The Labor enquirer., 1885-05-16
BoYcoTT4NG A 'aLADY."

.a
The Times of Tuesday contained an
article which stated that well-knoyn
lrdy in this city was being boy 5cotted by
the Knights of Labor because of alleged
cruelty to a Uoman servant and, as the
article is intended to cast reflection
upon the order, and charge it with un-
reasonable spite and vindictiveness, I
desire to say word on the subject of
boycothng in general, taking this case as
text. The circumstance, as related by
the Times, is as follows:
One Monday morning few weeks ago
wowan servant in the employ of a we'll
known Denver lady YVES in the back
yard putting up clotheslin upon
which to hang the weeks washing.
Whaie Standing upon box to fasten the
line she lost her balance and fell. The
lady, who was watching the girl but who
did not dream that the fall wss serious,
laughed heartily, turned and went into
the house. It subsequently, developed
that the girl had fallen into g hole in
the ground into which sne haG a short
time before dump ed some red hot ashes,
and that when she succeeded in extri-
eating herself her feet were quite Sc
Yerely burn.
The lady says that at first she thought
she would pay the girls doctor bill, but
the case proving more serious and pre-
longed than she had anticipated, she
concluded she would not be justified IN
doing 80. The girl was taken in hand by
the Knights of Labor ard the lady was
at once boycotted. The result is that
she cannot now get even a washer
woman to work one daJ in the week.
She is now puzzllng over the problem of
whether she was boycotGed for her heart
lessness in laughing when the girl fell,
or for refusing to turn herself into a
charitable and benevolent society and
pay the expenses resulting from the
girls carelessness.
In the first place, it is not trle that the
Knights of Labor of tits city have any
such case in boycotting IN hand; but it
is more than likely if the poor woman
met with the accident that the order
"took the case in hand" 80 far as caring
for the sufferer is concerned. The order
of the Knights of Labor always cares for
its needy and suffering members, and in
doing 80 makes no claims for praise as a
charitable institution"
Any "woman"who is able to keep
servant, to do the work she ought to do
herself, should be able and humane
enough to take care of any poor creature
who is injured in her service; but we
have ceased to hope for such qualities in
the goldfish aristocrats, who would be,
fguratiYely speaking naked, il stripped
of the money they have stolen from the
toiling people. The Gladly" who could
laugh at the misfortune of a sister, ,and
would wait to dream that the fall was
serious" instead of fastening to the as
sistance of the unfortunate one, is no ex-
ception to the rule.
But about boycotting: The system of
is peaceable means adopted
by organized labor for the purpose of
the oppressors of the capitalist
class that they cannot with safety to
TEMPORAL welfare recklessly trample upon
the hard workers who have been con-
tent in the past to toll day and night for
a bare subsistence, while four-ffths of
the fruits of their labor vas being stolen |
from them and being squandered in riot
Gus living by the idlers and blood-suck- |
and female.
{. The capitalist class has taken the right |
TO throw the workers out of employ
ment when they see fit; to refuse them |
The opportunity to earn their bread in |
The sweat of their face. to make them |
ramps and then punish them for being |
70. They have gone 10 far that they |
blacklist" some of those they dis
,harge, and thereby prevent them from
employment elsewhere. The
.ich have boycotted the poor out of a
means of livelihood; they have boycott
ed them out of their Just share of the
control of public affairs ! they have boy
,otted them out of the means of edu-
alton and recreation, and, very extern
lively, have boycotted them out of the
,hurches. Capitalism has boycotted the
poor out of all the good things in life,
md boycotted them into paupers' graves
n the potters' field.
And these thieves, tn ese murderers of
he good things in life, these cold
Hooded, selfish loafers set up howl
vhen the worm turns, Boycott is
mild weapon in the hands OF the poor
md, while it may not be very efficient
means of liberation, sho VS. that the spirit
i revolt against injustice has not been
Wholly crushed out of the oppressed
'oer. 49,
In conclusion, every boycott ordered
= the Knights of Labor has just foun-
atom, and the eapitalistic press may
n.,er and lie as it pleases, the ladies"
,sy kick the rosettes off their satin
ipners, and we will carry the boycott i
inner = l,s into Africa, if necessary, and the t
ia and capitalists crooks may thank /
,.lr stars that the people are not yet '
a.