The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-11-13
THE POINT OF DIFFERENCE.

be .'unrepublican, undemocratic and un
American" The article was suggested By
the recent manifestos issued by the various
Knights of Labor organizations against the
| Chinese in this Territory. The editor says
| he 1as read the declaration Of principles OF
| the X. OF L., but can find nothing therein 10
Justify boycotting, and intimates that the
| Montana societies may be acting without
| the sanction Of the General Assembly in this
matter. Boycotting Is as old as the Order,
and has been found to be the most effective
and only legal method of redressing the
wrongs Of the workingrnan. The phenome-
| nal success of the X. of l.. as labor organi-
| cation is due to the fact that each subordi-
| nate lodge acts as an individual; plan of
| action Is decided upon, and IL II be boycott
| or otherwise, each member follows the i'm
| structions of his lodge TO the letter and with
out question. This may also be ''un.Ameri.
can" but when man joins a labor organi.
cation and takes solemn obligation to abide
by the will of the majority, his duty Is OBJ
vious. Long before boycotting or Boycott
was heard Of IL was the custom Of many rail
road corporations, when any Of their en-
ployes committed any offense, TO blacklist
them; that is, their names, descriptions, etc.
were sent TO every railroad headquarters in
the country, with orders to refuse the unfor-
tunate ones work should they apply. This
system is still Ia vogue, some Of the com.
panies going so far as TO require not only a
minute description, but also photograph of
every employe. These are carefully kept
until they are needed to blacklist some EN-.
pIoye who may have transgressed the laws
OF the company. Dlacklisting and boycott
ting are similar; the system originated with
the rich and powerful corporations of the
country, but no cutlery was raised until the
labor organizations retaliated In kind. Then,
as the NEW NORTHWEST pats it, boycotting
was denounced as "unrepublican, undemo-
cratic and un-American" IL may be all this.
but 1t is the most effective weapon ever used
by organized labor, and it win be directed
against the Chinese and their employers un.
I'll this section Of Montana is rid of the
heather. Can the editor of the New NORTH
WEST suggest an easier or more effective
way of getting rid of the Chinamen-and he
admits such a result IL desirable than by
not employing them WalkerUiLle Ne,os.
We publish the above entire, as 1t Is from
recognized organ of the Knights of Labor,
and presumably presents their defense of
"beycotting." Taking II on its own show
ing, 1t would require but six words of an.
swer-"two tcrongs nerer make one right"
for 1t is asserted that "blacklisting" and
"boycotting" are similar, and assumed that
boycottlng Is in retaliation for blscklisting.
II seems TO us the writer should see at once
how untenable his position is. We do not
know how correct is the statement about
blacklisting by railroads; but If they do
this, as alleged, 1t is as wholly different from
boycotting as night from day. The railroad
employ hundreds of thousands
of men 1t IS TO their interest to employ and
retain the very best men, and we do not see
how any good man could get on their "black
list"-if there Is such thing. But even II
they did have a "blaek list" and passed
around the name Of one who was deemed
unworthy Of employment, and all roads of
the association we're obliged to not employ
him, as unfair as that is alleged to be, IL is
not like "boycotting." There are trades
unions of almost each industry. The men,
bers thereof agree to abide by the rules and
scale adopted by the order TO which they be-
long, as relates to their employment, and
will not work for a company or person their
union has "listed out" This is the corol-
larry Of the alleged railroad action. No one
disputes the right Of any person to refuse to
work for another, or of an association of
persons establishing the conditions on which
they will work. This is the extent to which
trades unions have hitherto gone. An en-
ployer or association Of employers have like
rights 10 refuse 10 employ individuals or
of associations. These things are
the voluntary acts of the persons concerned.
But the Knights 60 entirely outside Of this
and say TO people outside Of theiv association
that they shall not patronize another people
also outside their association. This Is the
point Of difierence-it Is wrestling from the
citizen bis individual and personal rights. If
an individual wishes to join labor organi-
cation and abide by It's rules for the govern
ment Of his services, he has the right 10 do
so. If two or more orders or corporations
associate and adopt certain rules and rates
under which they will give employment, that
Is their right. Each IL following out the
theory Of association for mutual benefit, and
IS long as they respect the rights of Others
and obey the laws, we may differ as TO the good
hat will come of their course, but their
rights in the premises are not TO be ques-
Toned.
Boycotting, however, is an assumption by
The knights of Labor, or whatever organizs-
ion may undertake 1t, to di ctate TO persons
outside of their organization what they shall
In this case that certain peo- |
Pile here under the sanctity of the American
Dag, "must co." and to citizens that they |
shall not employ them under penalty Of be-
ng "boycotted." This is an aggression upon |
The rights Of the Chinese which the Govern.
nent Is bound to repress, and upon the per-
,onal rights Of every citizen, which he
Il was q mistake that ever such cry was
started. II seems to us IL Is In direct viola
ion Of the fundamental principles enuncia-
ed In the Constitution of the Knights of
Labor, study of which had induced respect
or the avowed objects of the organization,
md If so they cannot too soon set themselves
light.
We have only space at present to reply to
he question asked by the Ne,cs In the last
paragraph. Certainly the unemployment
If Chinese would soon divest the country Of
hem, and had the Knights In Montana rep
.esented the case and asked that as better
abor could be had the people employing
Chinese, directly or indirectly, should en-
leavor to give the better labor employment
md let the Chinese 60, there would have
,een . universal sympathy with the move
nent, and even much hardship and inconve-
hence cheerfully endured to accomplish the
esult. If the Neus will notice results 10
Washington Territory It will see that this
curse Is now being pursued; but it is the
curse that should have been pursued first.
( this were done and the knights would
urn their efforts to securing the enactment
nd enforcement Of laws against Chinese
the vexed question would be
etter reached than by violence.
4 SPECIAL dispatch to the San Francisco
'hronicie, says: A number of years before
g died, Brigham Yonns detailed large
lumber Of his followers TO locate lands In
ache county, U. I. They would put Up
gall movable houses, stay In them few .
avs AID nights, then swear to the usual
as to length Of residence aud cult
.tt.. 80 snn Thar, thau wai,fd vrnya A., \ 4,