| Show alt of boycott the only place in the united states that guarantees freedom from strikes lockouts and labor warfare is battle creek mich the story the work people mer chants lawyers doctors and other zens became aroused and indignant a the efforts of the labor unions through out the country to destroy the busl ness of one of our largest industries the cereal co lt d and at the open threats in the official union pa per that the entire power of the na and state federations of labor was being brought to bear to punish the industries of battle creek and particularly the co this sprung from the refusal of 0 W post to obey the orders of the unions to take the advertising away from various papers that refused to purchase labor of the labor trust the unions mr post was ordered to join the unions in their conspiracy to ruin and put out of business these pub ushers who had worked faithfully for him tor years and helped build up his business they had done no wrong but had found it inconvenient and against their best judgment to buy labor of the labor trust it seems a rule of the unions to conspire to ruin anyone who does not purchase from them upon their own terms an or who failed to sell ink or paper would have the same reason to order post to help ruin these publishers so the ped dier in the street might stone you it you refused to buy hia apples the cabman to run over you it you refused to ride with him the grocer order the manufacturer to discharge certain people because they did not patronize him and so on to the ridiculous and villainous limit ot all this boycott nonsense in trying to force people to buy what they do not want it a man has labor to sell let him bell it at the best price he can get just as he would sell wheat but he has no fight to even intimate that he will ob the business or attempt its ruin because the owner will not purchase bf him the unions have become so tyran and arrogant with their despot lam that a common citizen who has bome time to spare and innocently thinks he has a right to put a little paint on his own house finds he must have that paint taken off and put on again by the union or all sorts ot dire things happen to him bis cm Is ordered to discharge him his grocer is boycotted it he furnishes him supplies his family followed and insulted and his life made more mis erable than that of a black slave be fore the war it he drives a nail to repair the house or barn the carpen union hounds him he tikes a pipe wrench to stop a leaking pipe and prevent damage to his property and the plumbers union does things to him he cannot put a little mortar to a loose brick on his chimney or the bricklayers plasterers or hod carriers union Is up in arms and it he carelessly eats a loaf 0 bread that has no union label on it the bakers union proceeds to make life aler able tor him so the white slave Is tied hand and foot unable to lift a hand to better himself or do the needful things with out first obtaining permission from some haughty ignorant and abusive tyrant of some labor union it would all seem rather comic opera if it did not rob people of their freedom that kind of work will not be permitted long in america some smooth managers have built up the labor trust in the last few years to bring themselves money and power and by managing workmen have succeeded in making it possible for them to lay down the law in some cities and force workmen and citizens to obey implicitly stripping them right and left of their liberties they have used boycotting picket ing assaults dynamiting of property and murder to enforce their orders and rule the people they have gone tar enough to order the president to re move certain citizens from office be cause the unions t pleased that means they propose to make the law of the unions replace the law of this government and the union lead ers dominate even the chief execl tave this Is a government of and tor the people and no organization or trust shall displace it but the unions try tt every now and then led by desper ate men as shown in their defiance of law and support of lawbreakers the union record of assaults crippling of men and even women and children destruction of property and murder of american citizens during the past two years Is perhaps ten times the volume af crime and abuse perpetrated by slave owners during any two years previous to the civil war we are in a horrible period of lethargy which permits us to stand idly by while our american citizens are abused crippled and murdered in dozens and hundreds by an alon or trust having for its purpose thrusting what it has to sell labor upon us whether or no suppose an american in a foreign city should be chased by a mob caught and beaten unconscious then his mouth pried open and carbolic add poured down his throat then bis 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 a fleet of american men of war would assem ble there clear tor action and blow something off the face of the earth it reparation were not made tor 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 mur dered by labor unions how do we try to protect the thousands of intelli gent citizens 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 bv mr post to join this criminal conspiracy a gen eral boycott was ordered on grape nuts and all over the coun try which set the good red blood of our ancestors in motion bringing forth the reply that has now passed into history we refuse to join any conspiracy of organized labor to ruin publishers nor will we discharge any of our trusted employed emp loyes upon the orders of any labor union it they can make their boycott effective and sink our ship we will go down with the captain on the bridge and in corn mand this set the writers in labor papers crazy and they redoubled their abuse finally one of their official organs came out with a large double column in denunciation of battle creek call ing it a running sore on the face of michigan because it would not be coma organized and pay in dues to their labor leaders the usual coarse villainous epithets common to labor union writers were indulged in the result was to weld public sen ciment in battle creek for protection A citizens association was started and mass meetings held good catl zens who happened to be members of local unions in some cases quit the unions entirely tor there is small need of them there the working people of battle creek are of the highest order of american mechanics the majority are not onion members tor practically all of the manufacturers have for years de dined to employ union men because of disturbances 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 pro berous 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 of the of the citizens ass n with the following preamble and constitution whereas from 1891 to 1894 the strikes instigated by labor unions in battle creek resulted in the destruct tion ot property 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 market 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 disturb ances which have been prevalent elsewhere and whereas the employers of this city 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 cm aloyes of this city a large percentage of whom own homes and have cami lies reared and educated under condl alons of peace and the well earned prosperity of steady employment have steadfastly maintained their right as tree american citizens to work with out the dictation of labor union leaders the bitter experience of the past ing sufficient reason tor a determined stand tor freedom and whereas the attitude of the catl zens on this subject has been the means of preserving peaceful condl alons and continuous prosperity in marked contrast to the conditions ex asting in other cities suffering from the dictation of trades unionism it Is therefore resolved that the continuance of peace and prosperity in battle creek can be maintained and the destructive work of outside interference avoided under the combined effort and action of all our people by the formation of a citizens association constitution article 1 iame article 2 objects first to insure so far as possible a permanent condition of peace pros and steady employment to the people of battle creek second to energetically assist la maintaining law and order at all times and under all conditions third to protect its members in their rights to manage their property and to dispose of their labor in a legal lawful manner without restraint or in terie rence fourth to insure and permanently maintain fair just treatment one with another in all the relations of life Fifth To preserve the existing right of any capable person to obtain employment and sell his labor without being obliged to join any particular church secret society labor union or any other organization and to support all such persons in their efforts to resist compulsory methods on the part of any organized body whatsoever sixth to promote among employ era a spirit of fairness friendship and desire for the best interests of their employed emp loyes and to promote among work men the spirit ot industry thrift faith falness to their employers and good citizenship seventh to so amalgamate the public sentiment of all of the best citizens of battle creek that a guar antee can be given to the world of a continuance of peaceful conditions and that under such guarantee and protection manufacturers and capital ests can be induced to locate their busl ness enterprises in battle creek then follows articles relating to membership officers duties etc etc etc this constitution been signed by the great majority of re presenta alve citizens including our pie A number of manufacturers from other cities where they have been suffering all sorts of indignities in convenience and losses from the gen eral hell of labor union strikes pick eting assaults and other In ence proposed to move providing they could be guaranteed protection the subject grew in importance un til it has reached a place where absolute protection can be guaranteed by the citizens of battle creek on the following broad and evenly balanced terms which guarantees to the work man and to the manufacturer fair ness justice steady work and regular ity of output the n manufacturer agrees to maintain the standard rate of wage paid elsewhere for like ice under similar conditions the rate to be determined from time to time from well authenticated reports from competing cities the tabulated wage reports issued by the government department of commerce and labor can also be used 19 show the standard rate and it is expected later on that this government bureau will furnish weekly reports of the labor market from different centers so that the workman when he Is ready to sell his labor and the employer when he Is ready to buy may each have reliable information as to the market or ruling price I 1 he new coming manufacturer alsor agrees to maintain the sanitary and hygienic conditions provided tor by the state laws and to refrain from any lockouts to reduce wages below the standard reserving to himself the right to discharge any employed tor cause the citizens association on its part agrees to furnish in such numbers as it is possible to obtain first class workmen who will contract to sell their labor at the standard price tor such period as may be fixed upon agreeing not to strike picket assault other workmen destroy property or da any of the criminal acts common to labor unionism each workman re serving to himself the right to quit work tor cause and the citizens As further pledges its mem bers to use its associated power to enforce the contracts between em and employed and to act en masse to uphold the law at all times the new industries locating in bat tie creek will not start under any sort of labor union domination eier but will make individual con tracts with each employed those con tracts being fair and equitable and guaranteed on both sides thus from the abuses of labor unions and their insane efforts to ruin everyone who does not obey has evolved this plan which replaces the old conditions of injustice lockouts strikes violence loss of money and property and general industrial war tare and inaugurates an era of perfect balance and fairness between em and employed a steady contina ance of industry and consequent pros the entire community pledged by public sentiment and private act to restore to each man his ancient right to peace freedom and the pursuit of happiness other cities will be driven to protect their workpeople merchants and zens as well as their industries from the blight of strikes violence and the losses brought on by labor unionism run amuck by adopting the battle creek plan but this city offers in du peace now with cheap coal and good water first class railroad facilities and the best grade 0 fair capable and peaceable mechanic known details given upon inquiry of the secy the citizens ass n identification the public should remember that there are a few labor unions conducted on peaceful lines and in proportion aa they are worthy they have won e teem for we aa a people are strongly in sympathy with any right act that has for its purpose better condition for wage workers but we do not forget that we seek the good of all and not those alone who belong to some organization whereas even the law abiding unions show undeniable evi dancea of tyranny and oppression when they are strong enough while many of the unions harbor and encourage criminals in their efforts to force a yoke ot slavery upon the amerlean Amerl ran people As a public speaker lately said the arrogance of the english king that roused the fiery eloquence of otis that inspired the immortal declaration of jefferson that left V ar ren dying on the slopes of bunker hill was not more outrageous than the conditions that a closed shop would force upon the community these men burst into rebellion when the king did but touch their pockets imagine it you can their indignant protest had he sought to prohibit or restrict their occupation or determine the conditions under which they should earn their livelihood and to assault beat and murder them blow up their houses and poison their food they did not submit the public should also remember that good true american citizens can be found in the unions and that they deprecate the criminal acts of their fellow members but they are often in bad company salt only hurts sore spots so the honest law abiding union man Is not hurt when the criminals are de bounced but when you bear a union man holler because the facts are made public he has branded masek as either one of the lawbreakers or a sympathizer and therefore with the mind of the lawbreaker and likely to become one when opportunity offers that Is one reason employers decline to hire such men A short time ago inquiry came from the union forces to know it mr post would keep still if they would call off the boycott on and grape nuts this Is the reply the labor trust has seen fit to try to ruin our business because we would not join its criminal conspiracy |
