The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-01-22
g pROYnOT"TINGs.n

There is no explanation of the meaning
of this word in our dictionaries or cyoopes-
dias, it having originated in the recent dis
turbances in Ireland, to define the method
employed to bring to terms a particularly
obnoxious land agent named Capt. Boycott.
Many other words have arisen in similar
way. Samuel Swartwout, who failed to pay
up million OF dollars which he had receive
ed under Gen. Jackson's administration as
Collector of the port of New York, was the
original OF Swartwouing." Lynching"
was derived from Southern and Western
man of the name who executed justice az
the mob and not as the law decreed il.
But few people understand the full scope
Of the meaning of the new word, Boycott
ting" and we cannot better describe it than
in the words Of the New York Sun of a re-
cent date
tits species of social ostracsm, enforced
with pitiess severity in the minutest details,
as well as in the large concerns of life. The
presence Of a "Boycotted" person is not ac-
knowledged by word, a look, a gesture.
Not only is there no intercourse, but no bus
iness is directly or indirectly transacted with
him. Nobody will buy his grain, his fruit,
his garden produce, his horses, cattle, fowls.
or anything he has to sell nobody will sell
him pound of meat, an ounce of flour,
a gill Of whiskey.or an hours work. No one
will give or lend him assistance in any way.
and no money will tempt man to approach
bis dwelling. Under such circumstances, a T,
"Boycotted" person must stock his house as
if he was on an Arctic cruise, for otherwise,
no matter how large his bank account, he
may starve in the midst of plenty. Even
when supplies have been procured from
distance he would lead the life of castnway
on some desert island with the stinging
consciousness that, in his case, solitude bore
constant witness to the hate and loathing Of
every human being within reach of eve or
ear. In a word, "Boycotting' means much
the same sort of compulsory isolation as that
to which lepers were subjected in ancients
and medieval times. Indeed, the Irish pro-
cess is, in some respects, a harsh one, since,
even among the Jews, the kinfolk of leper
were allowed to bring him food aud clothing,
provided they laid it on the ground at a GER
tain distance. 1t is not at all impossible,on
the the other hand, that under the applica-
tiou of the Irish proscriptive measure soma
landlords may be made to feel the same
pangs of hunger which the tenants have so
frequently experienced. 1t is certrin that
threat Of "Boycotting" is already regarded
with peculiar dismay, and that this impalp-
able engine of coercion has already proved
more effective than overt acts OF violence.
This method of coercion. it is claimed, Is
in no particular contrary TO the law, as there
is no law which can compel one man to
speak to another, to sell to another, or to
work for another against his will. The Irish
people evidentally mean business and il
they persist In their present tactics it will be
| found that the landlords will ere long be
! glad to sell their properties at fair yalua-
tion and move out of a country whose in-
habitants almost TO man are their enemies.