The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-22
An i-BoYcott law.


 In the press of other things the law re- | gently enacted by the General Assembly l of Alabama has been deprived of the at
 tention and consideration of the general | pubic. It takes the principle of the boy colt and the picket by the throat and i legally squeezes the life out of it in a
 manner which leaves no doubt of the at-
 utude or the law abiding element in that community As The Iron Trade Review | says: "The agitation in Alabama. cen | terlng in Birmingham, has been kept LID | TOT number of weeks one of the Drime | motors being the Citizens Alliance which mas proved potent wherever 1t has been | organized. Birmingham has had exneri-
 ence in some of the worst phases of the | boycott and the general reign of terror
 relied upon by unions in carrying on
 strikes the long holders strike there be
 ing attended with violence, coercion and other lawlessness.
 | The Citizens Alliance members worked
 with persistency and as 1t appears with | Judgment, and as a consequence succeed | ed in organizing an effective campaign of education which was strong enough to overthrow all opposition when the bill which was subsequently made a law, was | brought before the Legislature. So skill | fully was the anti-boycott sentiment crys- tallized that the bill passed the House of Representatives by vote of @ to 30 and
 the Senate by vote of 9 to g. The Coy | ernor gave 1t his executive approval the
 moment 1t had been engrossed thus
 bringing to n head If not to an end n controversy which related to the business prosperity of Alabama. We do not re- call another such explicit law in any of the States of the Union. and are not fa l mliar enough with the laws of that State to comment upon it's necessity Tn Connecticut. for example. 1t is the belief Of well informed lawyers that the Statutas are equal to any emergency which may bc forced by a labor quarrel. If remains
 with the organized marty whether repre- senting labor or capital. to make it's ap- n1 tn E,r laN
 protection. It Is illegal here to bovc1tt a firm on the one hand, end to blacl,l st workmen. on the other. If however inc
 law is not sufficient. the constitution is.
 tuition is equally in force 1t Is thought wise to reinforce it by such an exnlicjt | law as has been made.
 The first section of the Alabama law declares that 'ft shall he unlawful for
 two or more persons tN consp TO together for the purpose of preventing any ner son. nersons, firm or corporation fror,
 carrying on any lawful husinees within | me State Of Alabama, or for the nurDose | of interfering with the same" This Ia n | broad and comprehensive prohibition and | permits business firm or corn 1ratinn to anpiy at once for an injunction n hridle | the attempts of strikers to win their vic tory by crippling their adverearies If ic at the same time a strictly local law of | consequence only to It's own peonle IT
 me boycott is resortel to cripple the bus l | states an appeal would have to he made ID the law of tho country which nrohIhits action in restraint of trade such as tho
 I,anbury appeal made In tho courts of the | ntted States. Similarly if for exannla a Connecticut producer soueht protection
 against boycott of his goods undertq,;c,, | Tn Ala hama, ha would appeal n tho sa7oo
 general aw. The significant thing 'n tn S connection is that Alabama has risen in Its nower 10 make it clear. beyond n | shadow of doubt. that the whole power of | the government will he used to give the | business corporations of that St1.e tLa right tn carry on their own Nusiness in | their own way. and that differences ~ | opinion shall not onerate to either cripnln | nr destroy the hus'nesS prosperity of tho | State. For that reason alona the anoct
 mert of the law is a significant sign of 1 the times.
 As we have already said it is the spirit | of this law which is significant of inc l present state of public opinion. Wher l transated 1t means that this country will | not tolerate dictation at tho hands of | either organized capital or organized Ia. | bor It Is not averse tN either and is l ready to acquiesce in evc legitimate de-
 vel0pment of industrial '' but the mo
 ment that developmer put to wrons and abusive purposes sstanne will he l offered It is only in such a way that our free institutions can be saved and prnD-
 erty be given the protection it deserves | Organized power is to be tolerated only l so far as 1t respects the constitution and the laws of the land. The great majority propose to live and die freemen.