The Press., 1885-12-31
Volnne 2s. Number 40.
Hartford Courant.) THE HISTORY OF BOYCOTTING.

I Bradstreet's, which is trade journal of great intelligence and much information, I undertakes in it's present issue to give the people some idea of the extent and exer- icise in the United States of what is known T as "boycotting. This consists as every one knows in ceasing to do business with a concern which has become objectionable j and often goes much further than that, so as to involve ceasing to do business with those who do maintain business relations with boycotted parties. For example, barbers and grocers and others have been boycotted for serving persons employed by boycotted factories.
 The journal which gives the informa- 1 ton says that, excluding Chinese boycotts, there have been 196 cases of boycott Tn the past two years, of which IA are still on ; B are admitted by the boycotters to have failed, and 59 are claimed by them as gained, and, according to Bradstreet's, more newspapers have been boycotted than any other interest, but with very varying success. The New York Tribune, 1t says, has been under boycott since December, 1883, and O'Neill, Macy, Stern Brothers, the Royal Baking Powder com pany and other large concerns and still l successful concerns have been boycotted flor adyertiaiag in 1t. As stated by Brad Street's, the cause of the various boycotts ] is sometimes that union employees have been discharged to make room for non- union men and sometimes because the managers have refused a demand to dis charge non-union men or compel them to join unions.
 A curious boycott exists at Washington, D. c. The largest brewer in the city contracted to have some houses built. The contracting builder employed non- union workmen. The Knights of Labor demanded that he aunul the contract un- less the builder agreed to hire union workmen. He refused, and they boycott ted his beer. He reduced the price very near to cost and undersold all other brew CTS or agents and general reduction of all wages by brewers was rendered 1mml- nent. There was a Hull in the struggle owing to a misunderstanding of cable dispatch of his that led to raising the boy colt. On his return from Europe he re- fused to sign an agreement or to pay the costs of the boycott, and there the case islands. The brewer refuses to make any concessions until all threats are with drawn, and, if boycotted, will, it is feared, 50 reduce the price of beer as to compel a reduction of wages in all breweries. He is rich, and has $60,000 of cash ill bank to begin the war with. The question l whether to renew the boycott is not yet I decided. 1z as.sS- &ass~
 There was another curious case at Pitts burgh, Pa., where the clothing firm of J. Kaufman & Brothers contracted for a ! new store They were asked to contract with parties employing union men, but refused, and according to thls report, had the bad tact to use indecorous language ill lconyersat ation and in print. A boycott Mas ordered which extended even to attacking 1 the horse cars which carried the Kaufman advertisements. The firm withdrew these advertisements, else, the account says, there might have been serious trouble in the streets. But that wasn't the extent of the boycott. This firm was J. Kaufman < Brothers. There was also clothing firm of s. Kaufman < Son in Pittsburg, and 1t also was boycotted, though it had no relation to the other house. The orig lnal house attacked claims to be doing a prosperous business in spite of the boy colt.
 Another somewhat famous case, which occurred in New York, is thus reported:
 straiton & Storm, cigar manufacturers, were boycotted early in 1884, owing to dis pute with employees on the subject of mem- bership in cigar makers unions. The firm ultimately conceded the claims asked by the union, but to another organization than that which had the trouble. Work went on as usual at the factory. Later, in the present year, the offended union secured Knights of Labor boyc, tt in addition to their own. Ihe f1rm then stopped work and demanded that its employees find out the meaning of the Knights of Labor antagonism. After a months idleness the Knights of Labor met and decided to raise it's boycott as ''due to an error" whereupon the factory resumed work, the employees having in the meantime lost 1 $4O O,OOO in wages The local boycott of one ! of the clgar-makers' unions still remains in force, but does not appear to amount to much.
 Norman IL. Munro, publisher of "fam- lily story paper," discharged one hundred union printers and filled their places with non-nuion men. His paper was boycot- ted and he surrendered in two weeks. A Brooklyn baker discharged his union en- ployes for asking for shorter hours Ills bread was boycotted and he reduced the hours one quarter and took back his ba- kers. 50 It has gone, sometimes one side succeeding and sometimes the other the causes of difference varying from slight to grave, justice being apparently sometimes with the employed and sometimes with tbe employer.
 It will readily be seen that this method of argument IS powerful one, and that 1t may be very effective in curing evils which in the selfshness of some employers would not receive remedy without de- mand. It is also equally plain thatsit of- fers to scheming and vindlctlve agitators, ii they can control it, a ready means for working immense mischief and inficting gr1evous wrong on innocent parties. But it is also pretty clear to the thoughtful observer that, if the power is frequently abused, it will destroy itself. The love of justice and fair play and the hatred of tyrrany are a part of the creed of Amer ican citizenship, and are sure to bring about reaction if the effort is made to carry boycotting to point of interfering with the individual rights of honest and industrious citizens.
 To PREVENT SMALL Pox.-To the editor of The A of gnoal Dow fhout