seen on the streets. They were kept
in the armories and in the state house
. They will return home without having
, turned out once on the streets. The
} governors strategy did the work. and
he is being congratulated.