US Government response to LU 23 request in Idaho miner imprisonment
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[Newspaper] Publication: The Morning News Muncie, IN, United States |
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STATE'S BLAME Idaho’s Governor Assumes Responsibility. CONDITIONS AT WARDNER Described at Great Length in Defense of Action. TROOPS WITHDRAWN Congressman Cromer Receives Communication From War Department — Administration Blameless. Two weeks ago a committee of Muncie Union, No. 23, A. F. G. W. U., called on Congressman Cromer to secure his interest and action toward having the federal troops guarding the long-untried union miners imprisoned in the bull pen at Wardner, Idaho, withdrawn. Congressman Cromer wrote at once to President McKinley on the matter, and yesterday morning he heard from Secretary of War Root a letter with two inclosures — the secretary's communication to Governor Steunenberg, of Idaho, and the governor's reply thereto. The letters of Secretary Root and some excerpts from Governor Steunenberg's long story are printed here: "War Department. Washington, October 30, 1899 "Dear Sir: I have received, by reference from the President, your letter of October 20th, requesting, on behalf of the Muncie Union, No. 23, of American Flint Glass Workers' Union, that the miners now imprisoned by the state authorities at Coeur d’Alene be brought to a speedy trial and receive fair treatment during their period of imprisonment. "The relation of the government of the United States to the conflict between the miners in Idaho and the governor of that state is best illustrated by correspondence which has passed between the War department and Governor Steunenberg, copies of which are herewith inclosed for your information. "The troops have been instructed to withdraw from the custody of the prisoners on the 1st of November. Very truly yours, "ELIHU ROOT. "Secretary of War. "Hon George W. Cromer, Muncie, Indiana" ORDERS TO STEUNENBERG. COPY "War Department. "Washington, September 28, 1899.
"Sir: I beg to call your attention to your application to the President, dated April 29, 1899, for military forces of the United States to suppress insurrection in Shoshone county, in the state of Idaho, and to inquire whether the insurrection in that county has not now been suppressed so that the troops may be withdrawn and employed in other duties? In case you should deem that the time has not arrived for the entire withdrawal of the troops of the United States from that county, I beg to make the following suggestion in regard to their further services: I am informed that they are now being used by the civil authorities of the state and county as a guard for certain prisoners — upwards of a hundred in number — who have been arrested by the civil authorities upon warrants issued by the civil courts, and are held under such warrants or indictments found by the grand jury of the county: that these prisoners, or most or them, have been held for a number of months, and that during the period of their detention the district court of Shoshone county, which is the court having jurisdiction to try indictments found by the grand jury, has twice convened and adjourned without bringing these prisoners to trial; that the next regular term of court will not be held until January or next year, and that in the meantime, something is done to prevent it, these prisoners would remain in prison under guard of the troops of the United States. "I do not wish in any way to make any suggestion relating to the administration of justice in your state, or to imply that the failure to bring these prisoners to trial has not been for perfectly good reasons in accordance with the law and practice of the courts of Idaho, but I am much disinclined to have the troops of the United States continued longer in the attitude of retaining in custody the citizens of a state who have remained so long without being tried, and I feel bound to urge that, if it is not convenient to bring the prisoners to speedy trial, you will substitute civil guards as their custodians and relieve the troops of the United States from further performance of that duty. "I have the honor to be very respectfully yours, ELIHU ROOT, "Secretary of War. "To the Honorable Frank Steunenberg, Governor of Idaho, Boise, Idaho." Governor Steunenberg, replied to Secretary Root's letter in a communication of date October 10, which, if published in full, would fill over seven columns of this paper. He gives a detailed history of the troubles in the Coeur d'Alenes from 1892 to the date of his communication, and his story, while agreeing with many of the facts and dates quoted by President Boyce, of the Western Federation of Miners in his talk in Muncie last Saturday evening, is designed to give proofs that the presence of federal troops in Shoshone county at this time is necessary in the interest of the peace of the community and the safeguarding of its property. Governor Steunenberg writes of many crimes committed in the Coeur d'Alenes, and strives to defend all the actions the state authorities in the premises, while denying strenuously that these authorities have or ever had any animus against organized labor, as such. In the course of his long story, Governor Steunenberg quotes from a speech made by President Ed. Boyce at Salt Lake City on May 8, 1897, as follows: "I deem it important to direct your attention to Article 2 of the constitutional amendments of the United States — the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." This you should comply with immediately, every union should have a rifle club. I strongly advise you to provide every member with the latest improved rifle. which can be obtained from the factory at a nominal price. I entreat you to take action on this important question, so that in two years we can hear the inspiring music of the martial tread of 25,000 armed men in the ranks of labor." Some of the more important assertions of Governor Steunenberg in his communication to Secretary Root follow: "It is my deliberate Judgment that the withdrawal of the troops from Shoshone county would be attended with the most serious consequences. I believe that, while upon the surface there is an apparent quiet, should the troops be withdrawn it would surely result in a great loss of property and the loss of life in that vicinity." "It should be understood that this is not a conflict between labor and capital, nor a question of wages, but it is a conflict between the state of Idaho and certain criminal organizations which seek to cloak themselves under the cover of labor organizations. We are not in conflict with organized labor, as such, in any manner whatever." "The state of Idaho is responsible for all that has been done in Shoshone county, relative to the call for troops, the arrest, detention and care of prisoners, the regulations under which the mine can and have been operated from the date of the insurrection up to the present time, and the regulation of all matters concerning the employment of men in these mines, all of the above matters having been under the immediate supervision, control and direction of the officers and representatives of the state of Idaho, and not in any way of the federal troops. I further state that the state assumes and acknowledges all responsibility for the manner in which affairs are conducted in the Coeur d'Alenes so long as martial law, as proclaimed, prevails." "As to the guarding of prisoners, I will state that on November 1 the state will be able to relieve the troops of all such duties." "These men have not been held under, or by reason of indictments upon the part of the state, but because they were men whom we could not permit to be at large under the present condition of affairs in that section. The men who were held under indictments found by the state grand jury, and whom we decided to try, escaped prison a few days before the regular term of the court, at which time all preparations had been made to try them."
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