The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-07
THE COLORED MINERS.
One Of Them Lays Down the Pick and
Takes Up the Pen.

Taxes Up INC en-
FRANKLIN, July 5, 1891.
To THE EDITOR: Having noticed in yester-
days PosT-INrELLIGENcER the report of mass
meeting of citizens of Seattle, at which the situ-
alton at Franklin and other mining camps was
discussed, / think great bug-bea seems to be
Corey and the negro. 1t is surprising to me, sir,
that, when q black man begins to assert his
rights of American citizenship it very often Gre
ates a commotion In the public mind. Evil and
designing men hold him up to the public gaze
with scorn and derision, classifying almost every
statement made in regard to him. When any man
has courage to champion his cause, he 10 brand
ed as a villain and unfit for public confidence.
The treatment that Mr.. Scott received ut that
meeting 10 sufficient proof that, if the black
man waits for some one else to fight his social
and political battles, he will always play a
losing game. The time has come that the cry,
This is q white mans country" does not hold
water. If understand the English language,
and think do, the constitution of this great
and glorious country of ours says that this 10
country where all men, regardless of color or
previous condition, are free and equal. The
laws OF this country tell us, too, that every
American shall be protected in his right of
citizenship, and for the exercising of that
right We are misrepresented and all manner
OF bad things said about US That | think
is very wrong. They seek to assassinate aud
murder US, and being foiled in that they tell the
public that they are afraid we will come in the
night and kill them, but God is always on
Israel's side. Through all of this opposition the
black man lie steadily forcing his way upward
and onward in the path of science and learning
and today have fine talent there is
among any people on the face OF the earth.
Twenty years ago we were goods and
ehattels. The white man has had our sweat
our blood, our strength, and our lives for nearly
800 years. Then he asks why are we so far be-
hind him The answer comes back to him In
words like this: We, the white people, have
robbed him aud deprived him of the ehanes to
accumulate wealth and accomplishments of
learning and are seeking TO do the same things
today. They deny us the right to make a con-
tract TO suit ourselves, and when we have done
this they call Us sayages
They seek 10 boycott our employers and threaten
their lives, simply because they give us the
work that the white men refused To do. Now,
we DO not care who II pleases or who il does not
We will mako just such contracts we want 10
make, and live up to them when they are made
whether the public, the Western Central Labor
Union or any other union likes il or not.
/ would say further that great many stories
have been told aboutwhite ladies being insulted
by colored men. Those stories know to be
false All ask is 10 be let alone; let us travel
the public highways without being insultec or
molested, and you will have no need of mill tia
Pinkerton guards or any one else.
Inc htuSiuucut III tBe constitution
has declared that all OF our political disabilities
have been removed, therefore we shall eoutinue
u use all our energy aud influence 10 infuss
into the minds of the people of color OF the
United states that spirit OF manhood and indie
pendence that 50 fifty charaeterizes true Ameri-
citizens, for which our color sacrificed their
lives in the late civil war. As proof of this
patriotism 5000 of their bodies lie moIderipg
in national cemeteries. We shall endesvor 10
attend to our own business, make our own con-
tracts, work for whom We please, get as much
wages as we can. save our earnings and claim
respectable place among the people in the com
munity in which we live q. & RAILkY.