New-York tribune., 1903-03-22

immunity: II It's, y lille others cease to work. or
takes the place Of one VINO mas epeIlo0F .2 nF men
work, helps 80 1e1Ga a.+er t recompenge for their
labor and better conditions CT NIe: 1ARp tRhpst tts
Of the object Of strike, OF cpsnnot sanction an
et+anont tn destroy the right of others to @ oL
ferent opinion in this respect OF 10 ~ NON
with their conduct in choosing 10 W. Mo.h 49, ~
what terms and at what time and Tor Wnon1 II
may please them go 10 oo'
FREEDOM OF LABOR.
The right thus to work cannot be mace "
depend upon the approval or olsappIott t a. "a vcho
personal character and con3uct ~, vi ERE other
claim to exercise this right II TINS MeLe jebt
TiSe then those WHO remain at work mlsni1
If they were in the majority, have ootn ose tne to
and power to prevent others VINO 1H00'o
cease to work from so doing . Com-
Ttis ali seems too plain fer argument. Soti ~.
mon sense and common law alike denounce st7
ondnct Of those who interfere with this fundaI
mental right Of the citizen Inc ASST tt l. 4ho+
the right seems trite and commonplaceer ~ t re
land is blessed Wnere the HIaA1AA4o - -'
1t also becomes duty to condemn anotnee SarTr
less violent but not less TeprenensiDe' 1ott1 tt
~ attack upon those rights and liberties OF tls
citizen which the public opinion OF cNlI!Lsu Ne.
countries recognizes ana prSu99s po9 ortna and to
and liberty to pursue IaT1uI callLns tt,on az ~
lead q peaceable nfe free from Dn1oess
or attack. concerns the comfort ana aans dee
of ali men, and the denial OF tneh - H"ea t tha
structton of one Of the greatest, II noL ene
zreatest of the benefits which the Social I ~ Ot
Senizstion confers. What Is popolarly knoMLA @
sc +ha onvcott "a word OF evil omen and un-
hspny orisin) is q form Of coercion oy WnacE act
a combination Of many persons seeH9 a5on ~ q few
their will upon a single person, or upon q 4Sono
nersons by compelling others to aosIaln IG ith
social or beneficial business interco9Glse arTent
euch nerson or persons Carried 10 Tue - &c
Sometimes practised in aid OF stflhe, lhe,nct,on GO
was in some instances practiseo III ~ cruel
with the late anthracite strlhe a. 1tSronooral and
weapon of aggression, and its use lliilii0
To say this is not to deny the legal - GRAIN
sny man or set Of men voluntarily " oaie+ions
from social intercourse or business Ct or
with any persons whom he or they' aonoe
tinae he unchristian but it Is not illegal; ouS "
when It is a concerted purpose OF a nun nua0 tron1 N
persons not only to abstain nsn IfSe or their
yictinn miserable by persuadlng anu - - a. o
dating others 50 TO refrain, such pt pun e. o.
malicious one and the concerted atteIhpe ~ "a ID
iish - "a y conspiracy at common law ano
merits and should receive the puiiloiiii'e
to such crtmao 49,. ro,oot+s" are
not waning In the record of the case oeloEe tre
commission. young schooinnStre.sS' ,oas so
teIIigence character and attatnments, va, Mas ct 81
hovcotted and her dismissal from e1npIoS liIelie
compelled for no other reason IHaI . tTo,,1
brother, not living in her inllLtuIa has nd viii
chose to work contrary to the WlSneS dilu W. " IA
of the striking miners, A lad, ABOUT III - g
years old employed in a drug store, ,er was uie
charged owing to threats made 10 ms npiS eIp ~
bIr q deIeeation of the strikers, on behalt ol
their organiza ton, for the reason tna1 ms ta
had chosen to return to "ork t1es penU t~adeSn1en
was ended. in several instances - a. +ha+
were threatened with d boycott-tndt iS. SaI5 S
all connected with the strikers Wouin VIM NttLot =.
from them their custom. ana peISuI ranas
do so if they continued to furnish the heces-
saries Of life to the families of certain "oE hIleI ~
who had come under the ban or the dlspi~easute ~
~ tha striking organizations. This "as carry
ing the boycott extent Whcn was IN, -
demned by Mr.. Mitchell, president OF tne Oniteo ga t
Mine Workers of America, in his teStliIoHS Ue
80 the commission and which certainly de-
serves the reproDation of all thoughtful and law
abiding citizens. Many other instances OF poS
colt are disclosed in the record of this case.
In social disturb Dances of the KIND with "aGn St
we are dealing the temptation 10 resort " @ tlio
weapon oftentimes becomes strohg. out - il'1 nc
the less to be resisted. 1t is an attempt oi
many by concerted action, TO work theiE VII VIII
upon another who has exercised MS Ieeai il6ltI
~ differ with them in opinion and IN conduct.
IT is T. ranny pure and simple, ana as such 10
hateful no matter whether attelnpteu ~ nc ne
exercised by few or by many, by operators or py
Workmen and society that toerates OF COLI
dones it can justly call Itself free .-.
Some weak attempt was made at the hearings
TO Justify the boycotts we have been describing
nv confusing them with what might be called'
for convenences sake, me P[liI,aay Iston
which consists merely in the voluntary apsIen-
tion of one or many persons from social or
business relations with one whom they dislike.
This indeed might amount 70 q conspiracy a.
Law If the ingredient of malicious purpose ana
concerted action to accomplish it were present.
hut whether this be so or not the practical dis
+tDc+ion hetvnnn such a boycott and the one
we have been reprobating ts clear
It was attempted to defend the boycott by
calling the contest between employers and en-
ployes a war between capital and labor, ana,
pursuing the analogies of the word, to JUSTIFY
the part Of those conducting strike. Inc
analogy is not apt, and the argument founded
upon it is fallacious. There is only one war
making power recognized by our lnsttutlohS'
and that is the government of the United states
and of the States in subordnation thereto. Wher
repeIling invasion or suppresslng dofneSIc ElG-
lence War between citizens IS not to be toll
Grated and cannot, in the proper sense, exist
II attempted, It is unlawful and is to he put
down by the sovereign power or the state anu
nation.
CRUEL AND COWARDLY WARFARE
The practices which We are Condemning would
be outside the pale of civilized war In c1VlIlzeo
warfare women and children and the defenceless
are safe from attack, and a code OF honor con-
trols the parties to such warfare Whch CRIES
out against the boycott we have IN view. trutl
and COwardly are terms not 100 severe pS VIII"
to characterize it. .
Closely allied to the boycott is the blacklist
! by which employers of labor sometimes prevent
| the employment by others OF men whom they
| have discharged. IN other words, 1t is COM
| bnation among employers not to employ WORK
| men discharged by any Of the members or SAID
| combination. This system is as reprehenSlDle
and as cruel as the boycott and should he
| frovned down by all humane men. Happily,
there was little evidence of it's existence among
| the operators in the anthracite region one case
! only having been distinctly proved and in that
| the refusal to employ the tabOOed men continued
| but for a short time. Wherever 1t Is practsed
| to the extent of being founded upon an agree
| ment or concerted action, it. too comes within
| the definition of the crime of conspiracy, and as
such should be punished. There is also civil
| remedy open who suffers from having
| been blacksted. in action against those who
| are party to it, to recover damages compen-
| satory of the injury received
The commission is fully aware of the diff
culties inherent in this subject. 1t is psyche
| logical matter beyond rules and awards unless
| the laWmaking power of the community fix a
penalty upon boyCOtting and blacklistiHg. Even
| then the various degrees to which the two can
| be carried elude the enforcement of a statute
| The commission is OF opinion, however, that
there should be positive utterance on its part