Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-02-02

| dozens and hundreds by an OrSanlZa-
ton or trust, having for its purpose,
thrusting what it has to sell Qabor)
upon us whether or no.
| Suppose an American in a foreign
/ city should be chased by q mob,
caught and beaten unconscious, then
his mouth pried open and carbOlic acid
poured down his throat, then his ribs
kicked in and his face we'll stamped
with iron nailed shoes, murdered be-
cause he tried to earn bread for his
children. By the Eternal, sir, a fleet
Of American Men Of War would assem-
bic there clear for action and blow
something off the face Of the earth, if
reparation were not made for the
blood of one of our citizens.
| And what answer do we make to the
appeals of the hundreds Of widows and
orphans of those Americans murdered
| by labor unions? How do we try to
protect the thousands of intelligent cit
| liens who. with reason, prefer not to
| join any labor union and be subject to
the tyranny Of the heavily paid rulers
Of the labor trusts?
Upon a firm refusal by Mr.. Post to
| join this criminal conspiracy a gen
| eral boycott was ordered on Grape
| Nuts and Postum all over the country,
| which set the good red blood of our
ancestors in motion, bringing forth the
reply that has now passed into history:
1--WE refuse to join any conspiracy of
organized labor to ruin publishers, nor
will we discharge any Of our trusted
| employees upon the orders of any labor
union. If they can make their boycott
| effective and sink our ship, we will go
down with the captain on the bridge
and in command"
This set the writer's in labor papers
crazy and they redOubled their abuse
| Finally one of their official organs
came out with large double column
denunciation Of Battle Creek, calling
| 1t "a running sore on the face Of Mich
| igan," because it would not become
"organized' and pay in dues to their
labor leaders. The usual coarse, vii
famous epithets common to labor
union writer's were INDUCED in.
The result was to weld public senti-
ment in Battle Creek for protection. A
citizens association was started and
| mass meetings held. Good citizens who
happened to be members Of local
unions, in some cases quit the unions
entirely, for there is small need of
them there.
The working people Of Battle Creek
are of the highest order of American
mechanics. The majority are not union
members, for practically all of the
manufacturers have for years declined
to employ union men because Of dis
turbances about eleven years ago, and
the union men now in the city are
among the best citizens
No city in the State Of Michigan
pays as high average wages as Battle
| Creek, no city OF it's size Is as pros
porous, and no city has so large a pro-
portion Of the best grade Of mechanics
who own their own homes.
SO the work people massed together
with the other citizens in the organiza-
ton Of the Citizens Association with
the following preamble and conStitu-
ton:
Whereas, From 1891 to 1891 the
strikes instigated by Labor Unions in
| Battle Creek resulted i'll the destruc-
ton Of property and loss Of large sums
| of money in wages that would have
| been expended here; and,
Whereas, These acts caused serious
damage to the city and in a marked
way delayed its progress at that time;
| and,
Whereas, Since the year 1894 the
| citizens have been enabled, by public
sentiment, to prevent the recurrence Of
| strikes and Labor Union disturbances
which have been prevalent elsewhere;
| and,
Whereas, The employers of this city
have steadfastly refused to place the
| management of their business under
the control of Labor Unions, but have
| maintained the highest standard of
| wages paid under like conditions any
| where in the United States, and here
| by unanimously declared their intent
| to continue such policy; and the en-
ployes Of this city, a large percentage
| Of whom own homes and have families
| reared and educated under conditions
| Of peace and the well-earned prosperi-
ty Of steady employment, have stead
tasty maintained their right az free
| American citizens to work without the
dictation and tyranny Of Labor Union
leaders, the bitter experience of the
past offering sufficient reason for
determined stand for freedom; and,
Whereas, The attitude Of the citizens
on this subject has been the means Of
preserving peaceful conditions and
| continuous prosperity in marked con-
trast to the condition existing in other
cities suffering from the dictation of
| Trades Unionism; it is therefore
Resolved, That the continuance of
peace and prosperity in Battle Creek
| can be maintained, and the destructive
| work Of outside interference avoided
under the combined effort and action
| Of all our people, by the formation Of
a Citizens Association.