Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-25
Sproul Warns That
State Will Not Stand For
Disorders and Rioting


Governor William C. Sproul last
night made it plain in u letter sent
TO William Y. Foster, the leader of
| the strikers at Pittsburgh, that the
commonwealth of Pennsylvania
would not stand for disorder and
that any armed mobs that attempt
10 come from any other state into
Iennsylvania to menace lives of this
states citizens, to destroy property
or to subvert order will be consid-
cred as invaders and dealt with ac-
cordingly.
The SprouI declaration, which
was couched in no uncertain terms,
was contained in a telegram sent in
reply to a protest by Foster against
the State police.
His Telegram
The Governors telegram says:
William Y. Foster, Secretary,
SOS Magee Building. Pittsburgh, Pa:
Your telegram complaining of the
| action of u squad of our State
Police in dispensing crowd at
North Clarion has received my at
tention. My information is that the
people were ordered to move in ac-
cordance with a proclamation by the
sheriff forbidding public gatherings,
that the police did not approach
the crowd until their commands had
| been defied and that nobody was
hurt until shots had been fired and
| stones and other missiles had been
thrown at the officers.
Crowds Dangerous
Experience has shown that 1t is
dangerous to permit the congrega-
| ton of large numbers of people
! during times of stress and excite
ment, and the sheriff as the official
charged with the maintenance of
law and order, was acting for the
public welfare in forbidding the
gatherings and in enforcing his de-
crees. In carrying out this policy,
the sheriffs of all the counties will
have the full assistance of the State.
Permit me to take this opportun-
ity of saying to you that in the sit
uation which now exists, when law
! leSsness and disorder have COM
| PEELED the intervention of the State
to aid the local authorities to main
| tain the peacS when every good
citizens attitude should be that of
| upholding the law and counseling
! and aiding in the maintenance of
order, shall expect your full CO.
operation in helping us to see to it
| that the laws of the Commonwealth
are observed and its peace pre-
served.
Reports have reached me that
many agitators, hostile Mike to our
institutions of government and to
! the organization which you repre-
sent, have taken advantage of the
| disturbed conditions to come into
Pennsylvania to spread wicked
propaganda and to endeavor to in
cite the ignorant and the vicious to
riot and pillage. These persons are
enemies of the State and our every
| Il 1naN ieyh iraer eptx 90 .o;,
prehension and punishment under
our laws.
Information has come to us that
efforts are being made by danger
Gus and evil-disposed persons at
points in other states near our
boundaries to collect armed mobs
| to come across the State line to
overpower our municipal authorities
and to attack our citizens and de-
| stroy their property. If any such
attempts are made we shall be COM
PEELED to regard these mobs as arm
| ed invaders of Pennsylvania and we
shall deal with them as such. I
| count upon your counsel and infiu-
| ence to discourage such attempts
and to aid us in every way that you
| can against those who would by
| Incorporate speech inf1ame people
to criminal actions.
Our interest in the struggle in
which you are engaged is in the
maintenance of law and order. the
| protection of your rights and those
of all of our people, citizens and
| sojourners alike, who live within our
! laws. During your own stay here
you must have been impressed with
the fact that our people are law
abiding and while they have abso-
lutte consideration for the rights of
others they are earnest, indeed, in
| the protection of their own rights
and the good name of the Common
wealth of which they are a part.
This is the spirit of the people
of Pennsylvania and as Governor of
the State I shall see to il that their
laws are faithfully executed, their
rights protected and their institu-
tions upheld.
WILLIAM C. SPROUL,
| Governor of PenDsVlVa MIA