The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-11-09
Editorial Notes.
WHO told the whoprer?

WASHINGTON gives Doolittle, Hyde,
Dunbar and Gordon plurallties of
about 10000. The majority on joint
ballot in legislature will be AZ. The
legislature stands as follows: Senate,
republicans, Is; democrats, 9. House,
republicans, 50; democrats 16; popu-
lists, 10. The populists lost ground
all over the state, especially in dis
tricts where fusion was attempted. In
fact, everything is republican with a
vengeance, fore runner of what will
come two years hence.
The battle is over and the victory
has been fairly and honestly won. All
the petty animosities engendered in
the heat of campaign have already
been dropped by all sensible people,
and all should accept the verdict OF
the people in the proper spirit. If we
will, we can work in harmony for the
upbuilding of Shelton, the common
prosperity. Everybody will have equal
rights and everything will be in har-
mony. This is necessary for the gen.
eral welfare.
THE Ross McLaren Co, with mills
near Vancouver and Westminster,
b. c., is said to have contracted with
South African mining company for
1OO,OO0,OO0 feet of lumber. The Port
Blakely Mill Co. is reported to have
rendered for the contract. The sue
cessful mills were built by n big Eng
lish syndicate some years ago, but
were never operated, it is said, until
few weeks ago, when the prospect for
profitable lumber manufacturing in
British Columbia began to improve.
The syndicate also controls vast tracts
of crown timber lands. The mills are
said to be among the finest in the
Northwest, equipped with the best
machinery.
JUSTICE HARLAN handed down de-
cision reversing in part the celebrated
decision Of Judge Jenkins enjoining
the employees of the Northern Pacific
railroad from striking. In discussing
the matter Justice Harlan said: "The
vital question is whether a court of
equity will, under the circumstances,
by injunction, prevent one individual
from quitting the services of another.
An affirmative answer to this ques-
ton is not, we think, justified by any
authority to which our attention has
been called or of which we are aware.
It would be an invasion on ones
natural liberty to compel them to
work or to remain in the personal SER
vice Of another. One who is placed
under such a cOnstraint is in condi-
ton of involuntary seryitude, condi-
tion which the supreme court of the
United States declares shall not exist.
The rule, we think, is without excep-
ton that equity will not compel the
actual affirmative performance by an
employe of merely personal service
any more than it will compel an en-
plOyer to retain in his personal SER
vice one, who, for no matter what
cause, is not acceptable to him for
service OF that character. U1doubt-
edly the simultaneous cessation of
work by any considerable number of
railroad employees without previous
notice will have an injurious effect
and for time inconvenience the pub
lie. But these evils, great as they are,
are to be met and remedied by legisla-
tisn restraining alike employees and
employers. In the absence of such
legislation the right OF one in the SER
vice of quasi-public corporation to
withdraw therefrom whenever he sees
hit, must be deemed so far absolute
that courts of equity cannot inter-
fere"