Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-03
AT LABOR LYoEUM.


 A Talk About the Boycott and Other
 Things at Loomiss Temple Of Mus
 sic.
 There was a large audience at Loomis' Temple of Music yesterday afternoon to lis ten to the address of Edward King, of New York, before the Labor Lyceum. J. P. Hu- nie presided and introduced the speaker. In his opening remarks the speaker announced that his subject would be "The Lesson of the Boycott" The local interest in this city at the present time, said the speaker, is al most entirely monopolized in one newspaper, which, owing to it's extreme sensitiveness on the boycott question, has involved the law yers of the city in great commotion over the legal aspects of the question. Proceed ing the speaker said: only want to speak to- day to those who have Americanisn on the brain, to those who believe they have some rights under the American law. have noth- ing to say to-day to the man who carries the red flag because he is all right, but he is away ahead of the parade. The newspapers, the business man, the capitalist should un- derstand just what strike is, just what boycott is and just what they both mean. The problem is not to-day how shall you educate the working man, but how you shall educate the masters There is more pigheadedness on the part of those masters than of the poorest working man. The reason labor committees try to smooth the way for arbitration is because they know they have got ignorant men to deal with. After the committee have done their work then comes arbitration, and if that fails then comes the boycott, and this they don't understand. But when he comes to understand he will come crawling in on all fours and will pay thousand dollars for what he has found out. He finally becomes a convert to this Salvation army of ours, and you will find that this man that has been 80 thoroughly converted cannot do enough for the workingman. Why, he vii! do anything for his woIkmen and they will do anything for him. I understand there some people here in New Haven who say that the boycott interferes with personal liberty. l claim that the boycott is thoroughly American. It used to be done in the name of God, but we do it in the name of man. I ask you whether it is not thoroughly Ameri- can for you to stand up on your hind legs and say if you will not in jure mans business for me, will not do so and so for you. Then perhaps you are carnage maker; and after being cut down fifty per cent. you be- gin to look around and see what the matter is, and you ask for more wages and they tell you you are fighting against capital and you are informed that you are an agitator and that it is un-Ameriean- say you have not moved any too SoOn it was high time you moved.
 The speaker went on to defend. boycotting as well as he was able to and then pitched into capital as an agent of intimidation. They tell you your labor is just commodity in market just like butter and cheese, and they have 8 right to buy it just as cheap as they can and sell it as dear as they can. Very well; then have right to protect my labor, which is entitled to just as much protection under the laws capital and I have right to get just as much for my labor as can. A strike is an economical question; it is 8 halt in business to ascertain whether our labor is worth any more in the market than capital says it is.
 Now you have got some boycotters among the business men in this city. There is ''Mr. Killam-if- you-can;" he is one of the spiritual or religious boycotters. I know the Lords people, those who pretend to be, are gen. orally engaged in business and they are the worst skinfints in the world. But they should not object to the boycott because it is scritural. I don't want to be hard on church people, however, as they don't know much anyway. Their particular line is in trying to run spiritual world and secular people. I want te quote a passage of scrip ture to some of them from Matthew, 18th chapter, 15, 16 and 17th verses. have not read any scripture in a long time, so you will excuse me if make bungling work of it. 1u0 Bpodk0E >uoA I0ttu JA0 pos6oSoS ISloTIoO to, commenting as he read and concluding by saying here was laid down the ex- act process for boyootting. Continuing the speaker said am willing to admit that the boycott was baptized in Ireland. I want to make the business man understand that he is pudding headed on this question of boycott. The speaker then proceeded to delve in the labyrinths of history, both ancient and mod ern, to prove that boycotting had been prac- tised throughout the ages, especially in times when men were very ignorant. He said in England they used to slit mans hose and cut off his ears if he asked for more wages, and now that the boot is on the other leg the bosses kick. In conclusion the speaker said if labor had right to organize it had a right to protect itself, and intimated that if neces- sary it would be done by political organiza- tion for self protection.
 The lecture was another in the Sunday series in progress at the Labor Lyceum. The speaker interspersed his talk with stories, jokes, filings and sharp cuts, which kept his audience interested during his lengthy talk, which lasted until ten minutes past 5.