The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-03
SHERIFF N MILITIA.
What Was the Concern Of kinkead
and Of Fielder at BayOnne?

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str: l
nave always regarded II III as fair
and impartial, but the reports of the
Bayonne strike situation, with the de-
tails of which l I'M quite familiar, did
not seem to be UP to you usual standard
Of fairness. The seriousness Of the strike
was exaggerated. the criticism Of low
ernor Fielder was unjust and the report
did not include what was done by the
Governor and the AdJutant-General OF
New Jersey.
The city officials Of Bayonne failed TO
measure UP to the situation from the
very beginning and allowed 1t to get be-
yond their control when decisive action
on their part misht have prevented any
considerable disorder. When the sheriff
was called In on Wednesday, July 81,
he made the mistake of trying to control
the situation by making speeches. when
a better plan would have been that Of
taking deputies with him and maintain
ing order by force, which he was finally
compelled to do. on the evening of
July 2l the Governor was with Sheriff
kinkead until midnight. and the Sheriff
told the Governor that he did not want
troops.
The disorder which occurred on July
20 was largely caused by boys and the
armed guards hired by the oil COM
panics. and happened before the Sheriffs
deputies arrived In Bayonne. On that
same day National Guard officers who
had been sent to Bayonne by the AdJu-
tant-General were among the crowd and
saw what took place and reported TO the
Acknowledgement by telephone. The
momen the Sheriff asked for troops the
Governor sent the AdJutant-General to
Bayonnc. Until the arrival of the Adju-
tant-General all the saloons in the city
were open and stores which were SELL
ms arms and ammunition were allowed
to continue to do business. The Sheriff
did not have a deputy on the ground
until two hours after the Adjutant-Gen-
eral arrived. When the Sheriff was
shown that there are but three entrances
to the Tide Water and Standard Oil
works, and that these were guarded. he
told the Acknowledgement he did not
need troops, but asked that they be
held In readiness In case they should
be needed on Friday, July 23.
The Fifth Regiment OF Infantry of
the National Guard was held in readi-
ness to move on three hours notice Il
X was found hat; troops were needed,
and the FIRST Regiment OF Infantry was
ready to be called AS n reserve; also
two troops of cavalry were told to be
ready to go.
~ ll'l INV NV sN'JhNhllt-S'll
eral were In conference within a few
miles OF Bayonne until midnight on
Thursday. and the Governor was ad-
vised by Sheriff Kinkead hi every
thing was quiet and no troops were
needed, and both the Mayor and the
Sheriff on Friday morning notified the
Acknowledgement. who had remained
near the scene Of trouble. that troops
were nOs needed.
on Friday evening, after the Sheriff
a taken unarmed deputies through the
excited strikers and they were assa!led
with clubs and stones. he %,elephoned to
the Governor and asked for the Adju-
tant-General. The Adjutant-General
arrived at Bayonne on the first train
Saturday morning, July -. and left
Bayonue Saturday evening after he was
advised by the United States arbitra-
tors. by the Sleri and by the Mayor
that there was no necessity for calling
out the militia.
The National Guard IL not an organi-
cation TO be called upon to quell little
disturbances incident to strikes such as
occurred at Bayonne. but a force that is
only TO be called as a last resort when
the civil authorities have exhausted all
the means at their disposal, the civil
government has broker down. and Il Is
time to institute martial law.
Governor Fielder should a credit
for understanding this fact and not
being thrown into a panic and ordering
out troops when none were needed. and
assuming the responsibility of maintain
ing order In a community wherein the
proper authorities. city and county. were
slow to realize their responsibilities and
powers, or II they did realize them. re-
luctant to exercise them.
The vast majority Of men who enlist In
the National Guard do so from patriotic
motives and with the thought that they
are training themselves for the national
defence. and II these men thought thai
they would be called upon to act as
deputy sherlns every time there was a
strike there would he very few who
would enlist. The disorders in Bayonne
at no time warranted the use Of mill
tary force, but only required a tenn
porarily enlarged police force To main
tain order. This was proved by the
fact that no loss OF life and no property
damage occurred after the Sheriff had
got stirred up and took n sufficient num-
her Of deputies to Bayonne to control
the situation. FAIR PLAY.
CAMDEN, y. J., August ..