The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-30
THE REACTION OF THE BOYCOTT"

THE REACTION OF THE BOYCOTT"
Puck Of the last week presents a cartoon
forcibly presenting the inevitable double
effect of boycotting. The labor union, typi-
fed by a man, is swinging a huge club with
the intention of knocking Down the manu-
facturer. AS he draws the club back for a
mighty blow it strikes on the head Of a work
ingman, crushing him to the earth and scat
tering his implements. To the left of the
picture is a placard, Enforced idleness for
the manufacturer" and to the right another,
Enforced idleness for the laborer." This is
the whole story in a few words. When man
ufacturers are senselessly boycotted in compli-
ance with the demand of a few disconnected
employees, the latter are as quick to
feel the stress as is the former, and much in
convenience and suffering ensue if the boycott
be persisted in. This is true of the working
man, even though the war be carried to the
extreme. Take the example Of the crusade
against Straiton g. Storm, the great cigar
manufacturers of New York city. For years
they had carried on business moderately sue
cessfully, and had given employment to nun
dreds of men. A few of the employees became
dissatisfied for some reason, good or bad, and
succeeded in having the boycott pronounced
against that firm. The result was that the
firm was driven into bankruptcy, the works
have been closed, and every hand discharged.
What has been gained to the hundreds of
c~igar-makers employed by that frmg Many
position to strike. 1t is so nearly every time.
| But a few men Of influence bullied the others,
and determined on a course of aggressive hos
tility. The boycott has triumphed. But what
then? Not one of the disconnected workmen
are ahead a single cent, so far as Straiton &
Storm are concerned, while many of them are
out dollars and dollars. The shops are closed
and the employees scattered, to hun t places
elsewhere and to face the rigors of winter as
best they may while having nothing to do.
Nor does it end here. The fear inspired by
the hostility of these employees will keep
other capitalists from risking money in
the business, or, if they do, it
will be very likely at some
other point. So that, altogether,
organized labor has evidently done itself great
hurt while hurting others. Straiton G. Storm
have been taught that they may not act con-
trary to the wishes of q certain cigar-makers'
union. So have others not yet engaged in
that business. There may be an opening for
som one else to make the cigars, but that
he will be subjected to the same treatment
accorded the firm that has just been forced
into bankruptcy. 1t would be only fair to
make a statement of how the late employees
view the victory achieved over their late en-
pioyers. Workingmen should be paid good
~wages-every cent their labor is worth-and
no injustice should be put upon them. And
they, in turn, owe it to their employers
and to their own interests to stand up against
any and all captious objections to the firm
they work for. Often the discomfort Of one
man who could not be satisfied is the secret
of a strike into which others are unwillinglv
forced against their wishes and against their
Judgment. The distress that follows such a
strike, especially when taken up by other or
CARNATIONS, is felt in many a poor mans
home. The boycott, at best, is a very un-
certain mode of redress, and the club as often
first knocks Town the innocent workingman.
1t should never be resorted to except by al
most unanimous consent of all concerned, and
even then it may not pay, though it succeed
in hurting or even destroying the business of
the firm against which it is directed. Manu-
facturers are free among themselves to sell
wherever and to whomever they can. Labor
should be equally free to sell its muscle and
energy to the best bidder. Neither can be
chained or restricted without great harm. The
interests of labor and manufacture are so
mutual that one cannot be harmed without
injury to the other.
SENATOR PUGH, of Alabama, is talking
against time about what a Republican Presi-