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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1904)
WAGE A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere. VOL. 1 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, DECEMBER 2, 1904 IfO. 34 An Open Letter to Post of Battle Creek sooooocoooocoocooocoo A few weeks ago Mrs. C. W. Pout, of Battle Creek, Mich., se cured a divorce from C. V. Post, manufacturer of "postum cereal" and grape nuts," on the ground of cruelty. A few days later S Post married his young and ft pretty stenographer. oOSOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU Lincoln, Nebraska, December 3, 1904. To C. V. Post, Manulacturer of Grape Nuts and Postum Cereal, Bat tle Creek, Mich. Dear fe'ir: You will I am quite sure, pardon mo for ad dressing this letter to yo'i when you become acquainted with all the facts that have led me to turn to you in my time of trouble. I have long been aa interested reader cf your advertise ments, and especially have I been In terested in the work you have been doing to free this country from lh? iiwfuJ domination of these anarchist!?, i rganizntlons known ns the ' labor vnions." My soul has been filled with lejoicincs at your repeated illustrations of your kindness to and thoughtfulness lor the hundreds who arc employed in your factorbs at Battle Creek. I nin cominced from what I have read froi.i your pen that, you are a n an who can ieel for the sorrows of others; that y ou are a man who will gladly give time to listening to the woeful tales of the unfortunate, and that you are ever ready with advice and money lo assist the needy. It is because I have formed this opin ion of you, after reading what you have said about yourself and your wort; that 1 turn to you in my time of trouble I beseech you to help me, Mr. Post, mid for your. lielp 1 will i ver be deep 1 grateful. I am not, as you may ha-e concluded aUer reading thus far, in need of fi l.E iicinl help. No, indeed. My trouble !: far deeper ' and greater than the !cr lack cf money. I have sufficient tt !-,i'cy for my needs. tlu.nk God, but Ihere are better things than money end some of these things I lack. Per-li-ps the story of my lifs will be thi U si explanation of my cast. A number of years ago, no matter how many.I was a poor glrl.carning my ;wn living. I worked hard to maintain n.jrlf in respect and to protect my r.fod . name from the attacks of th-i scandalmongers and the gossips. While thus engaged I met a young man. He was n good worker, but as poor as my self.' We fell in love, and finally we were married. We had nothing "but y love and health to begia our married ' life upon, but we were brave and con fident. We struggled along as boat we could. I helped as opportunity ottered to supply the larder, and I did all that 1 knew how to make a home for my 1 usband. It was hard, bitter hard, tho struggle, forced upon us, but our mu tual love lightened tho road and made plcannt many otherwise dreary days I hiring all these years I ft It my youtn iiiul freshness fading bjoause of the I'artl Htruggle, and more than once 1 feared that my husband's love was ('ying because I no longer offered the s:nnc attractions as in the old days when T was a rosy-cheeK? -I and light hiarted girl. But I totlol on, wear ing my fingers to the bono to make our hoiro pleasant for my husband. Finally there came to ns what ntcivcd tho last straw that was 'o I -eak the camel's back. My hubaiid v.a-? taken ssh k. Our little saving were won exhausted and starvation stand tisi in the face. But Hist when things looked darkest kind friends friends though r.trangers came to our aid. AdvonUsts took my husband to their hospital, and while he was by them 1 .ring nursed back to health he learned how they made, most of their celebrated 1f.od preparations. When he waj wei! ho took advantage of his new lound Knowledge and began manufacturing some preparations of a limilar nature but under other names, we struggled day and night. We schemed and plan ned,, and success finally rewarded our jtftorts. Money began pouring in on 18 in a golden flood, and we were soon able to cease our terrible toil and be gin taking life easy. I thought then that the sum of my happiness was com plete. Hut alas for human hopes. What fdiould have been the final seal upop our love and happiness proved to be the ruin of our home. My husband rich, courted, flattered and popular, tirod of his worn and faded wife, tired of his palatial home where there pre sided a woman who could not hold her own in the matter of beauty and fresh ness and gaiety with the women who had never toiled and struggled an I suffered in tho grip of biting povert.-. I soon saw that I was the dark spot in his life. Without me he might hi rble to cut a great figure in society, but with me haa was handicapped ar,d held back. Ho forgot all the sacrificss I had made to help him t; his envied situation. He forgot r.iat half the la bor, half the suffering end most ut the sacrificing were mine. He selfishly arrogated to himself credit for all the success that had come, and looked upon me as a hindrance instead of a help. I was in his way to social suc cess. He was ashamed of my faded and sunken .cheeks, my toil-hardened nands, my lack of "taste ' and my in ability to compare favorably with the butterflies of society who had begun to flutter around him. I tried, O, so hard, to hold him to me, but I failed. From indifference he ad vanced to open dislike, and from dis like to cruelty was a short step. He deserted me fcr younger and fresher women. He met me only to taunt me with my lest youth. From taunts to open cruelty was only a short step. and he took.it. And then came the end. In self-defense I had to take refuge in the law, and a few weeks ago I secured c. divorce and a small share of the vast fortune which I had helped him i' make. A few days later lie married ;:J younger and handsomer woman, flaim' ing her silks and jewels ar.u youth and freshness in my face. This, my dear Mr. Post. Is my life story. Today I am fitting lonely an-." desolate in the mansion which is nov to me a prison. All of its gorgeousnes.-:. all of its glitter of gold and siher, of cut glass and rich draperies, can not compensate me for th? loss of my husband, and I would 'giv'c it ai! for a return to tho old days of poverty and heartache and toil if only there came with it the love of the man to whom I gave my best years and my heart's love. ' My sole ambition in life now U, Mr. Fost, to assist other women that, they may not suffer as I have suffered. Per haps you can help mo. I have read about what a kind employer you are; bow devotedly you seek to help your fellows; what a dep interest you take Hi thewelfare of those less fortunate than yourself, and therefore I write you. Will you guarantee me that th-j habitual use of your "grape nuts-' and "postum cereal" will cause a husband to lovo his wife, even though he rise irom poverty to affluence and his wife loses the charms that attracted him in ! the days of their youth. Will yon guarantee me that feeding your uatent preparations to men will prevent' them fiom forgetting the toil end sacrifice:-; of the women, whom, they promised to love, cherish and protect? Certainly a man of your well-known philanthropy will take an interest ii women who are unfortunate like my self, and asisst mc in preieiitlns other women from suffering as 1 am suffer ing today. I think you for permitting me lo ad dress you, and I close with the heart felt wish that you will join with me iu an effort to protect my sisters 1'roL" going through my sad experiences Yours very truly, MRS. SARAH CA3TIC LABELEAGUE. A GREAT SUCCESS. The Labor League's Social Won Out in Every Way. If tne members of the Woman's La bel League are not proud it is not be cause of lack of reasons, for they haw. every reason to be proud of the; im mense success that attended their box social last Monday night. Socially and financially it was by long odds thp n.ost successful affair ever engineerec in general labor circles in tnis city, The-social tock the form of a bo.: rarty, aud tho number of boxes pro vided and the amounts realized when they were auctioned off was au evi dence of the aroused interest in union affairs. Many of the boxen were hand somely decorated, and all cf them wet'! filled with good things to eat. Mrs. Wright officiated as auctioneer ar.j sold the boxes at prices that were ex tiemely gratifying to those who pre pared them and to the Lague treas ury. The League netted about $25 as a result of the social. Before the luncheon a short pro gram was rendered, Mr. Sidney J. Kent presiding. Mr. Kent briefly outlined the work of the League, and urged union men and women to take a more active interest.-in it. T. C. Kelsey made a brief and earnest talk along union lines, ond W. M. Manpin read a couple of verses of his own manufac ture. Little Misses S'wanson and Classman favored the audience, the o no with a piano solo, the other with a song. Little Miss recited a touching poem about a little millwork er. Mr. fc.:heirmyer made an inter esting talk and read a song h) bad written for the Label League. ?Jisses and rendered a piano duet and were loudly encored. Following the sale of the boxes and the eating of the contents, dangim; was indulged in until midnight. From every viewpoint the affair was a 'huso success and reflected greai credit upon tho enterprising women who had it in charge. A MASQUE PARTY. Capital Auxiliary Preparing for Another Of Its Popular Socials. Next Monday evening Capital Aux iliary No. 11 will give its regular monthly social for the printers of the city and their wives and sweethearts. The social will be held at Central La bor Union hall and will take the form of a masquerade. All eligible to ad mission are earnestly requested to ap pear in costume, but printers and their uives and sweethearts wdll not be com pelled to abide by the request. Those who do not care to masque will be ex cused on the payment of a small fin?. The Auxiliary is maturing plans to make this December social a greater success than any cf the series, and judging by the past they will succeed. Gcod music will be provided and re freshments will be served. Every primer in town who can possibly do si should make, it a point to attend.. HERE'S A SUGGESTION. How the Allied Prniting Trades Might Act On This. The Wageworker offers a sugges tion to the Typographical Union .the Slereotj pers Union; the -ISookbinderV Union and the Pressmen's Union, and v. ether trades organizt-ions in the city. If followed Hp it may have a good effect. The state printing boar 1 is made nr. of the state officers, aa-1 this toarl passes upon all contracts for state printing. Tho real work of the board It Means Ttouble, To be Sate! The Citizens' Industrial association held its annual convention in New York fity this week. For the fcenerit oi" the uninitiated we stjp.the press to say that the "Citizens' Industrial as sociation" is the high-sounding title adopted by Parry and his trang of union busters for their anti-union organiza tion. Of course David M Parry made the principal speech of tho convention, and told the usual superneated almoa phere story about what his organizp. iion was doing to relieve the country "f the terrible plague of "labor union domination." He sprang the usual talk about "individual liberty," and made the usual tearful plea for the "inde pendent workingman" Meaning the "scab" who is willing to work for any old wages. Ho also tailed loud and long about the "open shop," but ad vanced nothing new in tho way cf ar gument. But The Wageworker is not going io waste time on .Parry. It wjints to call attention . to the speech of another "union buster," Mr. Francis C. Nitnen macher, whos-e subject woe "Tho Lib er ty of the Press." Among other tl ings he said: "By inauguratine a stiike for an eight hour day on January 1, 190iv th;; Typographical Union would paralyze the entire printing industry from one end of the country to the other, for they are now engaged in organizing al! the smaller cities as rapidly as it can be done so there will be no non-union printers to take their pistes in th larger cities.-- It is iip to, ; ou to mak-i it sure that the union will not triumph ii this matter Th United Typotheta J to a man, will fight it to the end. buc unaided by their customers it. will cost some ' of them their fortunes. Let the union get the eight hour day and ou know what will hayi'ien in other lines of industry." Of course it is very wrong in fact diabolical for the Typographies'! Union to organize the country printers--and thus put a chuck uncer the wheels of the union busters who want to kill oC the Typographical Union by bring ing in country printers to take tin places of union men. We hope the members of the Typographical Union devolves upon a secretary .vho receives ! salary cf $1,000 a year. The woil of the secretary is not so heavy that it requires all of hi-3 time. The salary paid is sufficient for the work required. Now by all means the secretary should be a union printer who id qualified to estimate work, judge quality of pa per and cloth, distinguish between good and inferior press work, and otherwise protect not only the interests of the taxpayers but stand between fair em ployers and those who employ cheap and .inferior labor of incompent work men or children. Certainly it needs no argument to convince thinking men that the better the wages the better it .is for all concerned clear down tho line. The big offices of Omaha and Lincoln pay good wages, but they are forced to compete with York and Fremont es tablishments that employ cheap help, most of it being boy apprentices and girls. Union men owe ;t to fair em ployers to protect them, and one way tc. do it is to use the in"uence of the trades unions to throw all work pos sible to the fair offices. The Wage worker suggests that the Allied Print ing Trades council and other union? send a committee to the state printing board and urge the appointment of a capable ; union printer to the office of secretary of the board. l Now is .the time to do it. FIDO'S UNTIMELY DEMISE. 1 Master Kenneth Marshall, the seven-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Marshall, of 1523 North Twenty-sixth street, had his first introduction t) real grief the first of this week. Some two months ago Kenneth came in pos session of a young dog, to which he bed become greatly at'aclied, and which was his almost constant com panion. Kenneth and the aforesaid canine joined Mr. and Airs. Marshall it; a walk in the northeasn part of the city Sunday afternoon, during which the dog got on the street car traeu ahead of one of the traction company's l&rge cars, and not being familiar with the speed of these cars under the new schedule, was overtaken, with fatal re sults. to the dog. The. bo, v. was over come with grief at the sad ending of his pet, and the htad of the Marshal! warmly is diligently searcning for some kind, of a canine that will to some ex tent, take the place of "Fido" in Ken-; reth's affections. will see the error or their ways and dis continue this cruel wrong. But we w ant f o call especial att-mt ion tc tho last sentence quoted above; Here it is again, this time in capital letters: "LET THE UNION (pi inters) GKT THE EIGHT HOUR DAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN 0THEH LINES' OF INDUSTRY..' That's the milk in ,.he cocoanu; AVhile posing as the friend of the "freo and independent workim.'men," yclept the "scab," this union busting outfit is actuated by something else the desire to prevent labor from improving its condition. You see, if the printers manage to secure the eight-hour day. other common mechanics would begin asking for it, too. Why, een the hod carriers, or the teamsters, or the fire men would insist upon it, the sassy, greasy, dirty things: And it tnese common mecnanics got fn eight-hour working day they would have just that much more lime to read and study and think, and that would be awfully dan gerous, don't you know. Of course we know what will hap pen in other lines of industry if the printers succeed in establishing the eight-hour day. Why, eve.-y other me chanic in the country will ask for it. r.r.d how are they to be bept in ignor ance if they are not kept at work irom the time they get up in the morn ing until they drag their weary bodies to bed at nightfall. ThoMdea of a commod laboring ?nar. asking to have working hours reduced so lie. can have jv.st that much mere tin?o to agitato and educate! It's . ?ust ;oo ridiculous i'cr anything. These dirty mechanics must learn to know their places, and keep them. We can hardl discuss with patience the insolent demands of these fellows whose mission oi earth is to obey the commands of the men se lected by God Almighty to administer the affairs of this world. They ac tually seem to be falling into the no tion that they have a right to say something about the disposition of their own time. Clearly we who have ben delegated to act for the Almighty must take steps to compel these in solent mechanics to remember their place. Rev. Mr. Marshall Explains Himself The Wageworker owes Kev. John 1.. Marshal, Jr., an apology, it nas, how over unintentionally, dono him an in justice, for which it is truly sorry, and for which it craves his pardou. Taking for its text a quotation at tributed by the Daily Star to Rev. Mr. Marshall, The Wageworker said a fesv things about the reverend gentleman which would noi have been said had this newspaper been aware of the facts. Rev. Mr. Marshall accepted our invita tion and came to The Wageworker of fice to talk it over. We trust that Rev. Mr. Marshall will all again. Right here it may be said .r. order' to avoid r.ny mtsuncerstand mg, that we can not agree with the leverend tertleman on many things particularly on the question of labor ..nions and interpretation of the scrip tures. Wo are frank enough to tell Mm that we believe him to be narrow .n many things. But of bis sincerity, ;iis honesty of purpose, his desire to lo good and his willingness to sacrifice .'or the good of others, we have not th i slightest doubt. We confess that we took a liking to the Rev. Mr. Mar shall, notwithstanding his peculiar at titude towards the unions. He was so delightfully frank in . expressing his belief that there are too many minis ters who are cowards, so many church es that, teach everything but the lovo of God. and so many-professed Chris tians who utterly failed to live up to their professions in other words, lie was so delightfully frank in admitting ihat the church is not living up to its opportunities and its claims thai we acttoned to him, so to sp-?ak, notwith standing the wide difference- between is on fne labor union question. Rev. Mr." Marshall bases his opposi tion to labor unions on what seem to him to be scriptural grounds. He i? amply able to defend his position, too But he opposes, them because Chris tians and non-Chris Uans arc yoked to gether therein contrary to the words of the Master, who told I'is followers not to become yoked i:p with unbe lievers. But with the chief objects .and aims o -the :ner. who aro banded to gether in labor unions ha is in sym pathy, and as ap. outside? he will help them; he can not, howeier, consci entiously .ioiii with them in a society. Of course this will seem narrow to r.ict of us, tut' Rev. Mr. Marshall is I cnest and sincere in hi;i belief. And most of us wcul l rather meet up with a narrow-minded man who s honest in his beliefs than to meet up with a man so fearfully broadminded that he had no convictions at all. . . Rev... Mr. Marshall .say he. was mis quoted in the Daily Star, and asked The Wageworker to print the following which appeared in the Star cV Novem ber 23 in explanation of bis position We gladly, giye space to the article, and assure Kev. Mr. .Marshall that we re spect his .Views, and apologise to him for bavins; misunderstood his nosition . fj.it. we do wish he would learn jnore about labor anions beforo taking sucu a decided stand in tpposiuon to Chris tians becoming members. We opine that - a - little more of she leaven of genuine Christianity woiiKl help the labor unions. . We are absolutely sure it would bo an almighty .trood thing to iiiject into most of our churches: Tc The Star. In the it-port of the meeting of the Ministerial association as given in The Star of hist Monday, my remarks concerning labor unions were misquoted. Kindly permit me io make the correction by stating m;- con victions on the subject. 1 believe that Christian laboring men slould not b united witi non-Christian laboring men in unions. It is equally true, of course, that Christian employers should not be federated with r.on-Christian employers. The declara tion of God's Word which is binding upon every Christian is, "Be not un eciually yoked with unbeliever:!, for what fellowship have r ighteousnesa e.nd iniquity? Or what communion hath light with darkness' And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians, 6:14-15 R. V.) Men who are true Christians are no-: actuated by the same motives that prompt men who are not Christians. A consecrated Christian man desires to glorify Jesus in every thought, word, and action. When Christians and non, Christians are associated together iri brotherhoods, it is manifest that thpso who are not Christians sometimes der mand that the Christian members, put sue a course tnat 13 mctonaistenc with the teaching of Christ. The princip; not only applies to labor unions, but to all the other relations of i.ien, whethe commercial, political, soc al, or matri ironial. There is a great difference between opposing the labor unions as conducted and opposing the interests of the labor ing men. Labor ue ions often demand nothing more than the men an en titled to just wages and . teimn, but frequently their methods - and their spirit are un-Christian. ' I believe that the Christian employe: should furnish employment to the man who needs work the more, whether he is a union man or a non-union man. The minister of Christ who is not n sympathy with the laboring man is r;ot in harmony wuh his Master; Tin; burden of Proof is on him to show that he is a minister of Christ at all, Jesus of Nazareth was a carpenter., Ha was the friend cf those who toil. He is tho friend of those who toil today. It is not to tie wondered al, that non Christian laborins men band them selves together in unions for, their own defense, for in many places the heel of the oppressor is upon tnem. It is not surprising that they res;ort to un christian methods for they do not knoW- the better way. Bt,t Christian laboring men should know the better way. ' ,''-.' ' ' If prayer end Christian persnasion do not bring employers to agree to just terms, let the Christian employes leave the results with the Judge cf the Universe, rather than resort to the un-Christian methods of unsaved la boring men. The God who sent tho lavens to feed Elijah will not let his most insignificant child starve, if he obeys arid trusts Him. ' Though that kind of sentiment is foolishness to the unbeliever, it is true , wisdom to tin; man who knows God and believes hii Bible. This promise of Jesus is still Worth its face value: . -"But seek ye fiist his kingdom, and hi3 righteous nes; and all thes-3 things shall be added rnto you." : (Matthew, 6:3.' ' ? I wish to recommend to every labor ing man, and to every man, that h study the Bible and learn God's view of the problem of labor t-.nd capital. There arc many passage- on the sub ject, but I will simply quote this one: "Go, to "now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that ara coming upon you. Your richef are corruptii, and your garments -are rr.oth -eaten. Your geld and your silver are rusted: and their' rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure ii'. the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed -your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out; and the cries of them that reaped have enterad into, the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasurj; ye have nourished, your hearts in a day of slaughter." . (James 5:1-5.) ' ; ,.- - ' I wish to be a true friend to every , man who earns his bread by the sweat of his. brow. True friendship, how ever, does not encourage a man in wrong-doing, hut makes an. earnest ef fort to enable him to do right. Tours ii. the name of Jesus. JOHN L. MARSHALL, Jr. THE UNION LABEL A Powerful Weapon for the Advancement Of Labor I nterests With every accession to the member ship of the trade unions the potential value of the union label iE increased. Its real value, however, depends upon t he support given it by the unionists and their friends and sympathizers. Or ganized labor must demand union made goods and the services of union men. The union label and the union card must stand steadfastly and con sistently for honesty and against scamping and aduleration. A campaign of education is needed as to the mean ing and purpose of the label, and the desirability and necessity of discrimi nation by union men in favor of unioi.- ruade goods. Then, and tot until the;1.. will the union label become indeed "or ganized labor's mcst powerful wea pon" a weapon which cum both ways, benefiting the union man in his dual capacity as a consumer aid a producer. P. T. Colton in the Federationist. The reason a girl doesn't scream when a man is kissing her against her will is she is afraid some one will hear. ' : '