Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-18
BOYCOTTING.
It's History Among Nations
and Individuals.
BY HON. r. NJ. wfDSEY,
The Chinese Proved TO be the Oldest
B0yc0tters, Both at Home and
Abroad, In All History.

Boycotting may generally be defined
to be the using Of force by one TO
compel another TO aequiesce iu demand
by the former upon the latter. 1t is
simply force, one of the forces exist
ing in nature Like all other forces
considered in the abstract, it has in it
no moral element 1t is neither good
nor bad in itself. 1t may be put to
either a good or bad use. When the
Creator Of the heaven and the earth
finished bis work he pronounced it good,
very good, alcohol, food, poison, boy
cotting and all. That is, each was good
for the purpose for which it was created.
The purpose for which it is used de-
termines the moral status involved.
Boycotting has been in use from earliest
years. The Chinese nation leads all
Others. To boycott other nations 1t
built stone wall around its population
to shut off commercial relations with
their fellow men. 1t closed its ports to
the commerce Of the world and boycott
ted every nation on earth for thousands
of years 1t claimed and exercised this
right for the protection Of its interests,
as national right.
England passed laws prohibiting the
importation of certain articles, thus
boyeotting tho products of other ma.
tions. The United States has also, in
many instances, boycotted the products
of other countries by Congressional
laws. In fact tariff laws of every ma
ton in all ages are simply the nation
boycotting the fairfield articles.
These are national rights, recognized
by international law and the jurispru.
dence of the nations.
Whisky and tobacco are to-day boy
cotted by the government of the United
States by heavy tax and by license.
The lsraelites were commanded to
boycott the wicked nations that sur.
rounded them, for purposes beneficial to
the Israeltes.
The early Christians were boycotted
by the pagan nations. The Protestants
were repeatedly boycotted by the Cath
olic Church, and in turn the Protestants
boyeotted each new sect that arose, for
time at least
The churches boycott heterodox mem.
bers, and call it communication an
if church member does not conform TO
the ecclesiastical demands he is boy ycotted
aud side.lrael<ed and business and social
influences are withdrawn from him. In
other words he ia given cold shoulder
until he submits.
In the same line society and the mem.
bers of society frequently boycott some
individual because he has incurred the
displeasure of the boyeotcrs. They cut
his acquaintance.
Individuals in business, deeming it to
their interest to do so, stop business re-
ations with one person and transfer
their patronage to some one else.
'Stop my paper, is the cry and the
act Of boycottiug.
The Chinese butchers in San Fran
cisco controlled the pork market to such
an extent that If retail butcher bought
pork of any other than the Chinese he
was by them boycotted and fined and
could get no pork until he paid his fine.
So also II pork raiser dared to sell his
hogs except to the Chinese he was fined
and boycotted until he paid his fine.
They did no more than follow the usual
methods of business. Railroad compan-
les and other companies, as well as indi-
viduals, boycott communities and indi-
viduals and products. They call it
Discrimination. Laborers and labor
leagues boycott their own disobedient
members, as well as members of society
who do not surrender to their demands
In fact, boycotting, under one name or
another, has been in use from pre.histo
rc times down to the present. 1t is the
substitute of an advancing civilization
for the sword and the cannon of war and
for the torch of the rioter.
In the next article will be considered
the American laborer, his friends and his
enemies. In subsequent article will
be considered the practical application
of boycotting to the labor question and
to other questions.