The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-23

avail himself OF taat privilege. The labor
leader OF today is no longer imsg nary evil
Good or bad. he Ia no longer q hid len DARK o.
ject. We know him we'll; We read his opinions
and u,terances in our daily papers. If he Is
calm, onseTvatve and just, the public aOplauds
All he lives If he is passionate, radical ana
wild, that same tribunal condemns him aud he
dies.
Mr. Powderly's writings, both historical ana
current, have now been before the pubic ior
ten years However much we may differ with
h N as to his socia!istic views OF government
none can claim him to tie vile sgitator. ON
the contrary We must recognize i'll him an hon s.
man, working hard aud sacrificing himself IN
the interest OF humanity Mr.. Gompers only re-
Gently made a tour OF the United States, speak
Ing in all the large cities, being interviewed by
every newspaper, and what Is the puolc YER
dict? The entire press proclaim that as long
az such men as Gompers lead the masses the
country is safe Upon T. J. Mcclure. Arthur,
slosser and hundreds Of other labor lenders the
public pronounce like verdiets. Is IL likely that
such men would allow conditions srch as TINS
circular complains OF 20 exist? j. IL possible
that unions Offered by such men would to!er'
ate the Oh silly soecie- Of walking delegate as
described by the ASSOCIATE on?
The truth s that the wa sing delegate Is the
most abused aud ili-u5ed being on earth. He
makes more enemies, both ia and out OF his
own ranks. than any other man. To NY knowi-
edge the hardest job that unions have is to fnd
man who 10 willing 10 take the walking dele
eateship. As to his fomenting trouble from
selfish motives, this is all bosh. As Il rule the
most intelligent. conservative and seii-sacri-
fieinc member is prevailed upon to accept the
arduous task. His principal duty is to ADJUST,
arbirratc, settle amiCab!y and generally prevail
upon the mere hot-heaied ones 10 remain cool
and allow MIN TO attend to their little differ
ences.
As TO the statement unions are the most pros
porous when in q state OF constant agitation,
that is false. Tho most prosperous national
unions today arc those that have not had any
trouble for years. Right in this city the strong
est union--the Typograph ica!-iollowed closely
by The water front unions, has not had any
trouble worth mentioning. And yet they are in
q healthy and prosperous condition. Unions
have long since learned that the best way to
attract non-uuion men TO their ranks is 10 assure
them that there Is no danger OF strike, but
that ii one should occur, the union Is well pre-
pared for Il, and rs rule the best prepared
unions seldom have trouble.
As to the boycott, II hurts, admit. but that 1t
is unjust deny. a boycott is not "stand up'
"ho!d up" On the contrary, IL is strictly
"iet alone" The essence OF a b0yCott Is as tol-
lows: The union man says to the unfair en-
ployer: "iou don't like us; you refuse to
patronizs or employ me, | won't like you and
shall refuse your goods" There Is nothing
wrong in that. An act that is not wrong when
committed by ones self cannot become a wrong
by one persuading his friend to do likewise. As
a matter OF fact there is no man living but what
practices the boycott in his everyday lie. You
go into a restaurant aud are ili-treated there or
imagine yourself TO have been So and you will
not go there again. Well, you are boycotting
that restaurant then. II, accompanied by a
few friends, you go to lunch and they are in
favor OF going to that particular restaurant, you
become the walking delegate and persuade your
friends, urge them not to go i'll there, to accom-
pany you to place that you like best That is
the essence OF Il boycott Nor does society suffer
By it. The restaurateur, fearing that weapon,
will take care not TO Il.treat you and the result
is that the interests of all are best served
Apart from the undeniaDe fact that unions
have perfect right to levy and enforce boy
colt against arrogant and oppressive employ
ers, hold that the public is benefited by their
acts. The boycott is the most effective weapon
to relieve society from disgraceiul brutalism,
from arrogant saobbism, from the damnable
sweating system, from the very criminal aud
fraudulent practices of which Mr.. Wright SO
earnestly and eloquently complains.
ABE SPRING.