The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-25
vIolates the splLit Of Oar %1n,LLullon,.

NluAANDb thu 6GA VA OhE AuuNlkullOQBe
Warner Muller, US Senator From New York.
The boycott as a Measure OF retaliation,
or as q means Of enforcing the rights OF
the workingman, can not be used in this
country. 1t Is entirely n-AmeriCan, and
is in violation OF the spirit Of our institu.
tons and the sentiments Of the people ;
1t Is an attempt to destroy the liberties OF
the people; a form Of despotism that a
free country will not tolerate, and Ia ag
disastrous TO the workingnen as to the
capital which 1t has been used to intini.
date. Boycotting is a form Of blaCkmail
which Is as aCtionable In the courts as any
other shape such an otIense against the
laws and liberties Of the people may as.
sumo. IT, write a letter to a man threat.
ening him with the loss OF my custom II
he sells to my enemy, or i'll write to a
customer threatening him with injury II
he buys oil my enemy, | can be punished
in court. BoyCotting Is nothing but moral
blaCkmail, more disreputAble than VIC.
lenCe, for q man may defend himself
against an attack upon his person, where
he can not where 1t Is directly against his
business.
No u can deny the right Of a rational
man to work for anyone he chooses, to
hire anyone he chooses or to trade with
anyone he chooses. The laws are intend.
ed To protect the people In the exercise Of
this right, and public sentiment, which Is
stronger than law, will not permit 1t to be
intetlerred with. The greatest evil OF the
boycott jB the injury II does to innocent
men, Capital can endure being idle. II
is simply u loss Of interest that II suffers,
but the workingmen must have hia wages,
or he can no. live. The boycott has been
repudiated by the thinking classes Of the
workinRmen, who realize that such a form
OF despotism can not be tolerated In this
country.
The agitation Of these questionsj the
disturbances that have taken place ana
those that are threatened have already
been the cause OF great injury to both
capitalists and laboring men In this COun-
try. They have driven 4 large amount Of
capital that way Intended for the estab-
lishment Of manufacturers into other
forms Of investments. People are placing
their money In real estate, in b nds and
mortgages, where II cannot bs affected by
the labor troubles, and during the last few
weeks a large Bun has been sent out oil
the country for Investment In a French
loan which but for the labor troubles
might have given employment To work
ingmen.
Another injury is being seriously felt In
the increased importation Of foreign mer.
chsndise, which you will See by the sta,
~iiskiCal reports 10 very large. Our manu-
FEATURING Industries are In such a state o
Generalization and uncertainty because o.
fhe labor troubles that the merChantl
dare not depend upon them iot supplies
Of goods, and all contracts that are now
made for future delivery contain a stipu'
lalion that releases those that make then
III their business is intOriered with By
strikes or other labor troubles.
believe In the eight.hour rule. In
nearly every form Of labor II will be AZ
advantage, and II is sure to become gen
eral In time, but IL cannot be brough
about by force. II must come NATURALLY
and under conditions that will permit o
lie adoption without injury 10 the capital
isis or the wOfkingmen, The hours Q
labor In this country have been gradually
reduced from fourteen 10 ten by the intro
duCtion Of labOr.saving machinery, whicl
has made II possible for one man 10 accom-
pllSh q much In ten hours, 90 4 Who'll
family used 10 accomplish In fourteen
! The hours Oilabor have not only been re
duced $50 percent but the comfort an
welfare Of the. people has been increases
800 percent ! believe that the limit 9