The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1905-01-20
X e suit Of Boy cot t

shown in their defiance of law and sup
port of law breakers
The uni oa' record Of assaults. Grip
pline of neil and even women and child
rem. destruction of property and murder
OF American citizens during the past
years is perhaps 10 times the volume of
c inc and :lbrse perperrated by slave
owners during any two years previous to
the civil We are in horrible per-
iod of lethargy. which permits to
stand idly u. while our American citizens
are abused. crippled and murdered in
dozens and hundreds by an organization
OF trust. having for its purpose, thrusting
what it has to sell Qabor) upon us
whether no.
Suppose an American in foreign 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 because ne tried to earn bread
for his children. BY the Eternal. sir q
fleet of American Men of War would
assemble 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 b.
labor unions? How do we try to protec
the thousands IF intelligent citizens who
with reason, prefer not to join any labo:
union and be subject to the tyranny O.
trusts?
Upon a firm refusal by Mr.. Post to joii-
this criminal conspiracy Il general boy
colt was ordered OH Grape-Nuts anC
Postum all over the country, which sci
the good red blood OF our ancestors in
motion. bringing forth the reply that has
now passed into history: I'VE refuse to
join --. conspiracy of organized labor TIC
| ruin publishers. nor s-ill We discharge
any of trusted employees upon the
orders of any labor union. If they car
make their boycott effective and sink our
ship we will go down with the captain
on the bridge and in command"
I.is set the writer's in labor papers
cr;tzv and they redoubled their abuse.
Fiuall:. Of their official organs came
out with large double column denun-
ciati1u uf Battle Creek. calling it "a rum
| ming sore on the face of Michigan" be-
| cause it would not become Organized
| and pay in dues l., their labor leaders
| The usual coarse, vilianous epithets
| common to labor union writers were in
dulgcd In.
The result to weld public senti-
ment in Battle Creek for protection. A
!
mass meetings held. Good citizens who
| happened to be members of local unions
in s,o,e 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 me-
| chanics. The majority are not union
members, for practically all of the manu-
| ,acturers have for years declined to en-
! 10y union men because of disturbances
| al,oJt IL years ago. and the union men
nov in the city are among the best citi-
Aens.
No city in the state of Michigan pays
as high average wages as Battle Creek.
no city of it's size is as prosperous, and
no city has so large a proportion of the
best grade of mechanics who own their
|
| So the work people massed together
| with the other citizens in the organiza-
ton of the Citizens Assn with the fol-
| lowing preamble and constitution:
Whereas from 1891 to 1894 the strikes
instigated by Labor Unions Battle
Creek resulted in the destructfo,- il prop
erty 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 it's progress at that time; and,
Whereas since the year 1894 the citi-
zens have been enabled. by public senti-
ment, 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 main
tanned the highest standard of wages
paid under like conditions anywhere in
the United States. and hereby unani-
mously declared their intent to continue
such policy: and the employees, Of this