The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-24
BOYCOTT is ILLEGAL
JUDGE BRINsON ISSUES AN INJUyC-
TIoN AGAINST 1T.
LAB0RERS' RIGHTS DEFINED.
MUST NOT INTERFERE WITH AN
OTHERS BUSINESS.

Court Says Laborers Can stop Work
Individually or in Numbers. Bus
Must Not Attempt to Cut OF An
others Patronage by Threats or
Intimidntion-Cnse Was That of a
TypographicnI Union In Augusta.
Augusta, June 23.-Judge Brinson filed
his decision this evening in a case that
is important, net only to the newspapers
but to organized labor, as it deals with
the right OF unions to employ the boy
colt as a means of compelling rival to
employ union labor.
The petition in this cause alleges that
Typographical Union, No. Al had made a
demand upon the Daily Tribune to union
ize' its office by employing only members
of the union and also demanded that the
proprietors of said newspaper enter into
written contract to pay its employees
for the term of five years the union"
scale of wages
1t further alleges that upon the refusal
of the proprietors Of the Tribune to csm-
ply with said demands the defendants is
sued and delivered to the advertising pa
irons Of the paper certain circulars which
are fully set out in the petition, by which
the defendants are seeking by operating
on the fears OF said patrons of the Tri-
bune to coerce them 10 take their adver-
tising out of the paper 10 its loss ana
damage, and injunction is prayed for
They Admit the Boycott.
The defendants do not deny the existence
of the controversy, or that they made the
demands upon the owners of The Tribune
as alleged, nor do they deny that the
circulars were sent to the advertising pa
irons of the paper. They contend that said
acts upon their part were strictly within
their legal rights, that said acts do not
constitute unlawful intimidation; that
they are merely fair and legitimate weap-
ons of warfare in this conflict that has
arisen between the owners of this paper
representing employers. and this labor
union representing wage earners.
Judge Brinson calls attention to the facs
that the question has never been adtu-
dlcated in Georgia, and he hopes
the Supreme Court will pass upon Il.
mat both sides may know how far they
can go In these contests that seem to rise
inevitably. He said IN his decision:
Says II II Illegal.
THE owners of the Tribune have n
property interest in that paper. They
nave right TO such earnings as they can
honestly make. The right of laborers 10
coinbine is not even remotely involved in
thls case, nor Is their right TO work for
whom they may choose or to cease work
either IN a body or as individuals Nor Ia
their right to patronize or refuse to pa
rohlze whomsoeVer they may desire in
vowed. All these right they unquestiona-
oiy nave No one could or should seek
to deprive them of these rights.
Ihese circulars seem to have this
meaning, VIZ. We as an organization
have boycotted the Tribune: we demand
or their patrons that they do the same.
If the patrons do not do so we hereby put
them on notice that we will Boycott them
Also One may be intimidated by threats
OF property loss as we'll as by threats OF
violence.
Being governed entirely by what
seems to be the current authority in other
Jurisdictions of the United States, where
these questions have arisen, no other
course remains but to hold under the ad-
mitted facts that the case of the plain
TINS Is made out. and that they are en-
titled 10 the injunction prayed for. The
defendants are, therefore, enjoined from
sending to patrons of the Daily Tribune
the said circulars described in said petit
tion, or any circulars similar thereto,
or from threatening or using any means
OF intimidation 10 cause said patrons to
sever their business relations with said
paper This June %. 1900 f. l.. Brin-
son, judge Superior Court, Augusta cir
cult"