Amador ledger., 1903-02-06
UNFOLDING THE BOYCOTT.

~ oahiOGOllN0 DOISO
OF all the resources of organized
labor, the boycott is one of the most
effective retaliatOry measures. OF
course it is regarded as most iniqui-
tous measure by those who are not
amenable to reasoning, and are made
to feel the force OF that silent, forceful,
cOgent expression of popular feeling
The right of one person to abstain
from patronizing an individual, firm or
corporation, cannot be denied. That
same right is enjoyed by one hundred
persons, or any other number, the
Amador Ledger to the contrary not
withstanding,
Thus speaketh the Tuolumne Pros
pector. No doubt this advocate of
the boycott-the most cowardly de-
vice ever conceived to enforce the
barbaric doctrine OF ''might is
right t"-imagines the argument is a
clincher, and effectually disposes of
the question. The reasoning, how
ever, is fatally defective. The right
of one individual to patronize one
tradesman exclusively, or to refrain
from patronizing another, is not
denied. When an individual wants
to buy an article, be must of nee
essity single out some particular
place to purchase. He cannot be-
stow his favor upon every business
house in town dealing in that line
He is compelled therefore to exercise
his right of showing preference for
one place, or go without the article
This right is part and parcel of his
individual liberty. 1t cannot be
taken from him without sacrificing
those fundamental principles of
freedom guaranteed by the consti-
tuition. One man in the exercise of
this inalienable right gives prefer
ence to one business house; another
i'll the exercise of the same right,
and uninfiuenced by any outside
considerations, confers his favors in
the shape of patronage upon another
tradesman; and SO the business
world moves, and all manage to get
along. We do not dispute the prop
osition that this same right of indi-
vidual preference is enjoyed by one
hundred or more persons. We go
further than that and say that it is
the privilege of every man under a
free government. He cannot get
away from this condition if he want
ed to. There is no merit in the
exercise of his choice to deal where
he pleases; there is no demerit in
his passing by score of business
houses, and his selection Of one
favorite. He can't help himself.
Any law that would attempt to in
fringe upon this right of preference
would be Tyranny of the worst kind.
But this is teetotally different from
the spirit of the boycott, 1t is not
true as legal proposition that what
one man has right to do as unit,
one hundred persons have the same
right to do in concert, especially
where the predominating motive
underlying the concerted action is
to either ruin fenowman in his
business or coerce him into compli-
ance with the wishes of the con-
spirators. This is the spirit OF the
boycott. 1t aims to deprive a man
of his right to ''life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. 1t says vir-
tually, you must do business accord.
ing to our notions, or you will not
be permitted to do business at all.
tits just as criminal in its spirit as
though it were decreed in secret
council to kill o. MAIN the individual,
If there is no law to reach this sort
of conspiracy, it is high time a
statute was placed on the books tc
that end. But it has already been
declared illegal, and only extremists
of the ultra type will now undertake
to defend the obnoxious business
Labor unions will have to move of
this dangerous ground if they wish
to command the respect of enlight-
anad Oninion