The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1914-07-01
LAW AND ORDER IN MONTANA

The unfortunate conditions in Butte
that have resulted from factional
strife among members of labor unions
are the subject of sensible comment
by the Great Falls Tribune, in which
Montana citizens are reminded that
the inability of the public authorities
to meet an emergency is due to the
action of meu who now seek the pro-
lection of the law. The report that
Mr.. Meyer, president of the Western
Federation of Miners, desires the
presence of state or federal troops in
Butte to suppress disorder and law
lessness, suggests these remarks:
No one will question for a moment
the truth of Mr.. Meyers allegation.
or the duty of the governor as the
executive of a sovereign state to put
down anarchy in Butte and secure to
Mr.. Meyer. the Western Federation
of Miners, and every other person in
Butte, all the rights, privileges and
~immunities of citizens of the state Of
Montana which are theirs by the law
of the land, including the right to
meet in peace and security in their
WI building. Mr.. Meyer will find
the spirit willing with the governor
of the state, but the arm of the laws
OF the state, and the force at the COM
mand of the governor is lamentably
weak in view of the possible calls he
may be compelled to make on it. Our
militia force is small and most in
adequate to possible and probable
needs for it's services in maintaining
law and order in the state in the face
OF riotous and law-despising assem-
blages. and President Meyer. the
Western Federation of Miners and
many other union labor leaders af-
tiliated with his organization are
largely responsible for the fact.
Union labor has. as a general rule,
been bitterly hostile to the formation
OF any efficient militia in this state.
In a referendum vote they defeated q
law passed by the legislature with a
view to strengthen the militia. We
are well aware of the fact that there
were some provisions in that law
which might be fairly criticized by a
patriotic layman who most sincerely
believed in arming the state author
tiles for the maintenance of law and
order. 1t was written by persons
enamored of the military spirit. But
the opposition to it came largely from
men who wanted no force at all avail
able for the suppression of lawless-
ness when such lawlessness was a
part of strikes, or labor troubles in
any community in the state. Many
their members joining any militia
company on pain of expulsion. Now
we have the spectacle of the head OF
the Western Federation of Miners
flying out of Butte in fear of his life
and asking the governor of the state
to enforce the laws against another
faction of union workers with an arm
weakened by himself and those who
stand with him. The only way the
governor a vindicate law and order
in Butte is by a show of fOrce-anC
thanks to labor union opposition, the
force is not at hand in this state
There remains only the humiliatins
confession on the part of the state o
Montana, that it is lacking in abilit,
to perform the primary function o
n ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Law
and order-and if present conditions
in Butte continue, to ask the fedora
government to prop up the sover
eighty of the state with a few com
panies of federal troops.