The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-05-18
BOYCOTT / I
IN THE PRINTERS FIGHT
WITH THE NEW YORK SUN.
An Object Lesson Showing How to
Advance the Union Label-Printinx
Trades Turn Out in Large Numbers
at the May Day Parade-Carry Ban
ners That Testify to the Treachery
of the sun.

that hostilities between the union and
the management Of this. newspaper
were suspended, many predicted disas-
ter, and many of the most experienced
trade unionists expressed the opinion
that if the, union failed to reach a set
tlement, the battle was lost, for the
reason that the boycott could never be
revived. But these prophets did not
take into consideration the marvellous
vitality and indomitable spirit of this
premier among American labor organi-
cations. The appearance of the Allied
Printing Trades Section of the great
May Day parade last Saturday, in
which marched 5000 enthusiastic print
ers, with cards in their hats, buttons on
their coats, and carrying transparencies
and banners inscribed with sentiments
testifying to the treachery of The Sun
management and the unions determi-
nation to fight until the office was again
unionized, convinced even the most
skeptical that it was impossible for
The Sun to thrive with such force
arrayed against them.
No such labor demonstration has
taken place in New York in many years
as was this parade. The agents of the
printers were at work early, and at the
hour of starting every one of the 10000
paraders wore on his coat a button in
scribed, II Don't Read the New York
Sum- which button was embellished,
with a picture Of black rat on top of
a sun-that appeared to be sinking be-
low the horizon. The Allied Printing
Trades Section formed in Beekman
street, in the downtown section of the
city, at $3.50 p. M, and marched past
The Sun office, from the front windows
Of which the managers of that corpora
tion reviewed the paraders, and their
expressions and demonstrations Of rage
were amusing to behold. There were
fully $500 men in the line when it pass
ed this point, for many of the men
working on the morning newspapers at
that hour arranged to leave their work
for while, In order to give our enemy
a practical demonstration of the spirit
and strength Of the organization it
seeks to DESTROY. ~ ..
Every file carried q. transparency, and
the Inscriptions thereon were not con-
sductYe to the peace az mind daofst at
tlie were "a. ]0iiiG UE
them read as follows: The Sun rats
came in the night: union men are not
afraid of the light; The Sun advo-
Gates the doctrines of Malthus-'Kill
'em off, "Rat labor is scab labor;
both are as bad as their names; "Busi-
ness men, don't you hate trickster";
RAT wages and hours make shoddy
Americans; Honest labor's idols
Abraham Lincoln, Henry George; The
Sun's-Judas Iscariot," and hundreds
of others equally appropriate and force
full, and on the side Of each, I'VE do not
read The Sum-" I'VE do not buy goods
advertised in The Sum- All the way
along the line the paraders kept time
to the chant-"Boy-boy-bo The
Sum-
The practical results Of this outpour-
ing are. already apparent in the vigor
with which every trade-unionist in New
York is working to beat down the cir
culation and advertising Of the only
non-union morning paper in this city.
It is more like a great religious revival
than anything else.
The men comprising the defense
committee Of Typographical Union No.
6 are all experienced union fighters,
and are directing the energy and en-
thusiasm along lines that have pro-
duced instantaneous results. The ma
tional campaign has again been started,
and in this department the publicity
given by the labor press has been in
valuable. The circular which was
mailed last week, headed "A Shameful
Betrayal Of Confidence" has been print
ed verbatim in nearly all the labor pap
ers and the members of No. have been
informed of this fact, and are deeply
grateful. . :
It has been clearly demonstrated that
it is possible to conduct a. legal boycott
Every man has legal right to request
his neighbor to refrain from patroniz-
ing any article of tradesman, and the
request published in the circular be-
fore mentioned is the most complete
and comprehensive ever circulated. It
reads as follows: -.
1--WE ask you not to buy the New York
Sun, and not to patronize anyone who
does buy it; not to buy any article that
is advertised in The Sun. and not to
patronize in any way any person or
firm that sells any article advertised
therein; and we also ask you to advise
and request and persuade all your
friends and all the friends Of fair wages
and fair treatment to do likewise" 31a
To supplement this, list of the ad-
vertisers in The Sun is being spread
broadcast, and requests are being made
of all central bodies and local unions to