The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-08-09

Conference Held All Day.
The appeal followed an all-day, in
formal conference of Commissioners
A. C. Weiss, Duluth; C. w. Ames, St.
Paul, and C. H. March, Litchfeld,---
other members of the war board being
absent---on reports of anti-draft
sentiment and other manifestations of
seditious learnings in many sections Of
Minnesota. The meeting was behind
closed doors in the private office Of
GOVERNOR urnquist. Citizens making
oral reports of evidence of lack of
loyalty in the various districts from
which they came took up the time
before the MONDAY recess; then bulky
correspondence on like matters oc-
cupied the remainder of the day. AL
together, the returns indicated that
Minnesota is extensively infected with
seditious sntiment.
The Citizens and the State.
"Be it Remembered:
claw enforcement stands upon the
same basis on which it has rested
from time immemorial among a free
people.
Enforcement of law as it has ever
been is the duty of the proper author
ities---the United States marshal, the
sheriff, the police.
cit is the duty of every citizen, as it
has always been, to aid and sustain
the officers who should enforce the
law.
"The state cannot and ought not to
interfere in any community until the
resources of its own people are ex-
hausted, and their best efforts have
proved futile.
"The duty of the Public Safety COM
mission begins only where the laws
fail---because citizenship is feeble; or
local officials are wrong whether from
wilfulness or weakness; or because
the enemies of public order are
stronger than its supporters; or be-
cause new conditions are created out
of military exigency.
"Let civic sense and official fide'itv
see to enforcement, of the law; there
remains for the commission it's propn''
task of meeting new conditions creat-
ed by the war; task that calls for
the peoples utmost strength.
Many Request Intervention.
"Many reports have come to the
commission in the last few days of
movements and meetings that threat
en- public order. Requests have come
to the commission almost every hour
for it's intervention. These reports
and requests relate to meetings where
sedition is uttered, or which give
birth to seditious sentiment.
"For actual sedition there is plain
remedy in the law. Wherever any
man violates the law IF Minnesota
which fofbids encouragement of en-
listment, or the federal law which
forbids obstruction of the new United
States army---he should be arrested
forthwith and held to answer to the
proper court for his unlawful acts.
'The federal authorities are pre-
pared to act vigorously. 1t is recog-
nized, however, that the Department
of Justice has not men enough under
the present stress of business to meet
all demands instantly. In many in
stances the sheriff will be called upon
to deal with these offenders under the
state law.
Meetings which may result in dis
order or breach of peace fall under
the laws relating to unlawful as
sembly. The sheriff and the police
officers are required to inform them
selves of such meetings and take
such measures as may be necessary
to avert breach of the peace.
"The Public Safety commission
looks to the county director in each
county to cooperate with the au-
thorities and to keep the commission
informed of the course of events. The
county director will have the support
of the organization under him and of
all loyal citizens in sustaining the
Loyalty Meetings Urged.
/ Fright public sentiment must also
be organized. Citizens who uphold
the government must not permit dis
sent to run away with public opinion.
Loyalty meetings must smother as