WAGE WORKER
A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere.
VOL. 1
LIXCOL, NEBRASKA, IfOVEMBEB 25, 1904
NO. 33
A Few Words With
Rev. Mr. Marshall
The Wageworker desires to pay its
respects to the Rev. John Marshall of
Lincoln. The respects may not please
the reverend gentleman, but that In
no wise deters this newspaper.
At a meeting of the Ministerial
I'nion a few das ago Rev. John Mar
shall, acting upon the presumption,
pos-ILly, that the les3 a man knows
ako-.it a subject the more prone he is
to discuss It, paid some attention to
labor unions. Now the Rev. Mr. Mar
shall is perfectly within his rights
when he criticizes the labor unions,
for Cod Knows they are subject to
criticlss). But after reading what the
reverend gentleman says we unhesi
tatingly declare that we would rather
spend ten thousand years in . a hell
peopled by average union labor men,
than to spend thirty minutes in a heav
en peopled by preachers of the nar
row stripe of the Rev. John Marshall.
If thot is not plain enough we will
take pleasure In making it plainer to
him if he will call at our office.
"Labor unions," declares Rev. John
Marshall, "should be kept from the
church and not allowed to have a
chance to influence the work for Jesus
Lhrist."
This is a sufficient yardstick by
which to measure the mental calibre
of the gospel expounder who made it.
Bleas hia narrow and creed-bound lit
tle heart, does he forget that Jesus
of Nazareth was a mechanic? Does
he object to labor unions becauso they
have been guilty of many crimes
against God? If he does, what has
he to nay about the crimes that the
church has committed in the name of
God? -
The Wageworker has said before,
and repeats It now, that it the church
of Jesus Christ had done its full duty
In the years gone by, there would not
now be a single labor union in exist
ence. And here and now The Wage
worker takes occasion to say, that were
it not for the labor unions of today,
the church would be far worse off than
It, Is now.
Rev. John Marshall appears to be
one of those ministers who talk about
the salvation of souls and think about
the collection of dollars.
"The practices of labor unions are
not above board' declared the Re 7.
John Marshall, "and should not be
permitted to members by the
churches." Now what does the Rev.
John Marshall know about labor
unions, anyhow, save what he has
learned from a reading of the subsi
dized daily press that re-echoes tin
sentiments of those who oppose un
ionism because it prevents the full
operation of their greed, or the money
loving church papers who cater to the
purse-proud millionaires who liquidate
ch'.trch debts and lift mortgages on
parsonage?? Will this reverend gen
tleman take the reverse of the propo
sition and say that the practices of
some church niemLers are not above
l.t.ard and should not be permitted in
the laLi-r unions? The Wageworker
certainly will. Church numbers ate
guilty of ai-ts which r,ive them higli
place iu the church, but which would
cause their Instant dismissal from a
lul or union K they happened to be
members. Baptist John Rockefeller,
Kplscopal I'ierpont Morgan and Pres
I yterinn Andrew Carnegie have been
Utility of act that no labor union
would sanction,' anil yet these men
Htaud bish in their respective churches.
There- ii-n'l a' church in the land that,
wouid refuse a donation from Car
negie, although every dollar he pos
sesnes in this world Is stained with tlm
blood of innocent women and children,
dampened by the tears of widows and
orphans and soiled by the sweat of
unrequited labor. Rev. John Marshall
would fa:l over his own feet in his
haste to accept a contribution from
Rockefeller, and yet Rockefeller's dol
lars are dirty dollars, smelling of brib
ery, corruption and thievery.
"The labor unions," further declares
the Rev. John Marshall, "are one of
the curses of society."
Is that true? Ask the 200 disabled
and Indigent union printers comfort
ably housed and well cared for in tho
Printers' Heme at Colorado Springs.
Ask the 30,000 men, women and chil
dren at Fall River who are eating be
' cause their fellow unionists are going
down ..into their local treasuries and
helping them in their battle for bread
and Justice. Ask the widow and the
orphan who have a roof to cover them
because the comrades of the union
husband and father have exorcised the
fraternity of unionism. Ask the sick
unionists whose expenses are paid by
their fellow unionists while church
members pray with their lips.
"One ot the curses of society?" Eith
er the Rev. John Marshall is a preju
diced judge or an ignoramus who dis
graces his cloth and calling by his
parade of Ignorance. While he was
denouncing the unions as unchristian,
those same unions were raising $75,000
to feed the hungry and clothe tho
naked, and every dollar was honestly
earned by the toil and sweat of union
men and women, not earned by pur
chased legislation secured by hypocrit
ical Pharisees who stand in the mar
ket places parading their religion and
thanking God that they are not as
other men.
Why doesn't the Rev. John Marshall
get acquainted with union men and
unionism? Why does he rot get next,
to them, instead of imbibing his in
formation from prejudiced sources. . if
he will visit among the unions of Lin
coln, talk with union men and women.
and investigate the work ot these local
unions, he will find -that they do more
in the name of charity in proportion to
numbers than all the churches in thf;
city. He will find less of sham and
hypocrisy. He will find that the most
zealous workers in the city churches
are men who belong to labor unions.
He- will find fraternity, brotherly love,
charity, long suffering, meekness, gen
tleness, kindness, all these thinks.
blossoming and ripening into golden
fruit more profusely in the labor
unions than in the chinches of the
city. The Wageworker knows, be'
cause The Wageworker is acquainte.l
with both something that the Rev
John Marshall can not say with equal
truth. 1
Of course the labor unions make mis
takes, and of course the labor unions
do wrons". But the churoh is not in
fallible, and its history is not free
from mistakes. In all the history of
labor unionism the "scab" and the
"striker breaker" have not been af
flicted with the same cruelty that tho
church lias" visited upon the heretic.
Men claiming to be Christians have
gone forth with fire and sword, killing
and burning for the love of God, and
all in the name of the Prince of Peace.
Does that argue that the chr.reh is
wrong today?
The Rev. John Marshall should wakq
.ip and get Into the present century
He should wipe the cobwebs from hia
eyes, prejudice from his brain and
injustice from his heart.
ABOVE THE SCALE.
Conditions !.'. the Local Labor Market
Have Been Very Good.
The present remarkable weather ha-
been a boon to the building tradesmen,
especially to the bricklayers and tho
plasterers. Business has been unusual
ly good in both these trades this sea
son, and no member of either has been
compelled to remain idle for any
length of time. The bricklayers have
been unusually fortunate because the
weather has permitted outside work al
most continuously for almost niny
months. Every bricklayer in the citv
has been working, and all of them
Lave been drawing fully 20 per cent
r.bovo the scale. The carpenters, too,
have been fortunate in the respect
that their work has been interrupted
very little by the weather, and the
wage scale has been satisfactory.
FORGOT HIS CARD.
The Experience of an Absent Minded
Teamster the Other Day.
1'. E. Swisher, a member of the Team
Drivers' Union and delegite from that
body t: the Central Labor Union, met
v ith a little experience ir.st Monday
that is worthy of being lepordod i;;
these columns. It revealed a spirit of
unionism on the pert of a woman that
should be owned by every union man
and woman In the city.
Last Monday was fair a;n warm, and
Mr. ywisher shed his coar, hanging i'
in the yard office. He "mounted his
wagon and drove gaily forth to deliver
a ton of coal In the nelghbrohood of
Thirtieth and Fair . streets. Arriving
at the house he dismounted, walked
up to the door and asked the lady of
the house to sign the ticket.
"Are you a union teamster?" queried
the lady.
"Yes, ma'am," replied Mr. Swisher.
"Where's your card?"
"I've got it in my pocket no 1
haven't either," stammered Mr. &"wish-
er. "I left it in ray coat at the yard
office. But here's my button."
"Perhaps you found your button,''
said the lady. "I want to see your
card." .
"All right, ma'am; I'll get it if you
say so."
"Well, if you want me tc sign that
ticket you'll have to show me your
card, that's all," said the lady of the
house.
And Mr. Swisher hitch ad his horsea
to a post, boarded a street car and
went back to the yard office to get his
card. Two hours later he unloaded
the coal and the lady signed the ticket.
"Leaving that card at tue office cost
me about 75 cents," said Mr. Swisher,
" but it was worth the money. I wish
they'd all make the men who deliver
ooal show their cards. It would add
about a hundred to our membership.'"
It's a Very Common Kind of Unionism
A friend of The Wageworker had a
conversation with an alleged union
man the other day.
"I wanted a ha, with the label cii
it," said the alleged union man, "but
the store where I always buy my hats
did not have a labeled hat, so I took
one without."
Then he was asked about the suit
cf clothes he had on.
"I wanted a suit with the label, but
I couldn't find a labeled suit to fit me
at. the store where I always buy my
clothes, so I took one without."
"How about your shoes?"
"My shoes? I looked at several
i.Tiion made shoes, but none of then:
struck my" fafley. I Itked' ' this pair,
although it did not have the label, but
I took them just the same. I am al
ways particular about my shoes."
O. MR. POST1
How
This Wonderfully Kind Employer
Treated His Wife.
A few months ago The Wageworker
gave Mr. C. W. Post of Battle Creek,
Mich., the benefit of a couple of col
umns of free advertising. Mr. Post
wrote the advertisement himself and
paid to have it inserted in a lot of
newspapers, but he got it into The
Wageworker for nothing. In that ad
vertisement Mr. Post attacked the la
bor unions, and called unionists "an
archists," and a lot of other names
equally scorching. It was a most in
teresting document. If The Wage
worker had a little more time and a
little more money it would reproduce
the article in" question, but a portion
of it is reproduced just for the purpose
of pointing a moral and adorning a
tale.
Mr. Post who, by the way, manu
factures edible sawdust and sells it in
pretty little packages after cursing thn
labor unions until he was blue in the
face because they refused to eat his
"gripe guts" and "roastuni squeerial,
declared that they were endeavoring
to take away the employment of the
three thousand happy and satisfied em
ployes working for him. He made a
wonderful parade of his philanthropy,
us witness the following extract from
his open letter:
"Our peopie are paid high wages.
These who have been with us one year
receive 5 per cent above regular wages,
and the two year and over veterans re
ceive 10 per cent above the regular
wages. Most o!' them own
their own homes. The agita
tors of the labor unions have tried to
introduce their methods of strikes, hat
red, poverty and distress among our
people to replace the present condi
tions of peace and prosperity."
Now isn't that a beautiful picture?
Isn't this C. W. Post a splendid man?
So kind, so thoughtful of others, 30
philanthropic, go gentle and so gener
ous? Who has the heart to condemn
such an elegant gentleman?
But bear in mind that Mr. Post wa
singing his own praises and sounding
tie hew-gag in honor of his own vir
tues. And only last week his wife secured
a divorce from him on the grounds of
cruelty.
"We can not and will not discharge
a single one of our faithful and time
tried workmen," declared Mr. Post in
his "open letter." What a goodt mar.:
to be sure!
And yet the wife of his bosom, the
woman he had sworn to love, cherish
and protect, is forced to secure a di
vorce from him because of his cruelty
to her!
Our compliments to Mrs. Post, and
'ongraMi 1st ions upon her securing free
dom from such a beautiful specimen of
philanthropy.
WHERE WAS PARRY?
Touring Europe While His Friend Pea
body Was Sacrificed.
Where was David ivi. Parry, ths
guardian of commercial and industrial
liberty, when Governor 1 eabody's po
litical fortunes were at stake?' Pea-
body represented the quintessence of
Parryism. It was Peabody who made
Parryism plain and easily understood
; in" Colorado. He acted out what Parr
talked about. But when Peabody was
up1 for re-election, -where was Parry"
Why was Parry absent? Instead- of
being on the firin line he was non
est combatabus, Inswamp-is, up stum
pus, or something like '.hat. At any
rate he failed to show up. We've in
vestigated a little on our own account
and found that while Peabody was get
ting most beautifully skinned for
"Is your shirt union made?"
"No, it isn't. I asked for a label
shirt, but the store where I always
buy my shirt3 does not carry 'em with
the label on, and I didn't have time
to go anywhere else."
"Of course the overalls you wear arc
union made."
"No, they are not. I would rather
wear union overalls, of course, but 1
like a certain kind that. I've been
wearing for several years, and al
though I could get union overalls just
as good I'd rather have the ones I wear
because I'm used to them, you know."
While talking this alleged union
man knocked the scab tobacco from
his pipe, thrust the pipe into his pock
et and took a chew of "Star" tobacco.
But he carried a union card, and
thinks he is a union man. Do you
know any more like him in the city?
fighting the battles of the Parry crowd.
Parry was doing Europe like a prince
oi the blood royal. Parry, the open
shop advocate, and the defender of "in
dependent workingmen," was touring
Europe, spending with i lavish hand
tile " money he made by cutting the
wages of his "free and independent
workingmen" 30 per cent inside of
eighteen months. That's where Parrv
was when Peabody fell outside the
breastworks.
CAPITAL AUXILIARY.
Preparing Another One of Its Always
Successful Social Affairs.
Capital Auxiliary No. 11 to Typo
graphical Union No. 209, is preparing
for its next social, which will be in
the nature of a masquerade party. Face
masques will be discarded, however,
and the costuming confined to the
dress. All printers and their wives
are cordially invited to attend the so
cial and enjoy the good things pre
pared by the Auxiliary.
The Auxiliary is prospering at a
giatifying rate. New members are ad
mitted at almost every meeting, and a
growing interest Is manifested in the
good of the organization. The last
meeting was held at the home of Mrs.
H. W. Smith, and the attendance was
unusually large. Mrs. Smith enter
tained her guests iu a most hospitable
manner. The Auxiliary members ar--'
beginning to think about the Typo
graphical Union anniversery and won
dering whether the printers have for
gotten that it is less than three months
away.
THE BARBERS.
Put the Union Card in a Couple More
Shops Recently.
The Barbers' Union is noing right
ahead with its good work, adding nev
members at every meeting and putting
the union cards in new shops witSi
pleasing regularity. Last week Secre
tary Bowen placed shop cards in the
Pioneer and Haskell shops. Recently
"scab" cigar manufacturer presented
every barber shop in towri with shav
ing papers' bearing the advertisement
of his cigar. day or two later the
Cigarmakers' union sent n committ-ST
out to call the attention of the union
shops to the '"scab" -advertisement. On'!
word was enough. The advertising dis
appeared with a suddenness that spoke
volumes for the unionism of the bar
bers. TRUE.
The labor movement Is more a ques
tion of humanity than a question of
the almighty dollar. It has accom
plished more in that direction practi
cally than any other society, not even
excepting the church. It is the great
est movement in the championship of
human rights and human hberty. Gal
veston Journal.
Carpenters
An Open Meeting
i ne members of Carpenters and
Joiners Union No. 1059 held open
house at their hall last Tuesday even
ing, and the result was one of the best
and most helpful tittion meetings eve
held in Lincoln. The union carpenters
invited their non-union fellow work
men to meet with them &nd talk ovw
matters of interest to the craft in gen
eral, and a large number of the non
unionists accepted the invitation. Fully
two hundred men were feathered in
che hall, there being a scattering of
other tradesmen present to give the
assistance of their advice and experi
ence. At the national convention in Mil
waukee an appropriation was made for
the purpose- of better organizing the
work in Lincoln, and the local secured
the cervices of Sidney J. Kent, who
for several years has been working
iii the national field. Mr. Kent, at con
siderable personal sacrifice, consented
to take hold of the work, and as re
sult the local has been enjoying a
splendid revival of enthusiasm and a
healthy increase in membership. Since
Mr. Kent began active work in the o
cal field the membership has been in
creased upwards of a score, and sev
eral members who had lapsed have
been reinstated. The best of his work.
however, has been in arousing greater
interest In unionism.
Mr. Kent presided at the open meet
ing Tuesday evening and made a short
talk that aroused the enthusiasm of
his hearers. He explained the objects
and aims of unionism, and pointed out
the good that organization had done in
all linss of industrial trades. His re
marks to the . non-union craftsmen
present were kindly and put unionism
to them in its best and truest light.
Other members of the local made
short speeches, some of them telling
what advantages had accrued to them
by reason of 'their membership in the
union. Through all the remarks ran
the sentiment of fraternity and help
fulns. .
Representatives of other crafts were
called upon and told briefly what had
been clone in their trades through or
ganization and mutual helpfulness. The
editor of The. Wageworker was asked
to make a few remarks and spoke of
the need of a broader unionism that
would pass the boundaries of one's
craft. General Kelsey, president of tho
Central Labor Union, spoke briefly and
urged workingmen to think for them
selves, to educate themseives and to
stand upon their rights as American
citizens while recognizing the rights
of every other man.
During the entire evening there wer
marked evidences of interest and there
is every reason to believe that the
meeting will prove a great benefit to
the Carpenters and Joiners, and to ail
other organized crafts in the city as
well. St successful was the meeting
that it will probably be followed by
similar meetings on the part of other
anions in the city. 'Already plans are
under way for an open meeting at Cen
tral Labor Union hall to which all
workingmen will be invited and short
taiks made by men of wide experience
in unionism.
LABEL LEAGUE SOCIAL.
Union Women Prepare a Good Time for
Their Union Friends.
Next Moday evening the Woman'?
Label League will give a social at Cen
tral Labor L'nion hall, and every union
man and woman in the city is urged
to be present. There are two reason?
why they should be there. First, be
cause their presence and support will
contribute to the success of tho work
undertaken by the League, and second,
because they will have a good time.
The Women's Label League has worked
under difiiculties that would overwhelm
most organizations, but the woman
are loyal and deeply interested, and
despite discouragements and the neg
lect of those who should te most help
ful, they have maintained 1 lie organiza
tion and accomplished good work in
the interests of unionism They are
entitled to the active support of ever
trade unionist.
The social next Monday evening wili
be unique. In addition to a pleasing
program of vocal and instrumental mu
sic and recitations, there will be daue
ing after the luncheon. The luDcheon
will be provided by the women, wbx
will pack their edibles in boxes, en
closing therewith' a necktie. The pack
er of the box will wear a tie or bow
similar to the one in her lunch box.
Hold
and the man who buys the box is ex
pected to seek her and eat lunch In
her company. All kinds of good things
to eat will be packed in the boxes.'
Good music will be provided, and a
good time is assured all who attend.
Let every union man and his wife make
if a point to be there and give Jho
Label League the benefit of their pat
ronage and sympathy."
COLLEGE SETTLEMENT.
Plans for Social Science Work That Will
Benefit All. -'
At its first meeting two weeks ago
the club, after careful consideration,
decided upon a genera! plan of pro
cedure for the winer. , For the first few
weeks the general principles of wages,
interest profits and rent, with soma
practical applications, will be dis
cussed, then special problems relating
to the various phases of labor, trade
unionism, etc., will be taken up. At
each meeting some one presents i
short paper or talk upon some topic
and a general discussion follows. Pro
fessor Parker of the state university,
leads the discussions for the first few
weeks, and then others will present
papers on special topics. " The topics
for the four weeks beginning December
I, are: "Value," "The General Law .
of Wages," "The Rates of Wages in
Different Employments, "Some Practi
cal Applications of the Foregoing Prin
ciples.'" All who are interested in la
bor problems are cordially invited to
attend the meetings of the club at the
college settlement house,' corner of
Twentieth and " N, every Thursday
evening, beginning promptly at 8
o'clock. Come out and enjoy live dis
cussions, of live subjects. v ,
CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
A Short Session. Full of Business and
-" Good Worlc." " ""
Short, sharp and profitable sums up
the work done at last Tuesday night's
session of the Central Laiior Union.
The entertainment . committee re
ported a profit of $8.25 on the venture,
and $5 of it was appropriated to the
Fall River strikers. Two new dele
gates were " initiated, and .the meeting
adjourned: The business was rushed
through in order that the delegates
might visit the open meeting of the
Carpenters and Joiners. '
MANY CLOSED.
Most of Lincoln's retail establish
ments closed during a part of Thanks
giving day, and several of them closed
all day. The Wageworker attempted
to secure a list of those that did not
open at all, but failing to get thj
names of all will not publish a partia:
list. Union men and women, however,
c-hould endeavor to learn what stores
gaves their employes the benefit of the
full holiday and show ' appreciation by
patronizing these stores more liberal ly.
The stores that kept open all day
and several did do not deserve the
patronage of tmion men and women.
Let us all stand by the merchants who
treat their employers most fairly.
HOW ABOUT IT?
A Lincoln daily newspaper the other
day contained a notice to the effect
that a local bakery had just receive-'.
a carload of Washburn-Crosby flour
from Minneapolis. This flcur is no
toriously unfair. What is the Centra!
Labor Union's committee doing tho
committee appointed to call on local
bakers and ask them to not use this
unfair flour? There is plenty of union
made and fair flour on the market, ali .
Jv-st as good or better than the prod
uct of the Washburn-Crosby mills. , is '
ii not about time for that committee
to give some excuse for its existence?
stake yourtime.
To the young trades unionist: Do
not be in a hurry for the millennium.
Some of those who have grown old and
gray in unionism were young. They
learned to wait. You will learn, too.
Meanwhile do something which will
be of immediate benefit to you and
others. Vincennes Labor News.
BET IT HURT.
Parry, the union buster, has had to
come to it at last. In establishing a
new magazine to fight the unions h-j
could not find "rat" printers to get it
out, and the work is being done by
union men in a closed shop. Wilming
ton Labor Herald. ' r
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