Case Name: THEODORE THOMAS, Respondent, v. THE MUTUAL PROTECTIVE UNION, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, General Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1888-06
Citations: 56 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 171
Docket Number: 
Parties: THEODORE THOMAS, Respondent, v. THE MUTUAL PROTECTIVE UNION, Appellant.
Judges: Van Bbunt, P. J., concurred.
Reporter: Supreme Court Reports (Hun)
Volume: 56
Pages: 171–188

Head Matter:
THEODORE THOMAS, Respondent, v. THE MUTUAL PROTECTIVE UNION, Appellant.
A corporation created to promote friendly intercourse, etc., in a profession, cannot, by its by-laws, prohibit others from exercising such calling — what by-laws ham that effect.
The defendant was incorporated for the purpose of cultivating the art of music in all its branches, and the promotion of good feeling and friendly intercourse among the members of the profession, and for the relief of such of its members as should be unfortunate, so far as its means, in its opinion, would permit. The plaintiff became a member of the corporation in 1876, and although absent, from the city of New Tort, where the operations of the corporation were carried, on, from 1873 to 1883, continued to pay his dues, and retained his membership therein. While he was absent, and in the year 1882, certain by-laws of the corporation were adopted, providing that it should be the duty of every member to refuse to perform in any orchestra or band in which any person or persons were engaged who were not members of the corporation in good standing, excepting organists and directors of musical societies and members of traveling companies, and with such for no longer a period than four weeks; also, providing that it should be deemed a breach of good faith and fair dealing between members of the union for a member of the same to employ a suspended or nonmember; or to assist in any public performance given wholly or in part by amateurs. The by-laws also required a residence of six months in the United States before a person was eligible to membership.
'This action was brought to restrain the defendant from enforcing its by-laws and from fining the plaintiff for employing a person in his orchestra who was not a member of the union
Meld, that the effect of the by-laws above enumerated was to create a close cor poration, and to force each member of the profession to also become a member of the union unless he preferred to abandon his calling or seek some other locality in which to exercise it. (Daniels, J., dissenting.)
'That the by-law which required a residence of six months in the United States before eligibility occurred for election as a member of the union, in view of the restrictions contained in the other by-laws, virtually prohibited a musician on coming into the United States from exercising his calling.
'That such by-laws were not calculated to promote the general good feeling and good fellowship which it was 1he object of the union to obtain, and were not only against public policy but antagonistic to the right of every man to earn his livelihood by honest labor. (Daniels, J., dissenting.)
'That corporations have no more right to inflict injury upon others by combinations and associations designed to coerce workmen to become members thereof, or to interfere with, obstruct, vex or annoy them in obtaining work because they are not members thereof, or in order to induce them to become members, than individuals have.
'That if the act contemplated be in violation of law, and from its nature one in which the public interest is concerned, or be one by which it is apparent that an irreparable mischief is about to be done, the relief to be granted should not be made subservient to the doubtful proposition that damages may be obtained by an action at law, and that an injunction consequently should not issue, but that it was the duty of the court to arrest by injunction the initiation of a proceeding in any form which would lead to such results.
Appeal from a judgment in favor of tire plaintiff recovered on a ■trial at Special Term.
The judgment recovered in the action restrained the defendant from enforcing its by-laws against the plaintiff to recover penalties or fines of ten and twenty dollars for employing a person in his orchestra who was not a member of the Protective Union. The defendant was incorporated by chapter 168 of the Laws of 1864, afterwards amended and enlarged by chapter 321 of the Laws of 1878. By the act of incorporation the persons named in it, and those associated with them, and all other persons who should after-wards be so associated, and their successors, were constituted, created and declared to be a corporation and body politic, for the cultivation of the art of music in all its branches, and the promotion of good feeling and friendly intercoui-se among the members of the profession, and the relief of such of their 'members as should be unfortunate, so far as their means, in their opinion, would permit. The plaintiff, became a member of the union in or prior to the year 1876. He-was absent from the city of New York, residing in Cincinnati from. 1878 to 1880, but during his absence his dues were paid and his membership continued, and he again renewed it in 1883. While-he was absent, and in the year 1882, the by-laws of the corporation, now in controversy, were adopted. And in August, 1885, the plaintiff proposed to Felix Bour to employ him as. an oboeist to perform in his orchestra Bour was at that time-a foreigner, residing in Europe, and not eligible for membership in the union until he should reside here for the period of six months.. This proposal .was followed by a formal agreement for his employment with the plaintiff, made on the 21st of September, 1885, and under that agreement he acted as one of the musical members of' the orchestra. And it was for that employment that it was proposed to take proceedings against the plaintiff and impose a fine upon him, as a violation of the by-laws of the union. These by-laws, so far as. they are important to be considered in the disposition of the appeal, are the following:
Artigue 3 — Duties oe Members.
Section 1. It shall be the duty of every member to refuse to perform in any orchestra or band in which any person or persons-are engaged who are not members in good standing, excepting organists and directors of musical societies and members of traveling companies, and with such for no longer a period than four weeks ; and any member who shall have violated this section shall be deemed to have committed a breach of good faith and fair deal Inga between the members of this society, and shall be punished .according to section 2, article 11.
Sec. 2. It shall also be deemed a breach of good faith and fair •dealing between members of this union for a member of the same to employ a suspended or non-member ; also to assist in any public performance given wholly or in part by amateurs, and under article 11, section 2, a violation of the first five sections of article 3 of the by-laws shall be considered as a breach of good faith, and the •offender shall, after a fair and impartial investigation by the board •of directors, if found guilty, be fined for the first offense ten dollars, for the second offense twenty dollars and for the third offense be ■expelled by the board of directors, whose decision shall be final.
Another by-law required a residence of six months in the United •States as a condition to eligibility to election to membership in the ■corporation.
King <& Clement, for the appellant.
Eustace Conway, for the respondent.

Opinion:
.Beady, J.:
Justice Daniels has elaborately expressed his views of the questions involved on this appeal as they present themselves to his mind. If the by-laws under which the defendant meant to proceed against the plaintiff were valid, there would be no difference of opinion as to the result. They are not so, however, so far as they sustain the con - templated action of the defendant in interfering with the orchestral construction of the plaintiff. By the charter the objects of the defendant were declared to be the cultivation of the art of music in all its branches, and the promotion of good feeling and friendly intercourse among the members of the profession, and the relief of such of their members as should be unfortunate so far as the means in their opinion would permit. The by-law which requires every member to refuse to perform in any orchestra or band in which any person •or persons are engaged who are not members of the union in good .standing, excepting organists and directors of musical societies and members of traveling companies and with such, for no longer than a period of four weeks is not at all designed for the promotion of good feeling among the members of the profession and the relief of the unfortunates. Nor is the following designed to accomplish any such beneficent result: Section 2. It shall also be deemed a breach of faith and fair dealing between members of this union for a member of the same to employ or engage a suspended or non-member; also to assist in any public performance given wholly or in part by amateurs. The effect is to create a close corporation and to force each member of the profession to become a member also of the union, unless he prefers to abandon his calling, or seek some locality where he can employ his talents and exhibit his' capacity to procure means for his support and that of his family if he have any. The by-law which, requires a residence of six months in the United States before eligibility occurs for election as a member in view of the restrictions contained in the other by-laws virtually prohibiting him from exercising his calling, is also arbitrary and not calculated to promote that general good feeling and good fellowship which it was the object of the union to attain. It is arbitrary for the reason that during the period mentioned the musician is proscribed, unless he seeks some other place where his professional.brethren do not present as á formidable barrier to his employment his recent advent to this country. This strikes at talent, capacity, distinction, usefulness and the enjoyment of a meritorious performance by the public which is the chief design of music, which has charms, we are told, even to soothe the savage breast. There is no response to be successfully made to the charge that such elements are not only against public policy, but antagonistical to the right of every man to earn, by honest .labor, lawful in itself, whatever it will command, whether the laborer or artizan or artist be foreign or native born. It would, doubtless, be a clever mode of securing, per force, the advantages of a successful union if the exclusion from labor of all musicians not members of the union could be accomplished, but this may not be done. Unions of a benevolent or protective character should be tne result of good feeling and a just appreciation of the rights of others and not arbitrary or oppressive. The inciting motive to join them should be fraternal and not an apprehension of disaster.
It has been justly said that associations have no more right to inflict injury upon others than individuals have. All combinations and associations designed to coerce workmen to become members, or to interfere with or obstruct, vex or annoy them in working or in obtaining -work because they are not members, or in order to induce them to become members, or designed to interfere with the perfect freedom of employees in the management and control of their lawful business, or to dictate in any particular the terms upon which their business shall be conducted by means of threats or injury or loss, by interference with their property oi traffic, or with their lawful employment of other persons or designed to abridge any of these rights, are illegal combinations or associations. (Brown, J. Old Dominion Steamship Co. v. John J. McKenna et al., Alb. Law Jour., vol. 35, p. 208, March 12, 1887.) The charter of the defendant gave them no authority to adopt by-laws containing such elements. By the sixth section of that grant they were not to be inconsistent with any existing law. The plaintiff, by becoming a member of the union, did not bind himself to observe any unlawful feature of the constitution and by-laws. When they are against pubhc policy and in restraint of trade, and, therefore, illegal and invalid, no assent or acquiesence can bind. (Bissell v. Michigan, etc., R R Co., 22 N. Y., 258.)
The propriety of granting relief in a case like this cannot well be questioned. The engagement of the oboeist was for a period, and each performance was a violation of the by-laws. Section one of article three, as we have seen, made it the duty of every member of the defendant's society, including the plaintiff, to refuse to perform with him, as he was not a member of the union and its violation repeated might subj'ect him to expulsion. The initiation of a proceeding in any form which could lead to such a result, founded upon by-laws illegal and invalid, should be arrested, and especially when the consequence might be the disbandment of an orchestra gotten together by tact, skill and industry, and which, if dispersed, might not be combined by any effort.' It is enough that threats of such a disaster, with apparent power to accomplish it, are presented for consideration to warrant an injunction. The element of irreparable inj'ury springs naturally from them, and invokes the equitable intervention of this court.
The danger apprehended of the dispersion suggested is sufficiently imposing, and the injured person should not be required to wait until the mischief is nearly complete before the machinery of a court of justice should be set in motion. If the act contemplated be in violation of law, and from its nature one in which the public interest is concerned, or be one by which it is apparent an irreparable mischief is about to be done, the relief should not be made subservient to the doubtful proposition in such a case that damages may be obtained by an action at law, and the injunction consequently should not issue.
It is thought, therefore, and with great deference to the learned opinion of Justice Daniels, that the decree appealed from should be affirmed with costs.
Van Bbunt, P. J., concurred.