Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-01
BOycotting.

UurefS ana traders KNOWN as DOyCOJtlnS |
has, unfortunately, become prevalent |
among the working classes in this country |
as Il means of redressing what they choose |
to consider their wrongs at the hands of |
certain producers and middlemen. 1t is Il |
method which is directed against individu- |
ais in the main, and is intended to de- |
prive offending manufacturers and ira |
ders of the support of the laborng class. |
TO boycott trader or manufacturer is to !
withhold from him, as far as possible, the |
patronage upon which he depends for his |
success. AS bDycOttiug is endorsed by |
most, if not all, of the trades unions III the /
country, and all are bound to withhold !
support from any business concern which
has been placed under the ban by any one
of the unions, it is easy to see thpt the
system must work most dsastrously to
the welfare of any producer or trader who
has proved offensive to the labOrng
classes. The withdrawal of the patron
age of so large a number of persons can
not but injure the business of any indi-
vidual or firm.
The boycott is sometimes more efTec-
tual means of bringing capital to terms
than the strike. 1t is, in fact, "A turning
of the tables, which enables labor to i'm
pose very much the same conditions upon
capital which capital imposes upon labor
The manufacturer or trader is dependent
upon the market for the means of sub
sisteuce, just as the laborer is dependent
upon the payroll for his So long as the
market, or IL considerable share of the
| public patronage is withheld from the
producer. he is in II condition of helpless
A. Ill
deprived of his pay.
But there is an objection to the pro
cess, even on the side of labor, and "A very
serious one, too. 1t is simply robbiug
Peter to pay Paul. What the boycotted
| individual or firm loses goes to the credit
of other producers and traders, for the
goods in question must be obtained from
some source. Thus the producing class
loses nothing in the end and labor only
enforces its own dependency upon trade
The relief is only temporary, and increases
the liability to the disease.
\ recent number of BrddStrCCts con-
tains an instructive and interesting review
of the principal cases of boycotting which
have occurred in this country during
the last two years Boycottng, &C
cording to the writer, has been
resortcd to 431 times in this period. of
this number forty-one boycotts were
against employers of Chinese labor, TWEEN
ty-siX against cigar manufacturers who
f employed nou-uuion men, and the remain
ing cases against newspaper publishers
employing rat printers and manufac
turing concerns which have discharged
men for one reason or another About
, thirty per cent of the above cases of boy
cottlng have proved successful, twelve pei
cent nave failed, and tifty-eight per cent
are still undecided
The principle upon which boycottina
depends is 1t pernicious one, and cannot
long receive the sanction ofinteligeut ant
honest men. 1t assumes the right %
f demagogues to control the workingman =:
. right to spend hi, own money. 1t de
= mands OF him an agreement to deliberate
: ly lnjure, so far as he can, ut the command
/ of the trades union, the prosperity of
n man or firm against whom he may haV,
[ no personal grievance whatever 1t turn
t every mans hand against his neighbor
:, thus reversing the very law upon which so
y ciety is based. There is an element, mt least
+ of openncss and squarenesS about tn
l strike which the undetermined and indl
e rect method of the boycott does not pos
i st s.. The trades unions which adopt AM
;, endorse the latter method, will be likel
IS to find it reacting upon themselves soone
or later.
= The Boston JOUrnul says: ut is a
y open secret that Senator Edmunds wa
the abest and most strenuous advocat
of the policy of fighting all of the Pres
|. dents appointments, regardless of thei
?. character" The JOurHul'S secret"
) neither an open one nor fact. Mr.. Ed
d munds has never advocated either in o
t out of the Senate the policy of tightin
Il all of Mr. Cleveland's appointments. II
Is has from first to last been in favor of con
c. sderng each case upon its merits, q
n want of merits. He proposes to stand b
re the principles of civil service reform, an
10 he does not see why a Democratic Pres
IT dent should have the approval of the Sci
ID ate. for appointments Of character whic
" the Senate would not confirm if made 10y
n Republican President. He does not thin
the Senate should consent to the remove
of inoifensive partisans in order to max
= places for offensive partisans. These N
the opinions he expressed to many pc
" and it is entirely safe to say that he hi
not changed them since the sessio
opened.
nd "rhe Democratic party remarks ii
I'd Washington correspondent of the Ne
h York Hcrdld, las it manifests itself hen
IN IN the two Houses, is fearfully and VOL
n derGully made. 1t is not merely that
of has no policy; there is not the slighte
n evidence that 1t needs one. There
he scarcely Democratic Representative or
Sc Senator who does not in his heart beliey
d. and in bis franker moments openly hiI
e. that he is the Democratic party. Tn
ty session has begun with II pitched bait
r. between the Democratic leaders in Il
~ House, in which the victorious one calle
ms in Republican allies to help him. In II
Ia, senate the leading Democratic Senat,