The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-19
WHITE AND BLACK MEN TALK.
Talks With Representative Men OF
Both Forces.

FRANKLIN, May 1s.-TSpecial. lin re
gard to the statement of Manager G. J.
Smith, Mr. McAlpine said today:
don't care to say anything in reply to Mr.
emith's statement about the contract Indi
vidually would not sign contract, and could
not consistently with my ideas OF American
citizenship. As to whether the company Is op
posed to labor organizations or not, can't say
although see that Mr.. Smith says 1t is not.
believe that the negroes will leave us as fast a.
they can. Eleven of them left yesterday and
twenty-five TO forty more today. IL has been
reported among them that as they passed
through Black Diamond on their way to
Seattle they would be annihilated by the miners
at that camp. This is not true. The Black
Diamond miners would not lift hand against
them. The people are opposed TO any violence
and many men have offered their services to the
sheriff as. deputies to prevent violence and
arrest any man guilty OF 1t. AS to the hiring
and discharging of men am quite willing that
the company shall have the right to hire and
discharge whom IL pleases, SO long as just
reason is given; but don't concede the right TO
discriminate against man who does his work
well and faithfully, for no other reason than
that he IL independent and open in the assertion
OF his rights. That is what we want to guard
against and for that purpose we want the
superintendent TO state what mans offense Is
when he discharges him.
AZ regards Mr.. Corey have frequently talked
with him about our difficulties and he has al
ways spoken reasonably and fairly. but his pres
ent actions don't agree with the opinions he
then expressed. When the Newcastle contract
was under discussion Mr. Bridges told me that
towards the latter end of their conference Mr.
Corey admitted that 1t was all one-sided and he
did not believe In It,
The negro view of the situation was
given by Rev. Hesekiah G. Rice, a Baptist
preacher who was sent by the company to
meet the train and joined the immigrants
ut Pasco. He has found several people
of his denomination among the negroes
and may organize a church here. He is
man of intelligence and fluent talker.
He said:
Our people are entirely unbiased and unpred-
JUDGED as far as the white men are concerned.
We are willing to work with them II they want
TO work with rs. but the white workingmen
have such prejudice against colored men that
If a workman OF our color goes to any factory in
the North and asks for employment the white
workmen strike against him and he has to GO.
Tho only way we can get employment as work
ingmen IN the North is to go In great crowd
60 place and take possession OF
il as we have done here. But we don't want TO
drive the white men out here. We are willing
10 work side by side with them, but we claim
please and work at any trade we please. Ameri-
ca Is our country. We were born here and we
don't know anything about Africa. We should
be as much foreigners there as the Hungarians
aud Italians are in this country. We claim the
right to 60 to any part of the United States and
work at our trade, and in the exercise of tina,
right we have come here. We have had
TO move out of the South, for, ever
since slavery was abolished, we have
been In depressed condition. The South
is so crowded that men with nine or ten chill
dren are working for 25 cents a day there. Oul
people have to move away and come to the
North In order 10 make living, and the ma
iority are so poor that thoy can't do 1t by them,
selves. Such an occasion as this is their only
opportunity. In the Southern factories and in
the mills and mines OF Alabama the colored
men and the whites work together peaceably
and il is mostly in the North that we have &c
contend with this prejudice, aud II ths
Northern workingmen would lay aside theil
prejudices and work with US we would unite
with them. have told them this, for have
addressed several labor meetings. The colore6
men are just as ready TO strike for their right.
as the white men. We have men of extensive
intelligence among us. aud one thing claim
for our people is that they are less deeeitfu
than the white men. They are simple and oper
minded, In fact they have not enough deceitfuI
ness for their own good.