The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-08-09
GOV. ALEXANDER TO ARBITRATE
WITH CRIMINALS.


After he and his war cabinet had |
spent a few weeks In northern Idaho |
investigating the |. w. w. situation,
Governor Alexander returned to the
state capital and has since burdened
the columns of his paper. the Capital
News, with the story of his success in
restoring order and security in the
northern woods. Over his own sigma
ture he discusses the I. w. w. organ
ization and defines it's purposes in this
paragraph:
"The real object Of the organization
is unquestionably proven by the lit
erature of the organization. and by
their speeches which are revolutionary,
reasonable and unlawful, unchristian
and immoral. The real object of the
leaders II to do away with. present day
civilization and to substitute therefor
the reign OF terror of the French rev.
olution of murder rapine and blood
she'd"
This definition Of the organization
should be enough to condemn it in the
eyes of every decent citizen. and
should certainly place it beyond the
pale of negotiation so far as the gov
ernor of the state is concerned. But
this is far from fully describing the
/. w. w. as the governor found It.
Further in his carefully prepared
statement Governor Alexander gives
another insight into the character of
the organization as he found it from
personal investigation. He says:
They are opposed to everything we
hold sacred. mother. daughter, wife,
marriage and home. Below l
will give an exact copy Of one of their
sons and by reading it, you will agree
with me that this terrible scourge
should be stamped out Just
think of the words of this song under
the title head. Onward Christian Sol
der.
Smash the doors of every home,
Pretty maidens seize,
Use your might and sacred right
To treat them as you please
File your bullets noses flat,
Poison every well,
/ God DEGREES your enemies
Must all go plumb to hell.
After making these astounding dis
coveries which reveal the true char
acter of the l. w. W., what did the
governor do? He continued to hob
mob, almost fraternize, with them in
their camps. carrying a box of cigars
with him to help his social advances
and generally endeavored to make
himself a good fellow with the out
i""S. TIC al'ehueu tHe TRIAL oI one
from whom he had bought the l. w.
W. literature which furnished the ex-
tracts he quotes He took occasion to
make speech to the court the prs-
oner and the spectators, in which he
duly impressed them with the fact
that he was governor of the state of
Idaho, beyond the jurisdiction of the
courts, and that his presence there
was merely an act of condescention,
which the court and common herd
should duly appreciate. With the full
knowledge, as 1t now appears from
his own statement, of the character of
the l. w. organization and of the pris-
oner at bar. he laid special stress up
on the fact that he was free from
prejudice against them, and made his
exit from the court room after a cor
dial handshake with the prisoner who
mad supplied him with the /. w. w.
literature.
What the governor says of the l.
w. w. is unquestionably true, not be-
cause he says so, for it was common
information before he spoke. This be-
ing the case. why does not Governor
Alexander proceed to use all the pow
FER Of the state at his command to
suppress the organization, instead of
sending member of the state con-
ciliatory board up to treat with them?
If 1t is a criminal organization, a mem
ace to the state and an enemy of the
United States. 1t should be treated as !
any other criminal To talk of con-
Citation or arbitration with such a
mob is to make farce of meeting the
most serious menace that confronts
the state and nation. But such is
CALL NOT THE RIGHTEOUS BUT
ClNNEPc tn DEnEA-A AHr