| Show 1 t A r i 1 4 Result I t o I I Boy Boycott cot The only place In the United States State s J that guarantees freedom from strikes lockouts and labor warfare is Battle I Creek Mich The story The work people mer chants lawyers doctors and other citizens citi citi- zens became aroused and indignant a at t the efforts of or the labor unions throughout through through- out the country to destroy the bus busl business ness of one of our largest industries industries- the Cereal Co Ltd and at the open threats in the official union papers pa pa- pers that the entire power of the Na National Na Na- and State Federations of Labor was being brought to bear to punish j the industries of Battle Creek and 1 particularly the Co r This sprung from the refusal of C C. W. W Post td to obey the orders of the unions to take the advertising away from various papers that refused to purchase labor of the labor trust trust trust- the unions Mr Post was ordered to join the unions in their conspiracy to ruin and put out of business these publishers pub pUb pUb- Ushers lishers 1 who had worked faithfully for I him mm lor years for years and helped build UP up his b business s ness They h had a d done no wrong b out but t had d found o it inconvenient and and against their e r best est judgment to buy 1 labor abor of the labor trust It seems a a rule o of f th the e unions to conspire to rui ruin n anyone who theoe d does not purchase from fromAn them upon upon their Ir own terms An ink ma er or who fail failed ed to sell ink or paper would have the same reason to order Post to help p ruin these publishers So the peddler ped ped- in the street might st stone you ou if you refused to apont buy his apples p es theto the cabman to run over you If it j you ou refused to ride with Wit V ith him the e grocer order th the manufacturer er t to 0 discharge fp hI him n and so on to the ridiculous us and and- villainous limit of all this boycott nonsense In trying to force people tox to x buy what they do not want It If f a man man lia has labor to se sell l let him sell It at the best price he can get just justas as he would sell wheat but he has no right to even intimate that he will obstruct obstruct obstruct ob ob- the business or attempt its ruin will not purchase because the owner of him The unions anions have become t so o tyrannous tyrannous tyran tyran- and and and- arrogant t with their despotism despot despot- despotIsm Ism that a common citizen who has some time to spare and innocently thinks he has a right to put a little paint on his own house finds finds' he must mus have that paint taken ot off and put on again by the union or all aU sorts of t dire things happen to him his employer employer employer em em- is ordered to discharge him his grocer Is boycotted if it he furnishes him supplies his family followed and made miserable miserable mis mis- intuited insulted and his life more 1 erable than that of a black slave before before before be be- fore the war If It he drives a nail to repair the house or barn the carpenters carpenters carpenters' carpenters carpen union hounds him He takes a pipe wrench to stop a leaking pipe F and prevent damage to his property and the plumbers' plumbers union does things to him He cannot put a little mortar to a loose brick on his chimney or orthe orthe orthe the bricklayers' bricklayers plasterers' plasterers or ho hod carriers' carriers union Is up in arms and ithe If it he carelessly eats a loaf of bread that y- y has no label on It the bakers' bakers union proceeds to make life Ufe miserable miserable miserable miser miser- able for him So the white slave is tied hand and foot loot unable to lift a hand to better I himself or do the ne needful things without with i out first obtaining permission from acme seme haughty ignorant and abusive t tyrant of some labor union A It would all seem rather like a comic k opera if It did not rob people of their freedom that kind of work will not notto f be to permitted long In America Some smooth managers have built in the last few up the Jab labor r trust years to bring themselves money and power and by managing workmen have succeeded In making It possible for them to lay Jay down the law in some cities and force workmen and citizens to obey Implicitly stripping them right and left of their liberties t 0 J j t. t j. j L J I j r They have used boycotting J pi I Ing assaults dynamiting of pro and murder to enforce th their lr orde order rule the people They have gon gong enough to order the President move certain citizens from offic cause the unions weren't pleas That means they propose to n the law of the unions replace the of this government and the u leaders dominate even even the chief This is a government of and for people and no organization or t shall shall displace it But the unions it every now and then led by des ate men as shown in their defiance law and support of lawbreakers The union record of assa assay crippling of men and even women i i children destruction of property q murder of American citizens due dur the past two years is perhaps I times s the volume of crime and abl abi i perpetrated by slave sla owners du dur duil an any two years previous to the cl ci war We Ve are in a L. L lethargy e hargy which p h-p permits it us e Per to n iod S std I Idly by while our American are re abused crippled and murdered dozens and hundreds by an organic t U tion on or trust fat having foi its Us p thrusting what it has to sell 33 upon pon us whether or no Suppose an American in a foreia forel city should be chased by a mob 3 and beaten unconscious then then hi mouth pried open and carbolic ack poured fc e down own his throat then Is rill kicked e in n and his fa face e well stamped with iron nailed shoes murdered because be- be ca cause se he tried to earn bread for fo his children i n By the Eternal sir sir a fleet something off oft th the face of th the Ert r if reparation were wee not m made d fort f for e blood of one of our citizens t tAnd t tAnd And what answer do we make mak to th the appe appeals ls of the hundreds of widow and orphans of those Americans mu dered by labor unions unions' How do w try to protect the thousands of gent citizens who with reason not to join any labor union and b bj subject to the tyranny of of the U hea paid rulers of the labor trusts Upon a firm refusal b by Mr Post t join this criminal conspiracy a ge gei eral boycott was ordered on Grap Nuts and all over the con coil try which set the good red blood c cour our ancestors in motion forth the reply that has now passe into history We refuse to join an conspiracy of organized ed labor to rut nil publishers nor will we any of our trusted upon th orders of any labor union If the can make their boycott effective ansink an ansink ansink sink our ship we will go down wit the on the bridge and in lD co con man mand d. d This set the writers in labor pape paper I crazy and they redoubled their abusi Finally one of their official orga came out with a large laige double colum in denunciation of Battle Creek Creel ca cat lug ing It a running sore on en the face Michigan because It would not b come organized and pay in dues their labor leaders The usual coars villainous epithets common to lab union writers were indulged inThe in The result was to weld public publio se in Battle Creek for protection I IA A citizens' citizens association was started and mass m meetings held Good ci cit zens who happened to be members local unions In some cases quit t Hi unions entirely for there is small ne neof neof of them there The working people of Battle Cre Cree are of the highest order of Americ America 4 mechanics The majority are n nunion nunion union members for practically all the manufacturers have hav for years d dined elined to employ union men of disturbances about eleven eleven yea ago and the union men now in t ti 1 city are among the best citizens No city In the state of pays as high average wages as Bat Batt Creek no city of its size is as pro prosperous pros pros- pros 1 and no city has so large a pr proportion pro pro- proportion portion of the best grade of mechanics who own their own homes So the work people massed together with the other citizens in the organization organization organization of the Citizens' Citizens with the following preamble and constitution Whereas from 1891 to 1894 the thes s strikes instigated by labor unions in Battle Creek Creele resulted in the destruction destruction tion of property and loss of large sums of money in wages that would have been expended here and Whereas Wh reas These acts caused serious damage to the city and in a marked way d delayed its progress at that time and 1 Whereas Since Since the year 1894 the citizens have been enabled by bY public sentiment to prevent the recurrence of strikes and labor union disturbances disturb disturb- ances which hav have e been prevalent elsewhere else elsewhere where and Whereas The employers of this city have steadfastly refused to place the management of their b business under the control of labor unions but have maintained the highest standard of wages paid under like conditions anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where in the United and hereby hereby hereby here here- by unanimously declared their intent to continue such policy and the em em- of tilts this city a large percentage of whom own homes and nd have families families lies reared and educated under conditions conditions conditions condi condi- of peace peace and the well well earned earned prosperity of steady employment have steadfastly ma maintained their right as free American citizens to work without without with out the dictation dictation and tyranny of ot labor union l. l leaders aders the bitter experience o othe oi 01 fr f the past offering sufficient reason fo foze for foi r zens 5 s on it t lj is dam f m and I r mea ze of oS su 11 sect las nt ti means s o preserving peaceful lIL condi ns a and n continuous prosperity i in mar marked k ed contrast to th the e conditions ex b In 0 other th er cities cities suffering the th the dictation of trades unionism it is therefore Resolved That th the e continuance of peace and prosperity in Battle Creek can be e of r maintained outside ll e interference and the e destructive s avoided v under the e combined effort and action Uon of all II our people by the formation of of ofa bi a C Citizens Citizens' Association 1 a on CONSTITUTION Article 1 Name Article 2 Objects First First To First To To insure so far tar a at po possible a permanent condition of pea peace peace pros and steady employment to tb e people 0 of Battle Creek Second Second To To energetically assist In maintaining law and order at cat all times and under all conditions Third Third To To protect its mem members ers In their rights to manage their property md nd to dispose of their labor labor-In in a legal aw awful ful 11 manner without restraint or in Fourth Fourth To To insure and permanently fair just treatment one with nother mother in all the relations of life Fifth Fifth To To preserve the existing ight of any capable person to obtain ru and sell his labor without eing obliged to join any particular lurch hurch secret society labor union onion or ay ny other organization and to support II 1 such persons in their efforts to rest rest re re- st compulsory methods on the tIie part any organized body whatsoever Sixth SIxth To To promote among employS employ employ- s 's a s spirit of fairness friendship and sire isire for the best interests of their and to promote among work work- en n the spirit of industry thrift faith faith- I Iness ness to their employers and good To Toy so amalgamate the bUc sentiment of all of th the best of Battle Creek that a guar guar- tee can be given to the world of a of peaceful conditions i 1 that under such guarantee and Section manufacturers and capital capital- can be induced to locate their business business busi bus ness enterprises in Battle Creek Then hen follows articles articas S relating to membership officers duties etc etc eta cl etc This constitution has been signed by the great majority of workpeople tire tive citizens including our pIe pleA A number of manufacturers from rom other cities where they have been suffering all sorts of indignities inconvenience inconvenience inconvenience in in- convenience and losses from the general gen general eral hell of labor union strikes picketing picketing pick pick- eting assaults and other int Interference interfere ence proposed to move moyer providing they could be guaranteed protection The subject grew in importance until until until un un- til it has reached a pla place e where absolute absolute lute ute protection can be guaranteed bythe by the citizens of Battle Cre Creek Creek on k on the following broad and evenly balanced terms guarantees to the workman work man and to the manufacturer fairness fairness fair fair- ness justice steady wok and nd re regularity regularity regular regular- lar ity of output The manufacturer agrees to maintain the standard rate of wage paid elsewhere for like service service service ice under similar conditions the rate to be determined from time to time I from well authenticated reports from competing cities The tabulated wage reports issued by the Government Department of C Commerce and nd La Labor or i can also be used to show the standard rate and it is expected later on that this government bureau will furnish furnis furnish weekly reports of the the l labor bor market from different centers so that the 1 workman an when he is ready to sell his labor and the employer w when en the he Fe is t ready to buy may each have r reliable able information as as s to the market or r i ruling 1 lie mam j IS agrees gre S to dili m maintain the sun n I. I oo hygienic conditions provided for for i byi Y the s state it laws Jaws and tn refrain n f from rom any lock lockouts ou t s to reduce wages bet below J r i wages w th the standard reserving to to himself the the J right Ight to I discharge any for f or cause i The Citizens Citizens' Association o on its part pare I- I J j agrees to furnish in such such n numbers bers as ca it t is possible tp obtain first class c wo workmen kmen who will contract ct to to sell their labor labo at th the standard F 4 price f fort 0 11 p such t tf period as may be fixed upon agreeing f i not nt to strike picket ti other workmen or men destroy property n of J r do any of the criminal acts t f common common w v to labor unionism Each workman workman- J re serving to himself the right tIght to quit quid work for cause and the Citizens' Citizens Association AI As As- I further pledges its mem mem-j mem hers bers to use Its associated power t to i enforce the contracts between employer em em- em pl yer and and 10 to act en ei masse to uphold ld the law at all U tinier times The new industries locating in Battie Bat tIe tle Creek will not start under any sort of labor union domination whatsoever whatsoever ever but will make malce individual ll contracts contracts con con- tracts with each those contracts con con- tracts being fair and equitable and f g guaranteed on both sides Thus from the the abuses of labor w unions and their insane efforts to ruin ever everyone one who does not obey has evolved this plan which replaces the I old conditions of injustice lockouts strikes violence loss of money and z tl property and general industrial war fare and Inaugurates an ail era of perr perfect t balance and fairness between employer em- em em em- oJ er and a steady I ance of industry and consequent pros pros- The entire community pledged pledged by public sentiment nt and private privat act to iri I restore to each man his hI anci 1 eat i I ui wu 1 to peace freedom and the pursuit of ot I happiness 1 Other cities will be driven to protect 1 their workpeople merchants and citizens citi- citi zens as well as as their Industries from ro the blight of strikes violence t |
