Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-25
THE SOUTH'S TALK OF BOYCOTT.
All Hope that Nothing of the Kind Will
Occur, and Many Believe it
is but Bluff to
DEFEAT TIE LODGE ELECTION BILL.
Local ColOred Men Regret that the Measure is
Distinctively Partisan.

number of Pittsburg manufacturers ano
Others who are either directly or indirectly
interested in securing and maintaining trade
relations with the South were interviewed
by DISPATCH reporters yesterday.
Those who have read of the proposed move
and carefully considered its importance
were quite willing to express their views. A
majority preferred MOTTO be quoted at present
1t was somewhat noticeable that some who
do not deal directly with the South treated
the subject more airily, not to say fippantly,
than those who do.
A. Speer & Sons, plow manufacturers
said that more than half their trade was with
the South, and that q race boycott would be
8 serious thing for them. They preferred to
have their travelling man. Mr.. William NJ.
Cosgrave, talk for them. Mr.. Cosgrave gave
two reasons why he did not think there
would be a boycott. 'In the first place, ~
said he, ''trade between the South and
North is mutually beneficial, and neither
party can afford to break the relation. In
the second place, don't believe the force
bill, as you call it, will pass
OTHER PASTURES SOUGHT.
AS Mr.. Cosgrave's views were clear
enough for all purposes and he had nothing
further to say, other pastures were sought.
John Scott, Jr., of John Scott. Jr., &
Co., agricultural implement and seed deal
ers said: "We've heard that yell before.
They can't help themselves. They will buy
from those that can sell them the cheapest
goods. We have no trade there"
A IL II L. -
and agricultural store said: 1--WE have no
trade with the South. 1 guess they want
Us to go down and lick them again"
A member of the firm of J. W. Scott &
Co., seed and agricultural implement deal
ers said: ''Such things are soon forgotten.
A boycott would work both ways"
Scobie & Parker, seed and agricultural
implement dealers, said they had no direct
trade with the South, but that boycott
would hurt their business indirectly; that
the South dealt largely with Western
Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the
withdrawal Of the custom would eventually
cause loss to all classes in those sections.
C. West & Co., carriage manufacturers,
said their trade was mainly with this CITY
and surrounding country, and they had
none with the South, but that a boycott
would hurt them, as the South dealt largely
with their patrons.
A MERCHANTS VIEWS.
George A Kelly, the wholesale drug
gist, in speaking of the possible passage of
the Federal election bill, said: 'I don't
see that it would have any material effect on
local trade, other than in a general way
This talk of the South boycotting the North
in the event of the bill passing is all prema-
ture, and it seems to me that it is impulsive
on their part; but when they stop
to weigh the result OF such a move,
/ believe they will consider wise
ly before taking any decisive action.
The South is not In position to adopt such
retalIatory measures, because the relations
and business connections with the North are
too vast to justify them to pursue this line
of retaliation. 1t would be another matter
If the South was not dependent on us Tor
our products. They are not in the position"
continued Mr.. Kelly, ''to take such stand,
as it would react directly against
them. 1 am not prepared to say
just at present what good would
be accomplished by the passage of the bill.
The South is yet in its infancy, and the
people have awakened to the fact that
future lies before them. 1t would not do to
strain the relations between it and the
Northern States, which it has worked so
gallantly, since the war, to establish. 1
have not the least doubt that if a commits
sion were appointed, it would give true
report of the ballots east 1 think the Dem
ocratic party of the South does not fear any
corrupt methods being resorted to BY the
mis- mar fp NV huf hat
it most fears is fair count of the ballots.
ACTING ON IMPULSE.
''The people of tine South are probably
acting on the spur of the moment in making
these threats about boycotting us, but when
thev give the question a second considera-
ton l think they will see they cannot, with
out doing more or less injury to themselves,
employ this method of getting even with the
North"
j. j. O'Leary, of O'Leary Brothers,
window glass manufacturers, talked at some
length about what the election bill would
do and what it would not do. He said:
''This is one of the most inconsistent
measures, 1 believe that has ever been in
troduced in Congress. It is SO illogical, at
such variance with the Constitution. that
should it be passed it would make this
country practically a monarchy. 1 have
talked with the negroes at several places,
and find, after talking to the most intelli-
gent, that the race invariably is satisfied
with its position. The threatened boycott
of the North will not amount to such dis
aster that the Northern manufacturers need
feel any apprehensions. The Southern
States have no other recourse than
to use the product of the North,
and they will not remain without
them, like our colonial ancestors, who wore
homespun clothing rather than purchase
anything in England. The people of the
South have been successful in building up
a large commercial trade with the North
after being compelled to surmount many
barriers which promised to keep the country
far behind in the race for prominence. After
overcoming innumerable stumbling blocks
which tended to make the South unprogres-
siye, such as the war and other events, which
checked what seemed to be a portion OF the
United States destined to occupy promi-
nent position in the commercial and social
world, it has succeeded in building up CON-
nercial relations with the North that are of
such magnitude now that they could ILL.,
afford to murmur about boycott without i'm
pairing these grand commercial relations.
ONE WAY OUT OF IT.
'sThe idea of Southern merchants boycott
ing the North" continued Mr.. O'Leary,
"seems absurd, but if such a move were at
tempted. 1 think the Northern manufact-
urers would not be slow in locating in that
portion of the United States, and there cater
TO the people as one of them, suffering under
a yoke of unequal strife which could not be
thrown of. ="
The universal sentiment among the glass