Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-06-30

boycotting is in this case conspiracy, be-
cause here it is an agreement to do lawful
act in an unlawful manner.
An employer can make any contract he
chooses with his employees. If they are will
ling to work for the wages offered they can
work; if not they can seek employment else
where. Workmen can trade where they
wish.
They have no right to conspire to ruin
their employer because he refuses to comply
with their demands.
But the defenders of boycotting say: 1t is
as lawful for workmen to unite to ruin capt.
talsts as it is for capitalists to unite in keep
ing down the wages of workmen. When
combinations among capitalists amount to
conspiracy to injure workmen they fall in
their legal aspect under the same condemna-
ton as boycorting. But this not being the
question under discussion we pass to consid-
er the injustice of boycotting.
The Knights of Labor, whose officers di1ect
boycotting in this country, not only under
take to dictate to capitalists the wages they
must pay, but also the men they must en-
ploy. Surprising the wages of the laborers
to have been satisfactorily increased, the
Knights of Labor then demand that those
men who continued at work be discharged
and only Knights of Labor employed.
Will any intelligent man contend that
this is justa Will any employer consider it
honorable to discharge those employees
who have remsined faithful to him at tho
request of those who have conspired to
injure him? What better right has one man
than another to receive employment in this
free country? Shall a capitalist be COM
PEELED to hire men of certain society
tionality? Have Knights of Labor, English
men, Irishmen and Germans, any more just
claim to receive wages for their labor than
non-union men, Italians and Chinese? The
idea of such demand is intolerable, and
those who combine to use force or to enact
laws in its favor act most unjustly towards
their fellows.
If combinations among both workmen and
capitalists are prohibited supply and de-
mand will regulate wages. No one employ
er can long enjoy exceptionally large profits.
Other capitalists will be anxious to partici
pate ia them, and the competition thus in
troduced will control both wages and profits.
But the greatest obstacle to the success of
boycotting is the impracticability of gen
eral advance in wages.
From statistics we see that it is impossible
to increase the wages of the wage-workers
more than one-eighth, and that if they are
thus increased capitalists will receive rec
ompense for their trouble and labor.
AS then, at the present state of the arts,
the production of the country is insufficient
to justify a general increase in wages, it
seems that the only way for wage workers to
secure such increase is to make their work
more productive. They must take more in
terest in what they do and work in sympa-
thy with their employers instead of against
them. They must drink less intoxicating
liquor and use less tobacco, as the money
which is worse than wasted in purchasing
these articles would enable most wage-work-
ers to lead comfortable lives.
When workman become educated to real
ize that their employers affairs their
own affairs, we shall have reached that
period in which there will be no need of
ofr a,o6 1sote Nd IL
men will dwell together as friends and
brothers.
But until this hoped for day comes, it is
the States duty to root from the community,
by force of arms if necessary, all combina-
tions of 1aborers that tend to unsettle and
disintegrate society, and let the free compe-
tition of labor and capital determine the
amount of compensation that laborers, both
wage-workers and capitalists, shall receive.
MIR. Pavey's Grafton.
Frank Dunlap Pavey BA., Washington,
D. c., took for his subject american Inde-
pendence as a cause of tie Revolution" The
subject was sub divided under three heads
viz: American independence, the French
revolution and the relation of cause and
effect. The speaker made very thoughtful
presentation of his subject. In his opinion
American independence not cause of
out of social disturbances and yet the French
revolution was fastened by American indie
pendence. There was wanting simply an
occasion for an outbreak and the American
independence furnished that occasion.
Mr. Thacher's Oratfon-Labor,s Just
MISUNDERSTANDING and Conspiracy
Crime.
The concluding Grafton by Sherman Day
Thatcher, B. A., of New Haven, was a mas
terly effort. His subject, ;'Boycotting," was
presented in an impartial and effective man
ner. He opened the address by graphic
description of the exodus of the common
people twenty-four centuries ago from the
city of Rome marching out in a body pro-
claiming eve leave you patricians to do
your own work" This, he said, brought
the patricians to their knees. Of the justice
of the great complaints of labor no reasoning
man could well doubt. There is unceasing
toll for the laborer till death releases him
and pressing necessity urges him
on. Can We wonder that at
length they hasten to form
organizations for their protection and eleva-
ton. The great risk is that ignorance will
defeat the justice of the aims of these organ
izations. A railroad company refuses to dis
charge faithful employe, and a strike re-
suits, and million dollars are lost and much
pie" is not upheld by public opinion, while
labor organized for the purpose of insisting
fairly on a fair proportion of the profits of
labor will be recognized. The general prin-
ciples advocated are right. The special ap-
plications are wrong. Most of the ''labor
papers" are detestable and wholly unwor-
thy of the workingman's support.
But is there no labor except manual labor?
Does not the minister or teacher or salaried
officer of any class labor? Cannot there be
labor of the brain? The boycott is one
weapon used. In some cases it has been
powerfully effective. The boycott means do
what we demand or we will injure you in
every possible way. The demands are often
such that no honorable man can yield to
them. They ask employers to discharge
faithful employees or suffer. They make
other fearfully unjust demands. Behind
their demand is a secret organization. The
boycotters often demand a yielding to
law can reach the boycott. The legal limits
are plain. Concerted action to injure a
mans business is a cri1ne a conspiracy. To
submit to King Boycott would be to over
throw society. The boycott has in itself its
own elements of arbitration. 1t is a boom
erang which returns on him who uses
it. It drives capital out Of business. 1t
with public opinion will Kill it if it does not
die o natural death. Honorable concessions,
just treatment, the exercise of the Chris
tian law, are the antidotes to cure the evil.
Arbitration sustained and enforced by pub
lie opinion-which is above all law and the |
source of all enforcement of law-will pow
erfully aid the solution of the labor problem. |
Hon. Wayne MacVeagh.
Mr.. MacVeagh spoke on claw and De- |
After fine reference to the 10y |
atty of Yale's sons for their Alma Mater and |
the serenity of joy attaching to these meet
ngs of the alumni in this leafy month of |
June, he paid attention 20 carping critics /
who prophesy the destruction of this republic |
in time on the basis of historic revelations |
These critics of democracy foretell this dismal
result, claiming that nations rise and fall as
1nerringly are natures laws. The |
-uls of the majority was next spoken
If. The masses in America were
coming to realize that the majority rules.
What follows their action upon such knowl-
,dge of their political rights and power? Eng
and sees the shadow of the coming rule of
he common people. Our constitution pre-
tents obstacles to the immediate rule of the
masses, but only temporary obstacles. What
hen of government of the people, by the
people and for the people of which Abraham |