The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-22
THE MARVIN BAKERY BOYCOTT.
A Gard from s. $, Marvin s Co., of Pitts.
burgh, ON the Subject.
OFFICE OF

SIS. MARVIN & Co. 5 BgculT WoRKs, !
PITTsBuRau, Pa June Il, 1880.
To the EdiorOfhe Inlelligeeer, IHheelinC, ". Va,
GENTLEMES:-0ur attention has been
called to your issue OF June 10, which
informs us that a boycott was placed on
SIS, Marvin & Go. by the Pittsburgh La.
Dor Council, indorsed by the Ohio Val.
ley Assembly about two weeks ago, and
that the Assembly had appointed "ward
committees" whose duty 1t will be to
wait upon the grocers and other dealers
In their respective wards, who handle
the goods Of s. s, Marvin & Co. and the
Wheeling Bakery Company, and ask
them TO stop handling the goods. This
so.called boycott has no existence In
Pittsburgh, or any other place that we
arc aware OF, and we do not believe II
will be begun in the city OF Wheeling.
II certainly will not be itthe facts Of the
case are understood. The PennSyltdnia
Grocer, Of May IS, has this account OF
the attempt to influence the GroCers'
Association: "At the meeting OF the
Grocers' Association last week the trou.
BILE ats. s. Marvin & Co.'s factory was
brought up by O committee from the
knights OF Labor, headed by Mr.,
Hughes. The members OF the commit.
tee made addresses, stating that Mr.. Mar.
win had violated the contract he had
made with the labor organization when
he signed the scale, and asked that the
product OF the Marvin factory be boy.
Cotted by all Pittsburgh and Allegheny
grocers.
"Mr. Marvin, who was present, said
that he had not violated bis contract in
any way, as one OF the conditions on
which he signed the scale was that his
employees should not be forced to go into
the union. The committee was asked II
this was true, and they admitted 1t was.
Several OF Mr.. Marvin's employees said
that they would leave the factory rather
than go into the union. After hearing
both sides fully, the Grocers' Associa.
tion decided that the labor organization
had no case against Marvin c Co., and
that consequently the strike could not
be endorsed"
We desire 10 say that this ended tho
matter. There was no strike in our
place. The trouble was not one about
wages, hours, or employment OF union
or non.union hands, We pay the scale
OF wages demanded. We observe the
hours fixed by the union, and have no
trouble with our employees. The Knights
Of Labor desired US to "unionize" our
factory. We told them that every man
in our employ was free TO Join tho
Knights OF Labor or any other organiza.
tion. But they seemed TO want us To do
more than that. We finally submitted
the matter To our employees, who held a
meeting, and all hut nineteen men and
boys decided that they did not wish to
join the Knights Of Labor. We felt that
we had no right as employers to put any
pressure on them TO do so. We believe
II is contrary to the whole principle ON
which the Knights Of Labor Ia founded,
Nineteen therefore declined 10 work In
our factory, and left our employment.
We feel sure very few Of them wanted TO
doso, and OF those who left quite 4 mum.
Dor came back and are working with us
again, rs they had done, come oil them
for many years, before. Now, this Is the
whole tnatteE We could not bo used to
compel our employees TO join any organ,
ization that they did not wish TO Join.
II every one Of them had Joined, we
would have gone ON, working as we do
now, We claim that every employe has
q right to Join any organization he
pleaSes-tradea union, club or church,
and we have no right whatever 10 re.
strict his liberty in that respect, nor
have we any right TO request him to ioin
any organization he does not wish 10 Join.
we believe that the people OF Wheeling
will vote upon this question as the peo.
pie Of Ntts6urgh and other places where
our trade lies, have voted. We sro per.
fectly content TO leave II Ia the hands
Of fairminded people.
Sincerely yours,
ut s. 8. MARVIN 4 Cn