The Washington times., 1905-01-17
Result Of Boycott

dispiace it. But the union ; try 1t every
now and then, iad by desI crate men as
! shown in their defiance Of law and sup
| port of law breakers
| The union record Of as ssaults. Grip
| ping of men and even won en- and chill
| dren, destruction of propert > and nlur-
/ der of American citizens dur ng the past
two years is perhaps II times the
! volume OF crime and ADJUST perpetrated
/ by slave owners during any two years
previous TO the civil war. w. are in a
| horrible period of Iethargy, v fnich per-
naits US to stand idly by while rur Amer
lean citizens are abused, cril ,pied and
murdered in dozens and htIndr eds by an
organization or trust. having, for its
| purpose, thrusting what it M !, to sell
/: Qabor) upon US whether or 10
( Suppose an american in fcrt .ign city
should be chased by a mob, eau ght and
| beaten unconscious then his mouth
! pried open and carboiic aciff poured
| down his throat. then his rib kicked
an and his face well stamped with iron
nailed shoes, murdered because he's tried
| to earn bread for his children Ely the
eternal, sir, a fleet of American II zen OF
| war would assemble there, clea.. for
action and blow something off the face
| of the earth, If reparation were not
made for the blood of 0ee of our .citi-
Zens.
And what answer do we make to the
! appeals of the hundreds of widows and
| orphans of those Americans nurde eed
by labor unions? How do we try 70
protect the thousands OF intelligent ci Il
zens who, with reason. prefer not 60
join anys labor union and be subject TO
the tyranny Of the heavily paid rule rs
Of the labor trusts?
| Upon firm refusal by Mr.. Post %
join this criminal conspiracy genera
boycott was ordered on Grape-Nuts anu
Postum all over the country. which set
the good red blood OF our ancestors N
motion, bringing forth the reply that has
now passed into history: We refuse TO
join any conspiracy of organized labor
i 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 cap
tain on the bridge and in command
This set the writers in labor papers
crazy and they redoubled their abuse
Finally one of their official organs came
cut with a large double column denun-
citation of Battle Greek, calling it "a
running sore on the face of Michigan,
because il would not become organ
ized' and pay in dues TO their labor
leaders The usual coarse, Vfllafnous
epithets common to labor union writers,
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 or Battle Creek
are of the highest order of American
mechanics. The majority are not union
members, for practically all or the man
ufacturers have for years declined TO
employ union men because of disturb
ances about eleven years ago, ana 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 Greek,
no CITY OF its size is as prosperous, and
| no CITY has so large a proportion of the
| best trade of mechanics who own their
own homes.
So the work people massed together
with The other citizens in the organiZa-
ton of the Citizens Assn with the
following preamble and constitution:
Whereas from 1891 TO 1894 the strikes
iustigated by labor unions in Battle
Creek resulted in the destruction of
| r,reperty and loss OF large sums OF
money in wages that would have been
| expended here and,
| Whereas. these acts caused serious
d, mage to the city and IN "A marked
wav DELAYED its progress at that time;
| and
Whereas. since the year 1891 the citi-
zans have been enabled. by public seni-
r,ent. 10 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 Ions, but have main
tained the highest standard or wages
paid under like conditions anywhere III
Tho United States, and hereby unani-
mously declared their inte:t1 TO continue
! such policy; and the employees or this
CITY. a large percentage OF whom own
ha4nes and have families reared and
educated under conditions OF peace and
the Well-earned prosperity OF steady en-
pIovnaent, have Steadfastly maintained
/ their right as free American citizens TO
work without the dictation and tyranny
of labor union leaders. the bitter expert
ence OF the past offering sufficient rea-
son for determined stand for freedom:
and.
Whereas. the attitude of the citizens
on this subject has been the means OF