Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-08-04
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
FREEDOM In A FREE LAND
The Right To Choose
Employees.
CUTTING MUST BE RELEASED.
War With Mexico Now Very
Probable.
CLOSING HOURS OF CONGRESS.
The GaIatea Trimming
For The Races.
CLOSING HOURS OF CONGRESS
FREEDOM IN A FREE LAND.

FREEDOM IN A FREE LAND.
Mans Right to Employ Whom He
Pleases vigorously Asserted BY The
Manufacturers AssO ciatfon of Brock
ton.
BRocKToN, Mass, Aug. 3.-The executive
committee of the Manufacturers association
have issued the following:
The manufacturers committee wish to
make the following statement in order that
our workmen and the public may know the
cause of the recent troubles in our factories:
At the time of the adoption of the rules last
December it was agreed at the suggestion of
the lasters' committee that there should be
no blacklisting of any who had been in our
employ, whether union or non union men,
but that all should be treated alike and have
the privilege of working the same as in the
past Last June J. B. Reynolds discharged
fifteen out of the twenty lasters and among
the five left was Mr.. Bailey, who was not a
member of the union. These five returned
to work the next day, but before
night all but Mr.. Bailey left work. For the
next five weeks Mr.. Reynolds was not able
to secure single laster, as his former en-
ployes not only refused to go to work, but
that it did not do it officially, yet during all
this time it allowed public notice to re-
main posted in its hall warning lasters to
keep away from Reynolds factory and there
was certainly some silent power at work
which was sustained by the union keeping
all lasters away. The lasters' committee re-
peatedly assured our committee that if Mr..
Reynolds would put Bailey in some other
room and send for his lasters the matter
could be fixed up. Our committee
under the circumstances recommended
Mr.. Reynolds to send for the lasters, which
he did. They stated to him that they had
Just as soon work for him as anyone and that
any time when he would discharge Mr.. Bal
ley they would return, and further stated
that they should not return until he was dis
charged, as he was ga scab" and they pro-
posed to make an example of him and did
not propose to allow him to work in any fac
tory in Brockton. Now, as to Mr.. Bailey,
our committee has Investigated his case and
find him to be an upright, honorable man.
He has been a resident OF Brockton seven
years and only asks to earn an honorable liv-
ing. Three years ago he was the second man
to go to work at George E. Keith's
factory after the former lasters were
discharged and worked in Mr.. Keith's
factory seventy-eight months. He was a
quiet, industrious workman, minding his
own business and attending to his work.
About this time he had long sickness and
when he recovered he went to work at J. B.
Reynolds and has worked there for fifteen
months. Mr.. Reynolds and his foreman
speak in the highest terms of him. These
are the only two places in which he has
worked since the labor troubles existed in
Brockton. After having Nj. Bailey before
us and obtaining all the information possible,
in the mind of the committee there Is no
question but what he is a marked man since
he went to work for Mr.. Keith simply on
the ground that he would not join the union
and not ON account of his making any
trouble except that being willing to work at
standard prices when the union had ordered
out the men. No one ever accused him of
working at less than standard prices; in fact
the question of price never entered into the
dispute. The whole question rests upon
the manufacturer the right to en-
ploy non union lasterss Our joint rules give
US that right. We submit copy of rule 1:
RULE 1.-The right of the manufacturers to en-
ploy or discharge help must be acknowledged,
But while the union does not admit de-
priving them of the right, yet quietly they
prohibit them from going to work in such
and also allow public notice to
that effect to remain prominent in their hall
for weeks and silently and underhandedly
keep all lasters from working when hundreds
are out of employment; while if the union
had made the way clear the members from
the order would have been glad to return. 1t
has been silent boycott on Mr.. Reynolds.
Under these circumstances the manufacturers
felt it to be vital question of right and if
the union forced US to discharge this
man it would be a stepping stone to
oblige us to do the same to others, and II
the question had got to be met there was no
better time than the present. So for these
reasons we ask the union to open the way
for Mr. Reynolds to obtain lasters and if it did
not comply we should cease putting work to
union men. AS the union sent no answer
to our message of course we carried out our
instruction. AS to Mr. Reynolds he does not in
any way enter into this case, for it stands
as simply question of right wrong, a
a a
and that justice be awarded to honest
non-union workman.
(Signed)
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE