A Governor Says Order First, Arbitration Later
From Seattle, Washington’s governor endorses Cleveland’s Pullman strike crackdown and argues arbitration must wait until the law is obeyed.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
On July 11 the New York Recorder telegraphed the governors of the Western states asking their opinions on the strike, the attitude of Pullman and the action of Cleveland. Only two of the governors were “at home” when the message came. They were Gov. McGraw, of Washington, and McConnell, of Idaho. The reply of Gov. McGraw shows that he is a patriotic American, who believes in maintaining the laws of the land, peaceably if possible, forcibly if necessary. His reply reads:
SEATTLE, Wash., July 12.—Mr. Pullman’s controversy is with his own employees. His refusal to deal with outsiders is, in my opinion, justifiable. I believe in the principle of arbitration, but it should not be resorted to now until the supremacy of the law is acknowledged by all, and quiet restored throughout the country.
President Cleveland deserves credit for asserting the power of the national government. Not to have done so would have been to invite anarchy, and would have been criminal.
The present labor troubles are due to the reluctance of both labor and capital to adjust themselves to the changed conditions. I anticipate a full restoration to tranquility, which may be followed in the near future by legislation for the establishment by law of boards for arbitration of labor disputes.
The present and paramount duty, however, is to suppress lawlessness wherever and under whatever name it may appear.
J. H. McGRAW, Governor.
“The present and paramount duty, however, is to suppress lawlessness wherever and under whatever name it may appear.”
Governor McGraw’s reply is a reminder that state executives have often been called on to choose between labor mediation and “law and order.” His sequence—suppress lawlessness first, then create arbitration boards—prefigured decades of labor law. Modern Seattle still debates how quickly public officials should intervene when strikes disrupt ports and supply chains.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.