New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-05
ALESSON FOR STRIKERS.
THE LIByLLERs OF Mr.. oNEILL HELD.


cided Yesterday in the jefferson Market FonCe
Court bv Justice White. The printers who are en-
ganed in the conspiracy to blaeken the chsrae'eR
and damage tie business OF OMEN N C''' "Hci'e
that they were liable 20 arrest on seilo"'
charge have changed their tactics. lhey no long
er send unfortunate and misguided youhgters HAe
Ronondt and Garrett 70 annoy the shoppers GU
Sixth-ave in the neighborhood OF Iwenueth-sI'
Thev now send their impudent and lying anonymous
circular in the darkness TO the dwellings, OF those
who they think, are likely to buy goods at the
store AGAINST which their spite is directed This
cowardlv scheme may bring the leaders of the con-
snracv into new difficulties, however, according 10
the decision Of Justice White in the progress oil the
hearing that they were liable in civil action. 10
understand the case at the stage which it has now
reached the following statement Of Douglas Camp
bel is valuable:
some two months AGO MI O'Nell. who owns the large
store az Sxth-ave and Twenteth-st began TO receive
notices nom various trade unions threatening him Wild
sd y in TifF TRIBUNE He little and cared
less about the controversy between ne ZOE tSese
compositors, which was alleged az he reason @ him.
threats But he proposed to carry On ms @ b tTads
self and not to have 1t conducted for MN oy uaHe
union He accordingly treated these men as tney ue
erved that ia by ignoring their notices, and cOnuhueu
;,S o bS two printers who avowed themselves mem
bers OF the organization which nad Inaue & ~ 1id not
Mr. OrNen quietly firmly told them that ne uu mo-, MOI
care Ia talk with who wrote such letters anu ""A
away aar. afterward two mon appeared the side
walks Of sixthave distributing circulars 70 every P S
by The circulars were headed teU Boycott IT,
o'Nen * Co" Then followed an account OF lhe oolel
vsv of asf fan between THE TRIBUNE and its compos
ttors an expression Of the determination OF the uss
unions TO boycott" THE TRIBUNE and every one e, '
iTterview between Nj O'Nen and the printers. IN, Inc
circular accused Mr. ONelll OF the mo'' b.m saw
conduct at the interview ana i nhsue trade of
that he didn't care fo 65rc,I 1he With an
nsaI To- all casse. in the community 10 keep away
nom the store OF a who thus insurer i tle P IN
pie and ana W. was Hr oNei consulted me about the mat
Ter advised him these men could be arrested eel
ceednr which would bring up the question SqlaTey
whether the trade unions are 70 govern rue T conrded
10 have them prosecuted for mel ana M ynext
men distributing the circulars were ~reSVeu 'n' "ON'
time they were detected in the act. . s+ anna If
me cgs u but the men who distributed them mem
beers OF the union. who volunteered Ter me ~
their examination before the Police justice we IIu no
fndut from their witnesses who wrote aud printed tae
circular, assuming that as they conslqeTed np6@rsn
mode OF warfare fhey would ne proud OF the au'oI9p'
Tncv however. refused to answer the question. 80, ?
NM, NIX 3Nf 6e ln hSTe to the support OF good citizens
ese trade unions publish paper called me BoycoeT
list" and the name Of H. O'Nell N Co sanus az sIe NJ
beanse he advertses his business where he sees NJ ny
Slsf b mar NINETY nine persons out of hundred IN the
corlmunit- will regard this black list as ron .! n4o
Welded to their demands do not think 80 poorly OF any
NewYork merchants as 70 believe TINS ne Il ~ rs Ia
be good idea to publish Lhelr names, 80 ' T,rpISE
may know them. This Is NOT NAV one n,iNt ota
fgl We
in this contest We should take the position # told
advertise in The World, or sun OF AsItt ,4i
zen against a society made up mostly OF toreisneIs VINO
think that they enslave the whole pop1'ton ds 2
have eueIayeJ devils JOIN their ORGANIZE
tian one OF these days the respectable worhnGmen
viii reheJ agans This desposn but these English COM
munists have mistaken merchants ana business eH
in thinking that they will yield to their diciauoA.
Such a history led naturally to the brief which
Mr. Campbell submitted to Justice White. Apart
from personal interests involved, the case is one
which brings to the test a new principle IN the law
of libel. In giving the points Mr.. Campbell said:
libel is defined by Section 242 Of the Penal Code TO
be malicious publication which has tendency to innre
any person corporation association or persons ID HIS
There can be no question present publication
comes within this definition. The compliment ONeH
keeps store in sxth-ave for the sale Of dry goods mill
merry and fancy articles His store is Of course IRE
0uened by all elssses rich and poor workers ana nor
workers This circular says, Iegerurg ing inshltinS
manner this man stated that he would nave nothing
10 do with them, and that he ddt care FIR Me TGde ~
,rorl1 DeoDle dnuhOW II then proceeds TO urge the
working classes 70 keep away from the store or man
who speaks thus about the people, not to buy from nn
spneai by saving: Tel your and daughters to
keep away from 0'Neln q Co. The anGuage used by
monty employed by them IN business intercourse
1t needs no argument to prove tnat SuI1 n hIV
announces that he does not wish Tor or care Tor te
trade Of the working people" they would naturally keep
away from his store suppose he put notice 70 this
effect in his windows OF pacarded i on the outside OF
his store, what would be the enect! Inc Worklns
people" who form the great mass OF the customers
In any such establishment, would go TO merchants who
wanted their trade and not 10 man who said
that he didn't care for II anyhow" while other class
ncTts In the present case the defendants stationed
themselves ting sidewalk each side Of MS store and
with the request at the top Please read before shop
ping" The words quoted above are set out IN the ecu
far in 0uOtatiOn marks. coming directly from MI
O'Nen such circulaTso distributed, would tend asmuch
njure merchants business as II posted IN Ms Wndow
The defendants counsel N his argument entirely ignores
9 5 be Fact thai t6e Penal Code makes publication
Tihallq
The Penal Code says Section 24i that hhel may be
justified by showing two things Fret that is c and
in addition that published With good motive and for
iustiiabe ends We need not m this case discuss the
on It's face that II published from motives o. revenge
I enough here and TO point ont mat Ge S ABOVE
cloth, and without the scm6lance OF foundation one
ONeiiL His name Is William M>Cabe He testified
that he and companion waited on ONel as a
Ion was not produced the defendants counsel stating
thsJ ne eo Sod DO 70 give the whole conversation with
ONeil and upon Examination repeated 1t in full.
0'Neiis mouth bv the circular to the effect that he
didn't care for the trade of working people anyhow
They had 10 conversation upon NE subject and ONSu
ious, vindctive, and in addition absolutely false.
oNein by the president As nothing had been said about
any Se e meant the Prdent Of the United
states He answered that he referred TO good man.
IT, u,o %. trade rDionist The witness gave the in
teryiew with Mr. ONell, upon which the circular is
based.
al rold him / was a committee from Typographical
Union No g. and be said he ddnt want anything 20 do
with Typographical Union No. o, any other No. o,
that he received insulting letter and he placed 1t
where would hear OF II again. asked him 10 let me
look At the letter and he said he would not do it, and
said 70 him y wac rather important and
mat would Ike 10 talk the matter with him. and be
said he DIDN'T want anything TO 40 with me, and he
walked away"
Where did he walk tor
aoh know. Returned his back 70 me and walked
away. and seeing that walked away
The letter referred To in
any mind except that OF trade uniOnist aupear Of the
ineulttDg character IL contained threat that the
WOrkingmen Of NewYOrk would withdraw their natron
axe unless lie withdrew his advertisement from
TIE TRIBUNE. To accustomed the tyranny of thu
n.r-n. ~. In ~