The Washington herald., 1913-12-21

that we do not have special provision Tor
more summary dealing with this type OF
cases The more We do what In US lies
to secure certain and swift justice in
dealing with these cases, the more ef-
fectively do we work against the growth
of that lynching spirit which is so full
OF evil omen for this people, because 1t
seeks TO avenge one infamous crime by
the commission of another Of equal in
fanny.
THE application is denied and the SEN
tence will be carried into effect
"Csigned) THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
The Mining War in Nevada.
OnS OF the most curious incidents OF
lawlessness with which / had to deal af-
fected an entire State. The State Of Ne
vada in the year 1907 was gradually
drifting into utter governmental i'm
potence and downright anarchy. The
people were at heart all right: but the
forces Of evil had been permitted to get
the upper hand, and for the time being
the decent citizens had become helpless
to assert themselves either by controII-
, ing the greedy corporations on the one
hand or repressing the murderous vio-
lence OF certain lawless labor organIza-
tons on the other hand. The governor
OF the State was a Democrat and
Southern man, and in the abstract
strong believer in the doctrine Of States
rights. But his experience finally con-
WINGED him that he could obtain order
| only through the intervention Of the
national government; and then he went
over too far and wished to have the ma
tional government do his police work for
him.
In the Rocky Mountain States there
had existed for years what was prac-
tically a condition OF almost constant
war between the wealthy mine own
ers and the Western Federation OF
Miners, at whose head stood Messrs.
| Haywood. Pettibone, and Meyer, who
were about that time indicted for the
murder Of the governor Of Idaho. Much
that was lawless. much that was in
defensible, had been done by both sides.
The legislature Of Nevada was in SYM
pathy with. or at least was afraid Of
not expressing sympathy for, Messrs.
Meyer. Haywood, Pettibone, and their
associates.
The State was practically without
any police, and the governor had rec
commended the establishment OF a State
cOnstabulary, along the lines of the
Texas Rangers: but the legislature re-
|jected his request. The governor re-
| ported to me the conditions as follows.
v
| trict became divided into two hostile
camps. Half of the Western Fedora
! tion Of Miners were constantly armed,
/ and arms and ammunition were pur-
chased and kept by the union as body.
while the mine owners on their side
| retained large numbers Of watchmen
/ and guards who were also armed and
| always on duty. In addition to these
! opposing forces there was. as the gov
I Ill La
number OF the violent and criminal ele-
ment, always attracted to a new and
! booming mining camp. Under such
conditions the civil authorities were
practically powerless. and the gov
| ernor. being helpless to avert civil war,
called on me to keep order. ! ac-
cordiagly threw in a body of regular
troops under Gen. Funston. These kept
order completely. and the governor be-
I came so well satisfied that he thought
he would like to have them there per-
manently-
This seemed TO me unhealthy. and on
December .2s, 1907, ! notified him that
whfe would do my duty. the first need
4 was that the State authorities should do
| theirs and that the first step toward this
I was the assembling of the legislature. I
| concluded my telegram: III within five
/ days from receipt of this telegram you
shall have issued the necessary notice to
convene the legislature of Nevada, 1 shall
continue the troops during a period OF
| three weeks II. when the term OF five
! days has elapsed, the notice has not been
| issued, the troops will be Immediately re-
| turned to their former stations ] had
| already investigated the situation through
| a committee, composed of the Chief OF
the Bureau of Corporations, Mr., H h.
| Smith, the Chief of the Bureau OF Labor,
Mr.. c. P. Neill, and the Comptroller Of
| the Treasury, Mr.. Lawrence Murray
These men 1 could thoroughly trust and
| their report, which was not over-favor-
able to either side, had convinced me
that the only permanent way to get good
| results was to insist on the people OF the
State themselves graphing with and solv-
/ ing their own troubles. The governor
summoned the Legislature; it met, and the
constabulary bill was passed. The troops
remained in Nevada until time had been
given for the State authorities to organ
/ ize their force SO that violence could at
once be checked. Then they were with
drawn.