The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-30

to trades-unionists. For, IL that is the law,
then the boycott has a legal standing as
the difference in names is the only essen-
tial difference between a blacklist and
boycott. One attempts to prevent man
from selling his labor, while the other at
tempts to prevent man from selling his
merchandise. This latest decision ADDS
more confusion to the lay mind as TO what
is actually the law the case. Since the
1894 railway strike there have been about
thirty decisions by as many different judi
ges on the question, and each radically
differs from the other. No two follow the
same line Of reasoning and fully dozen
different conclusions have been reached
All this tends to confirm the current be-
lief among the American people that that
which is called law is, in the final analy-
sis, the personal opinion of the judge. tenn
pered by environment and association.
There is nothing workingmen fear as
much the blacklist Unlike boycott,
the success of which depends soley upon
publicity, the blacklist is essentially a
weapon of secrecy. A may not care
whit for being discharged from his en-
| ployment. but if he thinks or knows that
he is on the blacklist, both feeling of
so-called Molly Mcclure murders were
| due solely to the fact that there was Sc
cret organization among the superintend-
ents TO blacklist certain persons. No one
| conversant with the facts ever denied this,
not even Franklin B. Gowen. Compared
with the victims of the blacklist, those of
the boycott are few. There is hardly a
labor leader but what at one time or an
other has been under the ban.
Let me show how one man broke up a
/ blacklist: Frank Gillian lives at Landrus,
Pa. He enlisted in the One-hundred-a and
| forty-first New York Volunteers, and
served four years and eight months and
was honorably discharged One of his army
| comrades a candidate for the nomfna-
| ton of sheriff of Tioga county, and nat
| urally Frank worked hard for his canvass.
| The superintendent of the company for
| which he worked met Frank and told him
| that he must quit supporting his friend or
! quit the company's employment, as ne,
| the superintendent had promised solid
| vote for another man. Frank made no re-
| ply, but continued to hustle for his friend.
| Shortly afterward he was discharged. He
got another job, worked a day and was
again discharged. On the railroad, in the
| lumber yard, or wherever he went, he
| would either be refused work or get dis
| charged in a day or two. Il. c. Chase, who
| was captain of the company i'm which
| Frank served during the war, got a ten
year contract from the coal company to
manufacture shingles. Chase met Frank
and offered him a job, which was &C
| cepted. Then Frank went to the superin-
| tendent and said: Superintendent Lyon.
L do not question your right TO discharge
me for cause or without cause, but you
were not content with discharging me. You
have followed me from place to place and
kept from getting work. In the mean
| time my family has been on the verge of
starvation. Now L nave got another posi-
| ton, and by the living God, if you get me
| discharged, i will kill you like a dog.
| There was something in the old soldier s
| eye which convinced Lyon that blacklist
| ing was dangerous thing, and Gillian is
| still working there