Washington State Bans Private Mercenary Guards
New legislation makes it a serious crime for companies to employ private detective agencies like the Pinkertons to suppress strikes or intimidate employees.
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The anti-Pinkerton bill, passed by the last legislature, vetoed by Governor Laughton and passed again by the present legislature over the veto, makes it unlawful for any person, firm, company, corporation or association to employ guards, officers, detectives, or any other person for the purpose of putting down strikes, suppressing riots, or protecting property within the state of Washington. No sheriff or police officer shall employ members of the Pinkerton detective agency as deputies or on any posse comitatus. Any violation is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $500 to $5,000 and imprisonment for 30 days to one year. Furthermore, it is a complete defense for any citizen to resist such private guards using necessary force.
“It shall be lawful to resist such attempt and to use all necessary and proper force therefor.”
This 1893 legislation reflects the intense labor conflicts of the era, where corporations routinely hired private forces like Pinkerton agents to break strikes. Today's debates over the militarization of private security and the use of private contractors in public spaces echo these same concerns about private interests usurping the rule of law.
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