The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-25
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM,

number of people to 'boycott the Harper
publications on account of the Weeklys cap
tious objection to the election of Blaine and
Logan. But such thing has been limited
by some thoughtless person, and deserves
notice If the course of the Weekly is objec
tionable to any of its readers they have an
undoubted right to stop reading it, and may,
without prejudice, order its discontinuance.
This is one of the inalienable rights of
American citizenship. But to organize
to cripple any man company in business
because of reasons solely political, or of a
purely personal nature, is hostile to the spirit
of American liberty. It will be sorry day
for American enterprise and business when
any man or firm can be broken down on such
account as politics. The Journal, while I'M
able to understand how any public-spirited
citizen can be a Democrat or free-trader, is
content to accept the fact that there are
Democrats and free-traders in this country
and, further, is willing to concede that they are
honest in their convictions, though undoubt-
eddy in the wrong In sentiment the Journal
is unalterably opposed to all such, and will
use all its influence and fair argument against
them, but there it ends 1t were un-Ameri-
traders as business men, and any attempt to
do so should be unqualifedly condemned So,
too, in the matter of employing labor If a
man be worthy and competent, let him be en-
ployed without demanding his politics. This
is the position of the journal, and
for eleven years at least it's en-
ployes have been engaged without regard
to their political bias, or whether they did or
did not belong to this or that organization.
AS matter of fact, a number of its employees
were and are Democrats. The Journal is the
only paper in Indianapolis with one excep-
tion) that pays frst-class rates for every line
of type that goes into it, 1t uses no ''plates, y
nor composition "set" in job Offices. But it
does not believe in nor practice "boycotting. y
No man has been shut out because he did OF
barred to-day on that account First
class work is given and first-class wages paid
to all its employees without discrimination.
If liberty means anything to the employe, it
means that he can sell his labor to whom and
in what manner he pleases. Every man
should be free to act under the common laws
of the land.
If the Harpers are foolish enough to incur
the displeasure of their old friends and pa
trons that is their fault, and like men of
business, they must accept the result It is
perfectly right for any reader of the Weekly
to cease reading it. But to go beyond that,
and to seek to enlist others in the work
| of pulling down the business of that firm
because they have exercised their rights as
American freemen, is something that no man
in business can afford to countenance. Be
cause Harpers Weekly is Objectionable to
John Smith is no sufficient excuse for John
Smith going to Trustee Jones and seeking to
prevail upon him to cause Ha1per's school
publications to be discarded. Let the
Harpers and Mr. Smith settle their
own differences, and grant the same
liberty to JONES' In short, let every
man be master of his own affairs, patronizing
and declining patronage to whom he will.
The Journal has no sympathy whatever for
the Weekly in its war upon Blaine and Logan,
and will wage war upon it; but the Journal
does not presume, on account of its hostility,
to compel others to be hostile likewise, on
pain of losing the Journals support. If any
Republican wants to keep on reading and pay
ing for Harper's Weekly, that is his business,
and it is not for us or for any other
man to say that he shall not.
The 'boycotting" idea is un-American,
instructive love of fair play is so great in
the breasts of Americans that the victim of
such attempts at coercion always commands
the sympathy of the people. Any senseless
attempt to systematically boycott the Har-
pers because they have dared to do as they
please with their own must inevitably fail
There can be no question that their course
during the past few days has lost them many
dollars in patronage, but it has been the re-
suit of the free action of free men. Any at
tempt to throttle their business by organ
lied unfairness would bring to their aid a
| dozen natrons TO each one lost
AT Kokomo yesterday, Hon. George w.
| GlaoIo ,ro. e., Non1.,oaa l.. =