The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-07-12
May Call Out
j. 5. Soldiers
To Guard Mail
By DAVID LAWRENCE
(Copyrtght BY Tho Ints1liSsnoerl

Washington. July 1l.-Federal troops
may have 10 be used by the govern
ment to support the various marshais
and deputies who have been appointed
10 see that the mails are protected and
Interstate commerce is not Interrupted.
officials OF the department OF justice
searching precedents today admitted
that a course Of procedure similar TO
that followed by President Cleveland
and Attorney General Olney in the fam
Gus Pullman strike OF 1924 was not un-
(tkeryif the rnarshals were unable TO Sc
cure respect for authority.
The appointment OF United States
marshals TO enter the strike zone ana
see that mail trains are not interrupted
Is the hrst step. II Is taken by the ue-
nartment OF justice on the broad
ground that the federal statutes MAKE
II the duty OF the department or JUS
lice 10 see 70 Il that there IS no com
bination Of any kind I'm restraint or
trade" This IS the language or the
Interstate commerce act OF July 1881
and In 1894 the marshals and deputy
Anarshals found themselves unable 70
R,ope with disorders and called upon the
Mar department for support Two reg
inAents entered Chicago and this brought
Send 20 interfere with
PreSstdent Harding may find himself
In IN same position his predecessor
Mr.. cleveland. Conferences thus far
have yled 10 a determination to use the
full fbrce Of the federal governmetnt In
secarA obedience 10 the federal laws
severk penalties are p!ovided Tor the
pun!s hment OF anyone who contributes
In an n way 20 the Interference with the
JournSvs OF mail trains or the destruction
OF hVSs or private property enroute from
STAKE 70 state. In connection with the
appointment during the last twentY-tour
hours q. rrarshals and deputies. the fol-
lowing A~atute Is cited by officials OF
the" DEPARTMENT OF justice. being sec
tiop 7sS. 6sSs.s.r,
The marsSars aL.4 their deputies shall
have In each state ne same powers In
executing % shs s,s tSFS sSeir G is United stat
state may have by law In eSSccu,lnk the
laws thereof"
Power OF President y Y
s,ir further explspst!pD-ot the M
: .'.s.ss '.sNeaEis eass.ssy q ssfecisfon Of the su-
< Dfernecourt Of the United States which
said:
so II the president or the postmaster
general Is advised that the mails OF the
United States. possibly carrying treas
ure are liable 70 be robbed and the mail
carriers assaulted and murdered IN any
particular region OF the country. who
can doubt the authority OF the president
or dS one Of the executive departments
under him 10 make an order for the
protection of them and OF the persons
and lives Of its carriers. by doing eS-
actIv what was done In the case OF Sr.
Justice Field. namely. providing surh-
Client guard whether ~ be by soldiers
Of the army or by marshals OF the
United States. with posse comttatus
properly armed and lquepped to secur :
the safe performance OF the duty or
carrying mall whever II may be Intend
ed to 60"
The statutes are considered by otf-
etals Of the government here 10 be all
inclusive and no authority - lacking to
keep trains moving 't the railroads
have the men to run the trains. There
Is no power which can compel railway
employees 10 work against their Will
even on mail trains but the federal gov
errment can lend troops for the pur-
pose OF moving the mails or Il can un-
. dertake the movement OF mail trains
itself under arrangement with the rail-
roads.
Practically all trains carry mall or
are engaged N Interstate commerce so
that the statutes practically make x
unlawful FOR anyone 10 wreck train
or otherwise hinder It's progress from
state 10 state Strike breakers there
fcre will have better protection than IS
usually the case but the federal govern
nent IS powerless to protect the strike
breakers from harm when once they
leave their trains after a days work.
The protection then devolves upon the
state authorities
Prepare for Emergency
Generally speaking the government Is
preparing FOR the emergency on the eS-
pectation that historywlll repeat Itself
unless the leaders OF both sides reach
a prompt aEreementor truce. The ao-
pointment OF rarshals lnthe past has
meant In the end the ordering OF fed
eral troops to trouble zones. State mill
tia Is already on duty IN i've states and
federal troops would be sent II the gov
ernors OF those state scall for help.
The chances are that X the marshals en-
counter resistance federal troops will
be sent to support them irrespective OF
whether the governors OF states ask for
II as the occasion would then be sup
porting federal officers in their enforce
nent OF the laws OF the United States
government