The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-23
THE SOUTHWESTERN BOYCOTT.

the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
New York Evening Post.
The reply of Mr.. FL: NJ. Hoxie to Mr.. T. V.
Powderly's request for a conference to arrange
terms of adjustment with the Knights of Labor
on the Missouri Pacific railroad clarifies the sit
uatiou in the Southwest in q remarkable man.
ner. The central fact that a strike was ordered
on the Missouri Pacific because something had
happened on another road not controlled by the
Missouri Pacific. and that all the misdemeanors
and brigandaee that have followed have had no
cause in any difference or disagreement between
the employing company and its employees, but
have their origin in something as foreign to the
parties as the changes of the moon, is stated 60
methodcally and convinsingly that Mr. Powder
ly in his rejoinder has no answer to make to it.
He retreats under the cover of some general OBJ
servations regarding the goodness of his inten-
tions but does not deny Mr. Hoxies statement
that the strike is really boycott and that it is
only repetition, on more extensive scale, of
the attempted boycott of the Wabash road at the
time when that property was taken charge of by
the United States Courts.
The whole trouble in the Southwest may be
traced to the boycott of the Mallory Steamship
Company in the city of Galveston The Mallory
company had difficulty with its empl Dyes. The
Knights of Labor in order to force the company
to re-employ some discharged workmen-the
rate of wages was not the subject of the dis
pute-issued orders intended to prevent the
bringing of any goods to Galveston to be shipped
by the steamships of this particular line. 1t
was found to be impossible to discriminate be-
tween goods coming to Galveston for one pur-
pose and for another. So the boycott was en-.
larged to the proportions Of a blockade of the
city. The sympathy of the public, as is usual
in such cases, was extended to 1.-The working
men," this phrase being ingeniously applied to
the minority of workingmen who we're organized
as boycotters, all other workingmen and women
being, for the time, cast out of the reckoning.
The Mallory company made some concessions to
the force of circumstances upon which the
Knights were enabled to claim a victory
This was to them demonstration of supreme
power It turned their heads completely They
fancied that they had only to swing the club of
the boycott in order to dominate industry, So
ciety. the courts Of law and the government of
the United States. Their range of intelligence
was as narrow as their demands were boundless,
and both found notable opportunity for exer-
else when the man Hall was discharged by the
receivers of the Texas Pacific road for being ab-
sent without leave-that is, for staying away
three days on leave Of absence for half day.
A demand was made for Halls reinstatement
and it was refused. A strike was ordered to.
gether with boycott of certain connecting
Clearly the time had come to correct the false
impression created by the partial success of the
Galveston boycott To compromise with such
an organization again would be not merely
equivalent to handing the property over to them.
1t would be an assent to the principle that all
persons calling themselves Knights of Labor
have the right to select their employers, and de-
termine the rate OF wages that shall be paid
| them. and to hold Office for life. No such
tenure of Office exists in the world. Even
| the Tite Barnacles of the Circumlocution Office
hold their places by less powerful grip. But
in order that such a tenure. such despotism
shall not be riveted upon the whole community
for it Is not by any means peculiar to rail
roads-it is necessary to dispute it and to fight
against it. Railing at boycotts and denouncing
boycotters as tyrannica unfair, unjust,
American. will serve no good end 80 long as boy
| cottipg carries its points and brings its victims
to terms The only cure for boycotting is defeat
in its own chosen field.
The Missouri Pacific company is not the only
employer of labor that has been driven into
corner where it finds itself compelled to fight for
life. The manufacturing industries Of New
England have learned the lesson from the
knights. They have discovered that if they
lend themselves one by one to the torture
of a boycott they helpless, and that
They have accordingly adopted the wise
| resolution to stand by each other
in their respective trades, and when one of their
number is boycotted to close all the works until
the boycott is removed. In some places agree
ments]of this kind have been entered into under
penal bonds. In others a common fund has been
raised to assist any person or company which is
subjected to a boycott. The last number of
Bradstreet's furnishes considerable catalogue
of anti boycott leagues at Fall River,
Brocton, Lynn. Providence Lewiston, CO.
hoes, etc. These organizations do not
seek to regulate the rate of wages,
or to supersede existing modes of conference
with their employees, or to impair their rights,
but only to oppose powerful check to the arbi-
trary and intoerabe coercion sought to be en-
forced upon innocent third persons whenever
disagreement occurs between employers and en-
ployes, which seeks to compel all bystanders to
take sides with one OF the parties to the contro-
versy under penalty Of persecution to themselves
and Of ruin to their business
OTHER LABOR NEWS.