The labor world., 1922-06-24
STATE MILITARY
POLICE SYSTEMS
TAWART LIBERTY
Hall Tells City Officials They
Are Bad For Freedom.
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tails be stationed in that territory
The Canadian System.
'Sir John A. Mcdonald, a strong
federalist and. advocate of central
ized authority, the then premier of
the Canadian government, conceived
the idea of military police force
1t neatly fitted into his theory OF
government and it's administration
Parliament, following his recomlnen-
dation, authorized by law in 1873
the establishment Of the Northwest
Mounted police. 1t was sent into the
far Northwest simultaneous with the
construction Of the Canadian Pacific
railroad.
During the building Of the rail-
road, the chief occupation of mount
ed police was to suppress Indians
and strikes. The official report of
Inspector Steele of the police con-
tained these very significant words
regarding a strike at Golden City
in 1885: I instructed the men in
charge of the detachment to use the
severest measures to prevent ces-
sation of the work of constructions
The Whole Works.
"A year later the police were ac-
tive in suppressing the second re-
bellion, which took place among the
inhabitants of the territory. That too,
was a protest against iniquitous land
regulations which the land thieves
were imposing upon them. Louis
Reil, the leader of both rebellions,
was captured, tried and executed in
the police barracks at Fort Gary
by the mounted police.
"There is no doubt but that the
Canadian mounted police have played
an important part in maintaining
law and order in the territory in
which they served. but in issues In
volving the liberty of persons they
have been exceedingly reckless.
Their record contains story of
of local inha bitants, the
violation of their homesteads, sup
port of the Hudson Bay company
against the best interest of the peo-
pie, suppression of railroad and
mining strikes. That is how CEN
tralized police system operates. It is
a menace to human liberty and is
out of place in free government.
just Like Cossncks.
'"The old czars of Russia were
i1%o o}@r
a police system similar to that which
is proposed for Minnesota. The con-
duct of the Cossacks is a blight on
civilization, They were ruthless in
their cruelty. They brutally rode
over the people and held them in
subsection through awe and fear.
They were used to keep the people
in political and economic bondage.
'"Then there was the Spanish po-
lice in Cuba which American SOL
diers drove from the new world. It
was established and maintained on
the same principle as state constab-
ularies. Equally true in application
was the Prussian police in Alsace-
Lorraine, the conduct of which
marks the blacklist spot in Prussian
history.
Like comparison may be made
with the Belgian military police in
Congo, the British police in South
Africa, India and other British COL
onies and worst Of all, the British
constabulary in Ireland.
Evils Creep in.
Labor has every reason to op-
pose the state consta bulary as an
institution. Its champions are not
in the habit Of permitting the peo-
pie TO know of it's true purpose at
the outset. They talk about waves
Of crime. violations Of the prohibi-
tion laws, and the inability Of local
officers to cope with situations,
That's innocent enough. but when
state constabularies come into BE-
ing. their original purpose is los!
sight of and they naturally drift in
to iniquitous practices. There is lit
tie restraint upon them and they
usually go the limit.
local police system nothing that has
happened in America vindicates the
state police system as either a pre-
ventative of crime, CT a detector of
criminals. No new condition has ap-
peared to warrant a departure in
Minnesota from the principle of To-
cal self-government, of which con-
troll of the police is an important
factor.
Give Sheriffs Power.
If sheriffs seem unable to meet
every day situations because Of lack
of authority it is within the prov
ince Of the legislature to give them
more authority and to extend 1t be-
yond the limits Of the county in
which they are elected. Give them
the authority with which you would
clothe n state police and the neces-