The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-08-25
BLACkLISTING,
From the i.loneer Press.

II would be decidedly in order for the
.ri!roaG employea who charge that all whu
we're connected in any way with the recent
strike have been b~iacklisted. and that they
cannot nov obtain employment on any
railroad in the United States, to produce
proof of the assertion. For, if it il true,
the sa me public opinion that rose in it,
might and smashed the attempted boycott
of the employees would smash the attempt
ed boycott of the employers. If there is
any such practice in existence, the men
who suffer from it unjustly have but to
produce the proof of it in order to win
general sympathy End support. They will
hardly neglect 40 great an advantage if
they are able to make nae of it. There
are n great many accusations flying about
wildly Mt a time like this, which show lit
tic foundation when sifted. 1t is suffici-
emily to the interest of the men to sub
stantiate this one if they can.
One OF the gravest charges against GER
tain of the labor unions is precisely this
charge Of blaeklisting. It is equivalent
to the exercise of violence to prevent a
willing man from working. Let a men,
Der of r. union refuse to go out ON strike
when his comrades do, and no only will
he be elected from the order, which is all
right enough, but he will ind his name
posted in every Office in the country
where That union exists, and it will not
permit his employment. Blacklistin2 has
been a weapon in general use by labor
organizations. But as two wrongs do not
make a right. this is no apology for it
whatever when employed by the roads;
and we shall be glaf' to help the men in 9
crusade against 1t, there and everywhere,
if it is really true that the roads have
it. But first we need to be
of that on responsible author
ity.
That there ia a certain class of men
against whom, the roads unite in mutual
protection is true beyond a question.
Men who have been discharged for per-
and repeatedly stirring up
for violent assault upen non
union workmen. OF for injuring or des-
troy ing the property Of their employers,
are marked ia they ought to be. These
are offenders against the peace and dignity
Of lnI,rr. md II 10 90 much IN nr1or tn
o~stracize them and guard labor against
them. as it is for tho police force of one
city to forward to that of another the des-
crlptiNn aud record of doubtful characters.
Such men are blacklieted, not because
belong to a gwen organization, or
they went out or strike, but be-
cause they have committed serious offenses,
proving them to be unfit for the employ
in which they seek to engage and the
responsibilities that go with it. That is
not boycotting, but public protection.
Wa do not know of any case in which a
man has been blacklisted simply because
he went out on strike in a regular and
penceable way. We do not know of any
case in which such a man, with a record
good in all other respects, has been re-
fused employment by some other road
because of that strike solely. If there is
.ny such, or if there il my agreement to
do this among the roads, it would be
judged just IA severely as Il boycott by
the men, and public opinion would con-
it as unsparingly. There is no
place in the United States, among free
lnborprs, worthy of the name, for either
or blacklisting. That the men
who recently went out OIL strike find it
terrible hard to get employment is no sur
prise; and perhaps it is human nature
that, after trying to secure work and fail
ing everywhere, they should believe it to
the result of u conspiracy against
them. But these men must be asked to
what every well-wisher told
them before they struck: that the cuadi-
ton of the labor market was such, with
five men begging for each vacant position,
with men whose families were suffering
asking only for u chance to work, that
could not possibly expect to get their
places again if once they left them. They
knew the penalty and chose to invite it.
If it is made any severer by a secret
agreement of employers to refuae to give
these men work anywhere, the public
would like to have proof of the fact.
DWARFlSH RACE IN SPAIN.
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