Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-06-25
Dome Department.
BOYCOTTlNG
EXPLAINED BY AN IRISH LEADER JOIN
JARRETT'S EXPERIENCE

| JARRET TT EXPERIENCE.
A recent issue of the Philadelphia
Press contained the following article
from the pen of James Redpath:
BOycotting, the fact, is as old as human
history; boycotting, the word, was first
used less than six years ago. Boycott
ting was inauguratcd in the West of Ire
land at my suggestion. as lawful and
bloodless method of inspiring the defect
ed tenantry with the spirit of indcpen-
dcnce. | recommended the methods.
The advice was acted on promptly
Throughout the West of Ireland. and the
policy was called social eXcommunica-
tion. 1t was exclusively employed against
tenants who took farms from which the
men who had reclaimed the barren land
a their own expense had been evicted
for non-payment of eXorbitant rents,
0uring season of universal famine, at a
time when these tenants were kept alive
by American charity.
In the address in which | explained
and recommended the Southern policy |
stated that after the tenants throughout
Ireland were once well organized the
same methods could be applied against
the more despotic landlords.
This suggestion was put in force earlier
than was expected against Captain Boy
colt, a tyrannical land agent. near Cong.
in the County Galway. In writing an
account of it at the house of Father John
o Malley, the parish priest, | said to my
host that we ought to have distinctive
word to express the OStraciSm of a land
lord
"IIow would it do" he asked, ''to call
it to Boycott him."
sEIhat will In | oN,l,in,oJ sIFT,1l
your people to call it bovcotting: | will
ask the Land League speakers to call it
i bOycotting. and | think the word will
take"
Il then first wrote the word that has
since spread so far and wide.
But, in Ireland, bOycotting had been
used before-nOtably by Daniel O'Con-
nell against the famous firm of Guinness.
This famous family of brewers for three
generations have been Orangemen and
ultra LoyalistS-resisting. with all their
influence and wealth. every policy and
measure to secure Justice to the Irish
people. O'Connell urged his followers
not to buy nor drink Guinness Dublin
porter. The first result of this advice
vas that vast stores accumulated in their
'aultS unsold and unstable. Previously
o that time it was believed that no for
ign market could be created for Dublin
tout This decline of trade forced the
irm to export their liquor to Australia.
where it became so popular that it laid
he foundations of their subsequent for
uneS.
But although the word boycotting was
IirSt used in Ireland it is not historically
'orrect to call the policy of boycotting
I'm Irish or a foreign invention. 1t has
annntn1 In nd ~
Ind nowhere more extensively. Oftcnel
pr more effectively than in America.
Boycotting in the Middle Ages was
,alled accommodation
Passing over the decentralization by
which the church. from time to time
mas brought rebelliouS princes to theil
knees in repentant submission. let IL
glance at few more recent examples OF
"boycottingS.
During the American Revolution it ap.
peared in the "Non-mportation Agree.
-ment' of Revolutionary times. 1.-THE Re.
Striction of Trade Resolutions" of New
y ork, the "Retalatory Resolutions" OF
New York, the "Rctaliatory RcSolu-
lions" of New Jersey. and the League
of Connecticut merchants. in l7SG.
In 1863 Great Britain, by her oppreS-
sive measures of taxation without repre-
sentation. had provoked her American
} colonies to the verge of revolt. The
Americans unanimously agreed to hoy
colt all British goods and importationS
They called their policy "Non-importa.
ton Agreements" But they were al
most identical with the policy now known
a. 'bOycotting." No good Americans
wore cloth made in England nor drank
TEA imported from England. nor would
v II NJ of a.,
failed to do likewise. By every means.
peaceful and forcibe. they endeavored tC
, make all men unite III enforcing the boy.
colt against England. In all the colonie.
there was not Il town of any importance
which had not its society of "BOycot-
ters." They made life a burden for those
who did not uphold their policy by word
and deed.
The colonies, after boycotting those
who used, sold or imported British goods
bovcotted the British crown and author
lty. The treaty of peace and indepen-
dence was no sooner signed than the sea-
port towns were overrun with British
merchants, factors, agents and clerks
They monOpoliZed every merchantile pur-
suit and position. The American mer-
chants could not compete with them and
American producers could not trade with
them, except at rulnOus discount
American boys could not find clerkship-
in the stores. for every position was filled
with Englishmen.
What did the Americans do?
They declared "a boycott.
On the 18th day of April. 1873, the
merchants and leading citizens of Boston
met and pledged themselves to boycott
the British merchants and those who
dealt with them. But not content with
this action, they appointed committee
OF Correspondence, whose duty it wa,
to persuade" the merchants ANA citizen,
of other States to form similar leagues
and on the following first of May the
Boston mechanics and artisans passed
similar resolutions and took similar ac-
ton.
These two examples were primarily
boycotts of foreigners. and the boycott
ting of Americans only AN incidental
sequence; but, in l1S7. we find a boycott
by Americans against Americans. IT.
history is interesting. 1t had long been
"A source of income to the people of New
Jersey and Connecticut to supply the