The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-02
RIGHTS OF CITIZENS.

The right of any citizen to employ in
any lawful occupation whomeyer he
chooses, for such wages and upon such
terms as may be agreed upon between the
parties, is fact beyond denial, and il is
the rule in ali enterprises. In every bust
ness the proprietor selects such as
sistants in all departments of labor as he
wants, and nobody denies his right TO do
%. No laborer is compelled to work st
any particular employment for any par
t;eular employer or for any particular rate
Of wages His right of choice is as fully
guaranteed by the customs Of business and
by the laws Of the country as IS the right
OF the employer. These propositions are
fundamental They are part OF the Anae-i-
can bill of rights No court win deny
them, and whoever does deny them puts
himself In position OF defiance not only
CT the Law but of every principle o. natural
justice among men.
The right of the owners Of the coal
mines at Franklin, al Black Diamond, 81
Newcastle and at Gilman 10 hire whom
they chocse-white men, negroes. union
lists or non-uniouists-is q fact Is certain
and positive as is the right Of 3 merchant in
Seattle to choose his own clerks and por-
tiers. They have the right 70 hire such
men rs may be willing 70 work at such
pay as may be mutually satisfactory.
They have no right 10 demand or compel
the labor of any particular man At any
particular rate of pay; nor, on the other
hand, have the mine workers the right TO
compel employment nj any particular pay
or under terms of their own suggestion.
The proposition is just as broad as ii is
long-neither has any advantage in Law or
justice over the other.
The law in the case Is IS much for one
party as the other-it seeks 10 protect each
in his rights. The mine owners must be
compelled to stand by their contracts, and
the mine workers must be compelled to
stand faithfully TO theirs Furthermore,
it must protect both parties in their full
rights.
II is needless to say that much of the
Aoings of the past few months al the coal
camps has been in violation of law As
consequence there is riot, with outrage
upon outrage. At two of the camps there
is now open warfare, and it must be
stopped. Some days ago the Posr-IsrEI-
LIGEscER pointed out that the time might
come when IL would be the duty of the
state not only 10 keep the peace by force,
but to disarm and disperse the opposing
forces at the several camps. That time
has now come. 1t is the duty Of
the state to disarm the Sullivan
guards on the one hand, and the
fighting miners. Awhile and black,
on the other. And il is further the duty
OF the state TO enforce order at the mining
camps to the end that the rights, both of
employers and employed, shall be secured
the right of mine owners to employ
whom they choose, at such wages and
upon such terms as may be agreed upon,
and the right of mine workers, white.
black, union or non-union, TO accept or
decline employment in their own discre-
ton and free choice.
AS 60 the questions of difference between
mine owners and mine workers, these are
private matters with which the state has
nothing to do. Its duty is simply to main-
tain peace and TO assure to both parties
the rights guaranteed by the laws and the
constitution.