The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-10-02
BOYCOTT THE UNION LABEL

aplLal IN the eastern states IudJ /
stood entrenched behind the tariff /
laws. The term tabor" az then used !
by the great apostle of the west con- |
veyed to my mind no thought of
labor unions, Or union labor, but In !
that year and in 1900 we, of the
South, went with Bryan to defeat in
battles for the farmer and all others
engaged in manual labor. There must
be very few Americans who do not
sympathize with the honest aspira-
tons of laboring mon, for we are
mostly from and of such, and such
are of our kith and kin and friends.]
We did not know union labor IN
those days, but when we then saw the
union labor centers of the east give
immense majOrities for Mckinley and
the Dingley tariff we began to find
union labor out. We found out that
union labor was perfectly willing to
lay a tax of over S50O,000,O00 per
year on the farmer and all other labor
in order to gain a cheap and transi-
tory advantage for itself in the drip
pings from the manufacturing tariff
barons of the east. By the vote of
union labor was built up at the ex-
pense of the American people that
centralized wealth of which they now
complain.
When | saw the results of those two
elections, l came to understand that
we of the South, in any future contest
to better equalize conditions for the
farmer and the poor, were not to rely
upon the help of the union labor vote.
Then came the "closed shop" and
the union label" to which most Am
orleans took kindly. We, of the South,
did not realize what I'm un-American
policy we were supporting as we gave
preference to the "union label" goods.
We let our sympathies control us and
die not stop to think that the union
| label" meant made in a "cloSed shop"
that is "a shop, or factory, in which
"union labor" would permit no other
| labor to work. In other words, union
labor is making war on all other labor,
and not content to rely upon reason
and argument to recruit its member
skip, simply says to non-union labor,
you join our order or starve.
And these are methods which we
have approved in our liberal pur-
chases of "union label" goods. The
wonder is that we have not already
forced all labor to unionize. As we
have helped to maintain these condi-
4 tions for twenty years, the wonder Is
tnat all labor is not unioniZed, and it
speaks very we'll for the spirit of
! American independence that there is
still such a large per cent of nom
union labor; and furthermore, the
thousands of non-union laborers to be
found today, even in our cities where
/ ali are familiar with labor unions, is
very strong proof that something il
wrong with the unions.
> We owe it to the American laboring
man, the, farmer. the producer and to
ourselves, to reverse this policy and
caL out the union label, in an effort to
correct the evil to which we have con-
tributed in the past and 10 curb the
5 arrogance Of uniSn labAr Today.
t Warren s. Stone, grand chief of the
1 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
( boldly announced to a committee OF
Congress few days ago that union
e labor was of the opinion that those
who had their capital invested ia rail
roads were not entitled to any further
!, returns on their investments, or that
j such opinion was growing in the
: ranks of union labor, and that union.
: lied railroad labor was entitled tC
!, absorb in wages all the returns on the
e capital invested in the railroads.
If union labor is beginning to hole
such views as that, it is time for the
American people to fight the unions.
That doctrine woNld mean giving h
e tie negroes of the South all oul
X | farms, it means a revolution and {
e soviet form of government. And We
n union labor does not come out in thu
American way to bring about thes'
changes by the nomination of its pc
litieal candidates to debate these ques
tons and force through majorit!
). votes the necessary constitutions
o amendments.
ell No! Union labor, with largely for
eIgn-born membership, is trying t.
i accomplish by threats and force thos
g things which they will know a ma
Y jority of Americans will not approve
). Every man has right to qui
l
y a right to use the boycott.
The Southern people, the farmers
k the millions of non-union laborers Cal
It now help to solve the troubles of tn
manufacturing centers. the cities an
q the railroad administration by meth
X DDS of simple boycott.
much prefer to resort to the fore
V of reason and justice TO make Ameri
Y. cans abandon an evil course, but
n now believe that we are justified i
/, boycotting the union label. Ii tn
d Southern people alone will deman
that their merchants handle onl
II good made in an "open shop" it woul
(, check the disorders of the cities an
help to solve the troubles of tn
Y great manufacturing centers.
d More, anon, on unien labor
Ui1EaTo HnclyaV-