The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-03-14

ercise the tyrannical power which it
has SO long claimed to possess.
The public has not been vouchsafed
an explanation Of the trouble between
the Association and the Seaboard Air
Line system, but it is known that while
that road was formerly a member OF
the Association 1t has now withdra wn
from its fellowship. Without attempt
ing to pass judgment on the merits OF
the dispute between the contending
parties, there can be no question that
when the Association resorts to such a
high handed measure as declaring
against the Seaboard Air Line a boy
colt, in which all members of the Asso-
citation are made participants, the Asso-
citation at once puts itselfin the wrong
and arrays itself not merely against its
revolted member, but against the in
dus,rial and commercial interests OF
the country. The Seaboard Air Line
system is doubtless able to fight its
own battles. The interest which we
lake in the matter is aCtuated by no
par,izan considerations, but by the be
lief that the Association has arrogated
to itself and is attempting to exercise
an illegal authority, which is detrimen-
tai to commerce and repugnant to pub
lie interest. The most eminent Judi
cial authority known to the Courts
has declared the power Of organiza-
tions to be limited by the inter
ests Of the individuals making the
agreement. Common carriers are the
servants, not the masters of traffic. A
combination among them which con-
duces to better and wider business re-
lations is not only permissible but de-
sirable, but when such a combination
attempts to impede, control or manipu-
late traffic it becomes public nuisance
and should be peremptorily enjoined
by niger authority.
A boycott is, in the very nature Of the
case, always an abuse, for it inevitably
exerts an influence beyond the interests
of the contending parties. In this case,
for instance, if no one were injured but
the Association and the opposing rail-
road the fight might be waged without
interruption till the security holders
were bankrupt, and no one need say a
word but unfortunately the CONNER
cial and business interests of the whole
South must be disastrously affected to
crafty the animosity of the combat
ants. The Association having declared
the boycott, it becomes the aggressor
and should receive the condemnation.
When labor has sought to redress its
wrongs, fancied or real, there has been
no denunCiation of its acts more bitter
than that which emanated from the
railroads and other public corporations.
They have made much capital out OF
the detrlment to the public interests
occasioned by workingmen's organiza-
tlons and the means which they have
sometimes resorted to. The boycott
pronounced against the Seaboard All
Line is public nuisance for precisely
the same reason that "strike" of the
engineers of the Associations roads
would be public nuisance. If any
thing, the first is the more reprehensi.
BILE for men have individual rights and
railroads have not,
Manager John \. Smith, Of the
Freight Bureau, is to be commended
for the prompt action that he has taken
in this matter. He has called upon the
traffic men, directly or indirectly con-
cerned in Charleston's trade to pro,ec,
her interests. If they comply with his
request they will have performed a
duty, but if they bow to the dictates o.
the Association the city should know
how to redress the wrongs done her
The railroads handling Charleston's
business have been called upon to
clearly define their position, and they
must reply without equivoCation, They
are asked 10 say once for all whe,he,
. they are the creatures Of the Southern
Railway and Steamship Association o,
the servants Of the traffic of this sec.
ton. They were chartered in the lat.
ter capacity, and there should be some
authority in the country to force them
to fulfill the obligations of the office
which they hold by concession and
not as an inherent right.