The Rule of Law in the Face of Mob Violence
In 1885, a Seattle judge delivered a scathing rebuke to a grand jury and the public, condemning anti-Chinese conspiracy and defending the right of all laborers—regardless of race or origin—to equal protection under the law.
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.
The Grand Jury filed into Court and presented their report. They stated they had returned three bills of indictment on the part of the United States and four true bills on the part of the Territory. A large portion of their time was devoted to the investigation of violations of section 5519 of the Revised Statutes in King and Whatcom counties. They reported that they were satisfied that while the wish exists to be rid of the Chinese, the people of this judicial district are peace-loving and law-abiding. However, they presented indictments against Daniel Cronin, John Keane, M. McKillan, George Venable Smith, Walter Walker, P. P. Good, A. C. Cruzer, Lew Emert, Uric E. Kenworthy, J. Caldwell, K. Wickstrom, A. Aumond, H. M. Hall, E. M. McCann, and John Molott for conspiring to deprive Chinese persons of the equal protection of the laws.
Chief Justice Greene responded: 'A combination to accomplish an unlawful purpose is called a conspiracy... It is not lawful to restrain a man, by force, in his pursuit of happiness. Whether he be a laborer or an idler, rich or poor, German, Irish, Scandinavian, American, English or born a citizen, or a sojourner—it makes no difference. It is unlawful for all. I cannot believe the laboring men of this vicinity have entered into these unlawful combinations against the Chinese. The interest of the laborer is forever identical with the interest of the commonwealth. He cannot fight against the authority of the commonwealth without fighting against his own interests.'
“A free government is no respecter of persons. It cannot give to one class more rights than to others without abridging the rights of those others.”
This 1885 report captures a pivotal moment in Seattle’s history when xenophobic violence threatened to overtake the region. Judge Greene’s insistence that the 'commonwealth' must protect the marginalized, regardless of their background, echoes the modern legal and civic struggle to ensure civil rights and inclusivity in a rapidly changing, sometimes hostile, urban environment.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.