Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-02-04

| dozens and hundreds by an OFganiZa-
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
i city should be chased by 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 well stamped
with iron nailed shoes, murdered be-
| cause he tried to earn bread for his
children. By the Eternal, sir, feet
| of American Men of War would assem-
Bile 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:
I'VE 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. II they can make their boycott
effective and sink our ship, we will 60
down with the captain 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 out with large double colpmn
denunciation Of Battle Greek, calling
| it "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 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
| unions, in some cases quit the unions
| entirely, for there is small need OF
them there
The working people OF Battle Greek
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 its 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 1894 the
strikes instigated by Labor Unions il
Battle Greek resulted in 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 seriou,
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
| NH iala l1a
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
" of steady employment have stead
tasty maintained their right as free
American citizens TO work without the
dictation and tyranny Of Labor Union
leaders, the bitter experience of the
past offering sufficient reason for s
determined stand for freedom: and.
Whereas, The attitude of the citizen.
on this subject has been the means Of
preserving peaceful conditions and
continuous prosperity in marked con
traSt 10 the condition existing in othel
cities suffering from the dictatiOn OF
Trades UniOniSm; it is therefore
Resolved, That the continuance OF
peace and prosperity in Battle Creel
can be maintained, and the destructiv,
work of outside Interference avoided
under the combined effort and actor
of all our people. by the formation 0,
i Citizens Association.