The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-24

The Only place in the United states
thai guarantees freedom from strikes,
IOckouts and labor warfare is Battle
Creek, Mich.
The story? The work people. mer-
chants, lawyers. doctors and other citi-
zens became aroused and indignant at
h efforts of the labor Unions through
out the country to destroy the business
of one of our largest industries-the
Postum Cereal Co, Ltd, and at the
open threats in the official union pa
pers. that the entire power of the Ma
tional and State Federations OF Labor
was being brought to bear to punish
the industries of Battle Greek, and par
ticularly the Postum Co.
This spring from the refusal of c. W.
Post to obey the orders Of h unions
to take the Postum advertising away
from various papers that refUsed to
purchase labor of the labor trust-the
unions.
Mr.. Post was ordered to join the I'M
ions in this conspiracy to ruin and
put out Of these publishers
who had worked faithfully for him for
years. and helped build up his business
They had done no wrong, but had found
It in~convenient and against their best
Judgment to buy labor of the b
trust. 1t seems a rule of the unions to
&C spire to ruin anyone who does not
purchase from them upon their own
terms.
An ink maker or paper maker who
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the same reason to order Post to help
ruin those publishers. So the peddler
in the street might stone you if you re-
fused to buy his apples; the cabman
to run over you if you refused to ride
with him; the grocer order the manu-
facturer to discharge certain people be-
cause they did not patronize him. and
so on to the ridiculous and ~vilIianous
limit of all this boycott nonsense. in
trying to force people to buy what they
do not want
If a man has labor to sell let him sell
it at the best price he can get just as
he would sell wheat. but he has no
right to even intimate that he will OBJ
struct the business, or attempt it's ruin
because the owner will not purchase of
him.
The unions have become so tyrannous
and arrogant with their despotism that
a COMMON citizen who has some time to
spare and innOcently thinks he has q
right to put a little paint on his own
house finds he must have that paint
taken off and put on again by 1.-The
union or all sorts of dire things hap
pen to him. his employer is ordered to
discharge him. his grocer is boycOtted
IF he furnishes him supplies. his family
followed and insulted and his life mad
more miserable than that of a black
slave before the war. If he drives Il
nail to repair the house or barn the
carpenters union" hounds him. He
K a pip wrench to stop a leaking
RAEE aANL Prev Gilt AdIIla2E 10 IT'S proper
~ and the plumbers union" does
things to him.. He cannot put a little
mortar to a loose brick on his chimney
or the b~ricklayers. plasterers or hod
carriers union" is up in arms and if
ne carelessly eats a loaf of bread that
has no union" label on it the bakers
union proceeds to make life miserable
for him.
So the white slave is tied hand and
loot unable to lift a hand to better
himself or do the needful things, with
out hrst obtaining permission from
some naughty. ignorant and abusive
tyrant Of some labor union.
1t would all seem rather like a comic
opera II it did not rob people of their
freedom; that kind of work viii not be
permitted long in America.
Some smooth managers have built up
the labor trust in the last few years. to
bring themselves money and power and
ny managing WCrkmen. have succeeded
IN making it possible for them to lay
Gown the law in some cities and force
and citizens to "obey' i'm
plicitly. stripping them right and left
Of their liberties.
Ihey have used boycotting. picketing.
assaults. dynamiting of property and
murder to enforce their orders ana r,le
the people. They have gone far enough
10 order the president to remvoe GER
tam citizens from office because the
Unions wern't pleased.
That means they propose to maxi tha
law OF the unions. replace the law of
this government and the union leaders
dominate even the chief Executive.
ms Is q government of and for the
people and no organization or tr11s+
snail cisplace it. But the unions try it
every now and then. led by desperate
men as shown in their defiance Of law
and support Of law breakers.
The union" record of assaults GRIN
PING Of men and even women and chill
dren. destruction of property and mur-
der OF American citizens during the
past : years is perhaps 10 times the
volume of crime and abuse penetrated
by slave owners during n two wears
previous to the civil war. We are in n
horrible period of lethargy, which per
nats US to stand idly by while our
American citizens are abused. crippled