The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1919-12-26
American Legions Protests Call
or Troops to Coercc Laborers

company of the Minnesota nationa
saafa TO international Falls to sup
press "riots' in connection with III,
strike OF 40 railroad men emolovee
by the Minnesota, Dakota & Wester,
rallfoaa is the eliminating blundor O.
the steel trust governor of Minnesota
j. A. A. Burnquist.
The state troops are in Interna.
tional Fails with nothing to do. There
nave been no riots or anything am
EFach'ng disorder The city on th.
n":c@r is as q.i-~. as Fargo on a SUN
day morning. But it is cold there
around 80 below zero-and the sold
iers are saying uncomplimentary
Things about Governor Burnuuist.
The Commercial Club, the Ameri
can Legion post and citizens general
~ IN international Falls are indig-
nant at Governor Burnquist for send
lus the troops there and no less in
censed at Sheriff Mcintosh of kooch-
1cMng county, who did the bidding of
T.. w. Backus, millionaire lumberman
and president of the Minnesota On
tario Paper company and other cor
polatlons allied with the logging rail
road, and asked the governor to send
troops to international Falls.
The Legion post adopted the fol-
lowing resolution last Monday night:
'Be I resolved by the members OF
William Robbie post No. 66, Min
nesota, American Legion:
THAT we believe in law and order
And that disregard to the law of
the land, either by L. w. VS. with
anarchis.ic tendencies or by barons
OF big business is equally detrimental
to the best interests of our country;
Owe believe that strong, we'll
organized national guard is desir-
able as a means of national defense;
1--WE believe that every .ndeavor
should be made to make the national
guard an organization that no man
should be ashamed of belonging to;
And that no service should be re-
ouired of the national guard except
honorable SERVICE. such as men who
have worn their country's uniform in
he great war might be proud to per-
form, and
HWhereas the Minnesota branch of
the American Legion, in convention
at St. Paul, adopted the following
resolutions:
s'Be it resolved, by the Minnesota
branch of the American Legion, in
convention assembled, that this Or
ganza.ion be opposed to the use of
the national guard for strike duty.
except in direct extremity; and be it
further
Resolved, that the function of the
strike duty should be properly exer-
cised by civilian police. thru the
sheriff and municipal authorities in
volved, therefore, be it
'Resolved, that we condemn the
action Of Governor j. A A. Burnquist
in prostituting the function of the
national guard of Minnesota by send
ing them to this city with the implied
threat of coercing laboring men to ac-
cept terms favorable to corporate i'm
teres.s"
a committee, representing the state
organization of the Legion is now in
International Falls investigating the
situation there.
OF the 45 strikers who refused to
accept 10 hour day at virtually the
same wage received for an eight hour
day, all ire residents of International
Falls. The majority are home owners;
SO have families; Is per cent of them
are members of the American Legion
and the majority of these saw service
with the A. r. F.; more than one-half
of the strikers are members of the
commercial club. and every one of
them is union labor man.
One of the questions submitted to
the Legion investigating committee
the draft o Seymour Wellington
Backus, son of the lumb r baron.
Young Backus, who was 81 years old
at the time of the draft, is president
of the Minnesota, Dakota & Western
railroad. He claimed exemption on
the ground that he was necessary in
n nococcarv huisnpSS
His father stood back of the claim.
After having been refused exemp-
ton by the local draft board, Young
Backus and Lis father appealed to the
district draft board appointed by
Cove rnor Burnquist and this board
allowed the boy railroad president to
stay at home.
No s.Revolution' Found
In a frantic effort to justify the
presence of the state troops in In
ternational Falls, Governor Burnquist
has asked Adjutant General Rhinow