The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-13
The Case Of panhury.

Brooklyn Eagle.
1t Is not pleasant reading that we
md In Million Against One" which
Individual liberty" in Danbury, Conn.
That town was formerly contented,
orderly. prosperous place. with hat
ting industry that represented large
sums invested and paid. The mechanics
were well to do, rents were low, ana
they were ambitious to own their own
homes They were good citizens, they
kept their houses In good condition,
. they sent their children to school, they
town grew steadily. Class distinctions
were unknown. and employers and en-
ployed got on together on the best OF
terms.
But the bacillus Of unionism got into
the place, and today the whole town
suffers. The spirit OF fairness and in
dependence has disappeared, the better
element 10 cowed and uneasy, the me-
chancis have unionized everything so
that a copy of boycotted newspaper
cannot be bought, and only certain
brands of tobacco are permitted to be
sold. The tyranny of the basest.
meanest and most ignorant element Is
established and there is no longer q
Strikes are ordered on the walking
delegates slightest within, and there is
not manhood enough in the working
force to resist when 1t Is ordered away
from its shops. Socially and morally
the town is In a decline. Only ten
buildings have been put up In the last
four years. Real estate values have
fallen, yet the hatmakers no longer at
tempt to build. for other mechanics
have been striking, too. and the cost OF
than 1t was in the prosperous days.
Unionism has gone frankly into
politics. 1t elects only union men to
office. and 1t appropriates public funds
for strikers to live on while they are
out of job.
But the worst feature of unionism as
exploited at Danbury Is the use of the
boycott In the attempt to run the
manufacturers who. after fair trial
of unionism, have found that submits
upheld the open shop. The hatters
have forced their wages to a point that
is higher than Is paid to hatters else
where. and trade is naturally leaving
unwilling heads they have spread
orders from here to the Pacific that the
citizens OF this country shall wear none
but union hats. These orders are
quite frank and plain in their word
ing. and are addressed to firms which
until recently had reason to suppose
they were free to buy and sell as they
chose. The orders threaten them with
financial bankruptcy unless they obey
the walking delegate. cease to buy of
certain makers, and place the union
label on every article.
We have in this country a class of
people who have not been lifted by. the
opportunities of Democracy. Out of
this class come the staggering DULLES
who control labor more absolutely than
the Gear controls Russia. They are
not representatives of the moral senti-
nent of our communities. any more
than are the Crokers and the Quays.
They are using the unions for their
own gains. and thousands in the unions
are too stupid to see 1t. For in the
stupid class are many whom 1t rs safe
to kick and use despltefully, and they
will not so much as grunt in protest.
II these human mollusks are ordered to
wear union clothes, live in union houses
eat union food. attend union churches
and be buried in union graves. they
will do it They have not energy
enough to be disorderly. They dis
approve of dynamite. But they
haven't spunk enough to assert their
ownership in themselves when their
walking delegate tells them they have
no such ownership. These men COM
ply when orders are issued for boy
colt. Now. suppose we were to try
the boycott on the boycotters. There
are many thousands of exasperated
citizens who would be quite willing to
forswear all goods that have union
label. A little more misconduct and
they will do it,