The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-08-04
MADE 70 SUFFER.
Labor Unions In Cleveland Practice
Doycotting ON Patrons Of street
Railways.

der practically has been restored with
in the city the railroad strike has re-
solved itself into general boycott Of
the Big Consolidated company and
everybody who rides upon its cars. APP
parently the strikers have the SYM
pathy and active cooperation of all the
labor organizations in the city, and not
only are merchants being boycotted for
riding on the tabooed cars, but they are
warned against selling goods to other
people who do ride, on the threat of los
ing the trade of union men. Instances
are given in which druggists have re-
fused to sell medicine to people who
were accused Of patronizing the Big
Consolidated, and physicians have been
boycotted for riding on the cars while
going to see their patients.
The boycott is most severe on the
small dealers who do business on streets
that are populated largely by union
men and their sympathizers. A num-
Der of these merchants have published
advertisements offering rewards rang
ing from $25 to $500 for reliable
evidence that they or any of their
clerks or relatives have ridden on the
cars since the strike began, and num-
Der of communications have been sent
to the papers by physicians, grocers,
butchers and others protesting their in
nocence of the charge of having patron
lied the railroad company. AS yet the
big retail merchants have not felt the
effects of the boycott severely, though
it is said some of them have been re-
quested to forbid their clerks to ride on
the cars. Thousands of working people
are going to and from their homes
in buses of every kind and description
from huckster wagons to tallyhos, and
in certain sections of the city the cars
run with few passengers. This is not
true of the Euclid, Cedar, Central and
Wade Park avenue lines, which run
through the wealthy districts of the
east end. There the cars are well filed
The boycott of the troops has aroused
the anger of Adjt. Gen. Axline, who says
that there is state law to punish peo-
pie who interfere with the militia.
There is one section of the statutes
which provides a maximum penalty of
$1,000 fine and six months imprison-
ment for every person who tries to per-
suade or discourage a member of the
national guard from responding to a
call for riot duty. Gen. Axline says the
boycott and the threat of certain en-
ployers to put on the black list those
employees who turned out with the mi
litia are covered by this law, and he
threatens to institute prosecutions
against dealers if the boycott is con-
tinued. He says also that actions may
be begun under the civil rights law, and
he sent several soldiers to a restaurant
for dinner for the express purpose OF
beginning such an action against the
proprietor if he refused to serve them.
Notwithstanding the fact that big
crowds were upon the streets Sunday,
and apparently very little attention
was paid to the Big Consolidated cars,
which ran on all lines on schedule time.
On the South side and out Broadway
to Newburg the cars were run practi-
cally empty, but the East side lines,
especially those running to the parks,
We're well patronized, though they car
ried fewer passengers by far than
usual on fair Sundays.
The only exciting incident on the
South side was the hold-up of an ice
cream wagon by a crowd of soldiers.
who took from it four-gallon freezer
full of cream. They offered money for
the cream, but the driver of the wagon
refused to accept it, saying he could not
sell it. The soldiers say they ordered
the cream several days ago and the deal
err promised to deliver it, but it did not
come.
Adjt. Gen. Axline, speaking of the
fear of the people to ride on the cars
in certain sections of the city at night,
said:
''This state of affairs is likely to continue
for several weeks or months unless a set
Element is reached. The only way to put a
stop to it is to declare martial law. That
will require 1900 or 5000 soldiers, and every
street will be patrolled. Everybody will
be required to remain indoors after a GER
tain hour, and all who are out after that
time without a permit will be arrested.
But martial law would put an end to the
trouble effectually.'