The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-04
THE CLEVELAND BOYCOTT.


ular merits of the controversy between
the striking employees and the street car
companies in Cleveland, Ohio. The
strikers probably have a real grievance
at any rate let that be granted. But the
means to which they are resorting APP
pear to be an infraction of public policy
and an outrage upon the innocent and
peaceable citizens of that city.
1t appears that in order to carry their
point the strikers have mot only resorted
to violence. but have inaugurated a
wholesale boycott, attended by meddle-
some and insulting, system Of espionage
glpnn the. citizen who wishes merely to
pay his fare and ride to his place of
business instead of walking or paying
the extortionate tolls of the cabmen.
This the citizen is not permitted to do
without being subjected to the imperti-
: nence of spoilers who inquire his
name, and if he declines to give it fol-
low him to his destination to the end
that he may be made the victim of a
boycott.
Nor is this ALL Any business man who
presunes ito have dealings with him is
boycotted likewise This from CIeve-
hand dispatch gives the brutal extent to
which this infringement of the most or
binary rights of the citizen the right to
be let alone so long as he minds his own
business-is carried
a prominent physician tonight gave
an INSTANCE of the way in whicha the
boycott is. enforced He says that he
was called to see a little girl who was
dying. He was met by two men, who
told him that he had better not attend
the child, as its father.was ''seab.' lie
replied that they ought to serve notices
of the boycott Oh the Almighty. and in
form him that they would not go to
heaven, for the child would be there in
a short time.
Last night a man was refused medi-
cine at two drug stores, even though
he was in a critical condition, simply
because he had ridden on a Big C0nsoii-
dated car The man who was boycotted
says that one Of the druggists who re-
by him from prosecution for damages for
selling poison to be used for criminal
purpose. and that he afterwards endors-
ed the druggists notes for a considerable
amount He made the statement to
show that the druggist was under obi
cations to him and should have been
glad to accommodate him by filling the
prescription"
This is a phase of the American strike
situation that has been too long toler-
ated by a patient public. There is not N
Ohio, as there is in many States, stat
ute against the boycott.
If the boycott issnot carried beyond the
refusal of one interested party to deal
witt the other nobody can object; but
when one party or the other, no matter
which, attempts to drag or force the
umnteresteu citizen into it, then at best
it becomes a nuisance and at the worst
a crime
It is a question of time only until the
pupIlc, a very small fraction of which is
interested directly in these squabbles Of
idboh duu tdpiLdi, w III nave 10 call Il
halt, by compulsory arbitration or other
wise, upon quarrels that rebound only to
the Inconvenience, disgust and hurt of
;rnocsnt parties. Labor has rights, CAPT
tai has rights, and the citizen has rights
it is the business of the law to see that
each is respected.