St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-07
A LOCAL BOYCOTT.
Two BOycOtts Declared ut a Rous-
ing Mass Naeefing Friday Night.


cigar manufacturer on the corner OF Fifth
and Robert streets, and asked that the as
sembly take the matter in hand. A
committee was appointed to con-
fer with Mr.. GTeenhagen and
act in accordance with the results
of the conference. The committee waited
on Mr.. Greenhagen. but got no satisfaction,
and they Immediately called mass meeting
at Turner hall for Friday evening last. TO
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of declaring boy
colt. The meeting was an entire success
The attendance and enthusiasm were a sur
prise TO everyone as well as gratifying evil
dence that the labor interests of this city
are thoroughly awake and ready to act in
their own behalf.
The attention of the organized labor of
this city was also called to the boycott of
Nicholas Kuhuen of Davenport, Ia,
and the enforcement of the boy
colt in st. Paul was asked
Both OF these manufacturers, it was
charged, employed female and non-union
labor at less than standard and living wages
and worked injury to the interests of labor
i'll undersellng other manufacturers and
tending to depreciate wages everywhere
They were also open enemies to organized
labor, the Davenport manufacturers hav-
ing discharged a workman because he spoke
at a labor meeting.
Nearly every trade was represented in
the crowd of over 500 workingmen that
packed the hall, each recognizing the prin-
ciple that their larger interests are common
and showing the unity and harmony which
exists among the labor organiza-
lions of St. Paul The meeting
was called to order by A. l.. Robinson
and for the next hour the audience listened
and applauded
A VIGOROUS SPEECH
from G. A. Lafayette, who gave his atten-
ton mainly to the topic of the evening,
Boycotting. Some of his points were as
follows: There should be harmony between
labor and employer, and each should have
in view the interests of the other. In the
case of Mr.. Grunhagen it may be that
none of you are patrons of his factory di-
rectly, but nearly all are so Indirectly. In
our visit to this gentleman he stated
that he was heartily and generously
in sympathy with the laboring classes, but
when he was directly questioned as to
whether or not he was willing to accede to
the demands of the cigarmakers of this
cityland the general country, he said that
he didn't propose TO regulate his business in
any way by the wishes of anybody else.
BY what right does man say that he will
not consult in some degree the wishes of
the labor he is depending on? When we
talk Of the boycott some whisper nihilism
and like expressions. They forget
that it is established on the same
principles that were recognized every
where in the business world-that of the
right of every man to dispose of his patron
age where and when he pleases. 1t is on
the same principal by which the banker re-
fnCpC lnnOr q " NUh hn foil
merchant refuses the wholesale merchant
his patronage. The success of merchant
depends upon the patronage of the labOring
classes, which constitute four-ffths of the
population of the United States.
The patronage is worthy of the considera-
ton of the patroniZed. 1t is the duty of
every man, as member of society, whether
he belongs to labor union or not, to use
his influence to compel man to recognize
the just rights of those whom he EMPLOYS.
No man has right to encroach on the
rights of anybody else, and the man that
asks street car driver to work sixteen
hours day Is encrOaching on the rights of
somebody else. The things that may be
said in general way of a cigar manufac- |.
tIlrer applys with equal force to any en-
ployer who refuses to accede to the Just de-
mands of those whom he employs.
ORGANIZED LABOR
has power not only over the successes and
declines of business men but over those who
seek positions of public trust and emolu-
ment, and if bad men are put in Office the
workingmen are themselves to blame. They
hold balance of power that they must
learn to use with greater force.
In discussing boycottS some will bring up
the matter of related industries They
say that business and manufacturing insti-
buttons are interdependent and that the ruin
of one means injury to many others. But
this principle is never considered in
the administration of justice. The crimi-
nal does not escape the gallows or the peni-
Tertiary because dependent family may
suffer. Dishonesty should be chastsed
even though honesty be scorched in the
chastisement, / am in favor of enforcing
this boycott until Grunhagen is reduced to
the bench, if need be, unless he determines
to recognize the just demands of organized
labor. The speaker also limited that similar
action in othes directions would be taken in
the near future. After the ap-
pontment of committee of
thsee on resolutions Otto Haese
was called upon. The question was a
broad and deep one, he said. The pro-
portion or wOrkingmen to capitalists in
this country is ninety-five to one and it is
in the hands of the workingmen to
AMEND THE CONDITIONS
which make many of the social evils of the
time possible. We should go about this
matter in practical, vigorous way. Be-
sides the cases at band there were other
matters waiting for attention. The bakers
had recently organized a union and the
street-car drivers were being subjected to
Unjust exactiOns. The city of st. Paul spends
Annually $40, 600 for police protection and
SIT. O0O for education. This order of things
should be reversed. 1t should not be
necessary for little five-year-old boy to
get up at O'Clock on a cold wntry morning
and spend several hours in making few
;raAnnies by crying through the streets
Morning paper; only cents, STRIP At1Ol
years these boys go to shop and when
do they have an opportunity to become in
telligent and to learn the duties of citizen
Ship
The following report of the committee
on resolutions was then read.
BOYCoTTING RESOLUTIONS.
In view Of the many unjust and unneces-
sary differences that exist between laboring
men and their emdloyers respecting the
wages of men and their respective rights
In industrial matters it has been found adj
yisable and necessary to call this mass
meeting of the workingmen of ST.. Paal. in
the interests of all organized and morgan
lied labor in the Northwest and che coun-
try at large. And.
Whereas 1t has been clearly demon
strated that Mr.. Nicholas Kuhnen of Dav-
export, Ia, has recently unjustly mani
tested a disposition to deal unfairly with
with the cigar makers of Davenport and
adjoining cities, and the country at large,
as well as the interests of all workingmen
In the United States and Canada; and,