The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-11-21
AN IMPORTANT DECISION.
Michigan supreme court Decides That
Boyoottiug - Iiia g.L

|
al, was decided by the supreme court.
The Importance OF the case and the fact
that no snch case has been befo-, pre-
sented to this court Is cited as reason
for considering It to ihe extent Of forty
typewritten pages.
Jacob Beck q Sons Is tho title Of a firm
OF millers in Detroit doing a general
business In cereals. Il employed several
teamsters and In the fail Of 1897 became
sters union over the scale ofwages which
Il refused 10 s;Fn. The scale embodied
many other items besl w wages. rtlpl-
letlng the manner In which employees
should be treated and providing plans
for settling all differences OF opinion.
The result ot tho eompanys refusal to
sign the scale was that the union Issued
boycott on the firms products. For a
time the firm used It's own teams and
employed those OF the sheden Trucking
company. a union concern. The mills
former teamstora W. engaged IN extra
work about the mill as the Arm could
! find places for them. Later these team
sters left the union OF their own accord
and returned to Becks employ as team
sters. Then it was that members OF the
union interferred with them on street
hooted them and threw brick at them
union men also inumidated customers on
their way to the mill frightening many
away and forced the sheden company 10
refuse to do the work OF tho firm \ boy
cottlng circular was distributed to the
firms customers by representatives the
union in the streets AMI elsewhere.
INJUNCTION rs NOT ADEQUATE
This was the situation when the firm
obtained rom the Wayne Circuit court
an Injunction restraining the union from
further Interference with its employees
or its business This decree sanctioned
the distribution OF the boycott circulars
to customers and to tho public generally
except in front OF the mill premises also
IT recognized any form Of boycott to the
firm or its customers, without the actual
use Of violence, and threats to injure he
firms business, when unoccompanled y
threats were not regarded az unlawfui
II wae from this part OF the decree that
the firm appealed 10 the supreme court,
SUPREME COURTS DECISION
In a unanimous opinion written by
Chief Justice Grant tho court says that
the Becks had done nothing % the de-
PENDANTS either Illegal, immoral or un-
Just. They we're paying wages to their
teamsters greater than tho union team
sters received, because they made no re-
duction FOR certain lost time which union
employers made The law protects them
in their right TO employ whom they see
nt at prices which they and their employ
eea can agree upon, and to discharge
them at their expiration OF their terms
Of service or for violating contract
This right must be maintained or person
al liberty is a sham,
80, also" saye the court. "the labor
ers have a right to fix price upon their
labor and refuse to work unleos that
price is obtained. singly or In c9mbina-
uon, they have this right. They may or
ganize in order to improve their condi-
tion and to secure betteA. wages. They
may use persuasion to induce men to
join their organization, or to refuse TO
work except for an established wage
They may present their cause to the pu5-
lie in newspapers, circulars or any peace
able way with no attempt at coercion. II
the effect IN such case is to ruin the en-
ployer It is an injury without remedy Tor
they have only exercised their legal and
true rights. The law does not permit
either party 20 use force, violence. threat
Of force or violence intimidation or CO.
ercion. The right to trade and the per-
sonal liberty Of the employer alone are
not involved in this case; the right OF
the laborer 10 sell his labor when, "a
whom and Tor what price he chooses, Ia
involved"
COURTS CALL 1T TYRANNY"
The Ave teamsters, the court says were
satisfied with their wages and Treatment.
by the action Of the union they were
thrown out OF employment during the
simmer, except as the Beck's employed
them when they could about the mill
The un.on would not permit one Of the
teamsters 70 use horse and wagon
which the Beckrs rendered him free OF
expense that he might provide for him
self and family.
"A boycott OF labor as well as capital
Il, therefore invol we'd in this controversy
says the opinion. 1.-THE acts and conduct
Of these defendeuts are not those Of free
dom. but OF tyranny. The law is IA,
same for both ard IL alike open TO both
II the employers OF Detroit had combln
ed in secret organization. established
q rate and agreed to boycott-ln the mar
ner these defendents boyootted plaintiffs
any employer and his laborer who ther
would pay more than the price the com
bn atson had agreed 10. ana carried th'
conspiracy out, as was done here woult
these defendants consider that just ant
lawful conductF Neither court OF equitr