The San Francisco call., 1904-11-13

not particularly TO the propriety
or effectiveness Of its use in particular
eases. It may be defined as a method
Of bringing social and commercial
pressure to bear upon those against
whom ii is used for the purpose Of in
ducing or compelling a change in their
attitude toward the boycotters 1t is
always a means and not an end, and
IT may therefore be either good or bad,
according 70 the end sought to be ae-
comp,ished. A boycott in favor of an
object essentially and universally good
is necessarily good in itself, while
boycott in favor of bad end is essen
tally bad Between these two extremes
there is a great class. of purposes which
are relatively gSod or bad, or which
are good for some classes of people and
bad for 9th srs, the promotion Of which
10y the boycott may be justifiable or un-
justifable, according to the proportion
cf good or evil which would result.
The boycott must be distinguished
in all eases from the incidents which
accompany it and also from the con-
ditions in connection with which 1t is
generally rssorted TO. For example,
hcycott may occur simultaneously with
q labor strike or with a lockout of
laborers by an employer or by concert
of action among employers, but in all
such cases the strike or lockout may
exist in it's completeness without boy
cott. So, it has been observed that
boycotts are frequently accompanied
by rioting, physical violence and
abusive epithets on the part either
OF the boycotters or of sympathizers,
,,re ~ lie n ~ "a
Of the occasion to create trouble and
disturbance. But the boycott itself is
an absolutely peaceful appeal to the
public sentiment and the public con-
science by the persons invoking it, and
its effectiveness as a means or weapon
for accomplishing the end sought is al
ways lessened and weakened by every
incidental act or threat or menace of
violence. The appeal of the boycotter
to the public must be absolutely peace
full and absolutely respectful in order
to be effective, because every departure
from that rule creates resentment in
the public mind and turns the very
power TO which the boycotter appeals
against him.
In the great conflict between capital
and labor the boycott, justly applied
and rightfully exercised. has been
found TO be one Of organized labor's
most effective weapons; but uniustly
applied or wrongly exercised it has
been found to be organized iabor's
greatest menace. 1t is the worst kind
Of folly to inaugurate boycott which
does not in its substance, occasion and
purpose appeal to the public conscience.
the public sense of justice and to the
common sense of the people, otherwise
the people receive it with disfavor and
it causes a revulsion of public senti-
ment and reacts injuriously upon the
labor movement.
The public conscience, which. when
quickened by sympathy for a Just
cause. is an all-conQuering force, is inn
placable in its resentment when
aroused by a sense of imposition. AS
organized labor finds its surest depend
ence in public support of a boycott
that is approved by conscience. so it
finds its surest condemnation in public
opposition to boycott which is unjust
in itself, or which is prosecuted by un-
just means.
The fierce assaults made upon the
boycott in general by the opponents of
organized labor are inspired by a
knowledge Of the public temper toward
any appeal upon false grounds. and the
hope that by determined opposition to
the boycott the public will be forced
TO discriminate more keenly than here
tofore as between the merits of the
various appeals to its support. Under
lying this policy there is also the hope
that the public, once arrested by ap-
peal to its prejudice and its pride. may
find in the general practice of the boy
colt sufficient evidence of improperly
to compel a review of its whole attitude
toward that institution. That some
organizations are by no means free
from error in their manner of prosecut-
ing the boycott is a fact that cannot
safely be ignored by organized labor.
1t is said that the boycott is un-
American. This cannot be truly said
OF the boycott in any general sense be-
cause the principle of the boycott is
as old and as universal as civilization
itself 1t has been used in all ages
by churches and governments and by
social, commercial and political organ
izatiOns for the purpose of enforcing
their ideas of religion, morality, pat
riotism, Justice, moral virtues and So
cial order. For example, boycotts have
been instituted and successfully main
tanned in select neighborhoods and
localities against grocers maintaining
saloons in connection with their stores,
against gambling and against various
forms Of vice and irregularity of con-
duct in social affairs.
The name boycott" originated in an
incident of the Irish Land League
struggle. in which a Captain Boycott
particularly antagonized the purposes
of the league, and the league and all of
its friends agreed not to deal with the
captain either directly or indirectly, tc
simply have nothing to do with him
nor with those who chose to ally them
selves with him. But in that case it
was the mere application of the old
principle of ostracism applied TO those
whose conduct was contrary to the
public sense of propriety or justice OF
morality or patriotism.
AS a weapon in the hands of or.