The National Guard Hunts Its Own After the Railroad Strike
Washington's adjutant general orders investigations into guardsmen accused of union sympathies, disobedience, and damage to railroad property during the 1894 strike.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The action of members of the National Guard who disobeyed orders or showed sympathy with the strikers in the recent railroad strike is being thoroughly investigated by direction of Gov. McGraw, and the results will be reported to headquarters as a basis for further action. Special Orders No. 23 and No. 22 have just been made public.
Col. L. W. Pike, commanding the Second Infantry, N.G.W., is ordered to investigate his entire command, taking the names of all members of the American Railway Union or those who have indicated sympathy with it "to such an extent as to interfere with their duties as guardsmen." A special investigation is also ordered into the conduct of Company G at Tacoma on July 7, 1894, and into reports from Capt. J. Stearns of Company K that members refused to obey orders at Sprague or elsewhere. A further inquiry concerns damage to railroad property near Wallula on or about July 8 by members of the Second Regiment returning from encampment.
Maj. James M. Ashton, commanding the First Cavalry Battalion, is likewise directed to ascertain the names of members in his command, particularly Troop A, who belong to the American Railway Union or sympathize with it. The orders are signed by Brig. Gen. A. P. Curry, commanding, and C. F. Lake, assistant adjutant general.
“Members ... who are members of the organization known as the 'American Railway Union,' or who have indicated by either word or action that they are sympathizers with said organization to such an extent as to interfere with their duties as guardsmen.”
In 1894, Washington guardsmen were investigated for sympathizing with railroad strikers; today, debates over the role of police and National Guard in labor and protest still turn on where public force stands. The episode shows that the question of who the Guard protects—and from whom—is as old as the strike itself.
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