jv . . ' ' .
THE WAG EWORf E R
Patronize
Tlie Wageworker
A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere.
VOL. 2
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, APRIL 28, 1905
NO. 3
Will Affiliate
Advertisers
it f
. Inclement weather was the cause of a small attendance upon the
meeting of the Central Labor Union Tuesday night, but those who
were present heard things that well repaid them for their energy in
braving the elements. Mr. Flynn of the United Hatters of North
America made an interesting talk, during which he plead for more
united action among labor organizations and more interest in the use
of the union label. The Labor Temple committee reported, and sue
gested that a stock company be
could be done until the people knew what kind of a building it was
proposed. to erect. In order to
would be necessary to secure architect's plans, and they would cost
money. There was some discussion of the report, then it was ac
cepted and the committee instructed to make further investigation.
Then arose a matter that promises to be of great importance to
the cause of organized labor in Lincoln the adoption of resolutions
asking the Ministerial Union of
gates with the Central Labor Union. There was practically no op
position to the resolution, the only objection coming from a delegate
who raised the question of the resolution s constitutionality, claim
ing that the ministerial delegates could not be admitted because they
were not members of organized
American federation of Labor. It
provided only for an exchange of
without vote, the constitution did
admission of the ministers. On motion the following delegates' from
the central body were elected to meet with the Ministerial Union in
. case the ministers accepted the proposition: President T. C. Ijlelsey.
Jesse E. Mickel and Will M. Maupin. , Following is a copy of the
resolution :
"Whereas, Central Labor Unions in various cities of the country
have exchanged fraternal delegates
their respective cities, and
"Whereas, There seems to be a misunderstanding as to organ
ized labor's aims and objects prevalent among ministers and laymen
of the churches of this country, and
"Whereas, Organized labor should not hesitate to seize, every
opportunity to make its mission known of all men and to disabuse
the minds of those who seem to be laboring under the delusion that
labor unions are unchristian and opposed to the work of the
churches, and
"Whereas, This body, representing the organized Workmen of
the city of Lincoln, is anxious to join hands with any and all influ
ences calculated to work to the moral, physical and financial good of
those who toil, therefore be it
"Resolved, That this body select three delegates from among its
members and accredit them as fraternal delegates to the Ministerial
Union of this city, asking the Ministerial Union to take the same
action. And be it further
"Resolved, That these fraternal delegates if exchanged, be given
the privileges of the floor but without vote, to the end that there may
be, if possible, a better understanding between a body organized to
look after the material welfare of its members and a body organized
for the purpose of furthering the spiritual condition of those under
its immediate charge. . , - .
"Resolved, That this body tender to the Ministerial Union its
well wishes in any work it may undertake having for its aim the
betterment of present day conditions, disregarding man-made creeds,
personal schisms and interference with that measure of personal lib
erty guaranteed not only by the Book of Books but by the laws of
the land.
"Resolved. That this body tender to the Ministerial Union of
Lincoln and through its members to the whole body of earnest and
consistent Christian people, assurances of its consideration and the
hope that when organized labor and its aims are better known of all
men the church will join with organized labor in the work of making
more endurable the life of the toiler, and making it possible for him
to enjoy the rewards of the hereafter all the more by reason of having
had some experienc in the matter of enjoying rewards while in the
flesh."
Reports of "state of trade" disclosed a good condition of affairs,
the reports standing from "fair" to "excellent." An appeal from the
fiarment Workers of Louisville, Ky., who are locked out by the "Ox
Breeches Co.," was read and a committee appointed to call on mer
chants who may be handling the company's product.
Herman Bros., wholesale hatters of Lincoln, were reported as
handling a large line of non-union hats, many of them carrying bogus
labels. Mr. Flynn reported that the head of the firm refused to con
f,ider the idea of throwing out the bogus labels, declaring that he was
rfter the dollars and didn't care a rap about bogus labels or any other
kind of labels so long as the firm got the money. This matter is
mentioned in order that organized labor may know what to do when
it meets up with a retail firm that patronizes the Herman Bros."
jobbery.
A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE.
Union Men Would Do Well to Stop and Think About It a Minute
or Two. . .
Look here, Mr. Union Man! If an acquaintance of yours gave a
party and didn't invite you, would you have the nerve to go anyhow
merely because you were acquainted with the host? .If your neigh
bor's wife gave' a "pink tea" and did not invite your wife, would she
go anyhow, presuming on the fact that she knew the hostess?
Not much! Neither of you would be guilty of such a breach of
etiquette. You would not go where you were not invited, would you?
Well, how about trading with the Vnerchants who do not think
enough of your patronage to ask you for it? How about walking
into their stores and giving them your patronage when they failed
to send you an invitation and did send.it to another class? The
Wageworker strives to represent union labor in Lincoln. The mer
chant who advertises in these columns does so in order to invite
union men to his store. Why not go where you are invited, and
pass up the stores that tender you no invitaion as union men?
"O, Catchem & Skinem carry a good line of union goods," says
one.
To be sure. And Mr. Ronaldson DeSmyth served ice cream,
cake, champagne and cocktails, too, but he didn't invite you, although
you would like to enjoy those things.
But Fairplay & Goodservice also carry a good line of union
goods and they invite you to visit them. Why not accept the invi
tation? Do business with your friends. Patronize the merchant
who wants the trade of union men enough to ask for it through a
newspaper that tries to be of service to organized labor.
There are a number of clothing stores in town, and doubtless all
of them carry some union goods." But only two of them invite you
through The Wageworker to patronize them the Armstrong Cloth
ing Co., and the Lincoln Clothing Co. Why not kecept the invita
tion and pass up the stores that don't think enough of your trade to
invite it?
Stop and think of 'these, things a little bit. Perhaps you will be
Jible to see how the whole body of organized labor will be helped by
putting this little hint intd Active practice.
The courts decide that the "closed shop" is illegal. The courts
hold that a law fixing the length of. a day's work is unconstitutional.
And then the capitalists who have "pull" enough to secure the ap
pointment of judges hold up their hands in holy horror and complain
that the laboring men of the country "have no respect for the courts."
Isn't it truly awful?
With Ministers
formed, but insisted that nothing
show this, the chairman insisted, it
the city to exchange fraternal dele
wage earners affiliating with the
was held that since the resolution
fraternal delegates who would be
not prohibit the exchange and the
with the Ministerial Unions of
Now what can
THE PRINTERS
All Eyes Turned on Chicago for the
Beginning of the Struggle
The chief Interest in the struggle
for the eight-hour day is centering on
the situation in Chicago. The Chicago
raion's contract with the employing
printers expires in July, and the Ty
pothaete is framing up a fierce op
position to the "closed shop." The
Chicago Typothaete is strengthening
its lines in every possible place, and
the Typographical union is by no
means idle. It is generally recognized
among union men that the result in
Chicago will have a most important
bearing on the outcome of the na
tional struggle. If the Chicago print
ers lose out and they are getting in
shape for a great struggle it will
make the accomplishment of the in
ternational's object more difficult else
where. But if Chicago wins out the
work will be easier.
Next to Chicago St. Louis presents
the most interesting situation, and
then comes Omaha. The locals in
these cities are all active and mak
ing great preparations for the strug
gle.
B. W. Baney has taken out a with
drawal card and has gone to McCook
to accept work.
Mr. Wayne is a new sub on the
Journal. He came in from Fort Dodge,
Iowa,
Charley Righter has received the
bill for his new machine and expects
to have it in position before the end
of the month.
A new machine will soon be placed
in the Woodruff-Collins printery.
A. L. Gale, managing editor of the
Star and an honorary member of Lin
coln Typographical Union, has been
rusticating in the wilds of Texas for a
week. He accompanied the gover
nor's party to the Lone Star state.
"Farmer" Coffey and 'Agriculturist"
Mickel were welcome callers at The
Wageworker office Wednesday, bring
ing their own cigars with them. This
made their visit doubly welcome. The
session lasted from A to Z.
The race for delegate is remarkable
for its quietness. The only real in
teresting thing about the race is the
fact that there are three candidates.
At the meeting on May 7 candidates
for local officers for the following six
months will be nominated.
There will be but one more meet
ing before Memorial day and the
union Bhould take some measures to
appropriately observe the day. The
observance of memorial day last year
was a success, but this year's observ
ance Bhould be much better.
Printers are on strike at Meridan,
Conn. v
Bert Pentzer was making some im
provements on his sand hill farm in
Cherry county last week.
The Journal book chapel is now
working a night machine shift, and
Dick Arm is manipulating the iron
man.
Tom Dunn is taking a lay-off from
1 WHtN IT
it be that these men are
' f By Courtesy
his apprenticeship at the ' Journal,
pending the overhauling of his mill.
CAPITAL AUXILIARY
Interest in the Organization Is Grow
ing Greater All the Time
Capital Auxiliary'No. 11 met in regu
lar session at the home of Mrs. Brown
April 21. The meeting was largely at
tended. It seems that the interest
in the organization is growing, and
the members are taking a more active
part. Part of the business transacted
was the nomination of candidates for
delegates to the Toronto convention!
The election will take place at the
next meeting.
A committee was appointed to ar
range for the May social, and it Is
hoped that it will be as largely at
tended as the April social, which was
the largest in the history of the or
ganization. After the business meeting Mrs.
Brown served a dainty luncheon to
her guests. The next meeting will be
at the home of Mrs. Freeman, 1240
D street. ,
MRS. WATHAN.
THE PRESSMEN
Visited by a Delegation of Omaha
Press Feeders for a Conference
The Pressmen's and Assistants'
Union held a special meeting last Sat
urday night for the purpose of meet
ing with a committee from the Omaha
Press Feeders' Union. The Omaha
union is very anxious to get the Lin
coln and Omaha .scales somewhere
near equal, and their especial effort
was centered in securing a change in
the proposed Lincoln scale from time
and a quarter to time and a half for
overtime. The matter ( was discussed
in all its bearings, and the Omaha vis
itors assured that Lincoln union was
not laying down, although it was
pointed out that until the local was
recognized it was not timely to talk
about insisting upon any material con
cessions. After the conference was
ended a social time was enjoyed by
all present and the Omaha, visitors
were cared for in a manner that left
nothing to be desired.
The scale committee is still at work,
and while things are not progressing
as rapidly as hoped for, yet progress
i3 being made. It is generally ex
pected that an agreement will be
reached within a very few weeks.
The pressmen and assistants have
never been formally recognized in Lin
coln, and the union is now bending
every energy to secure it. The con
tract made by the Typographical
Union has materially aided ' in this
work and the local is happy in the
idea that it is making material prog
ress. Boost the Label.
If every member of organized labor
in this country would practice labor
and simple unionism for a period of
six months, there would not be a shelf
in a store in the country that would
not be teeming with union label
goods Coopers' Journal.
preparing for?
of The Progressive Printer.
THE CARPENTERS
Brother Hensley's Appointment Meets
With Hearty Approbation
The local Carpenters Union re
joices with Mr. Hensley in his ap
pointment by Mayor Brown as street
commissioner. Mr. Hensley was one
of four union men whose names were
presented to Mayor Brown with the
assurance that the appointment of one
would be gratifying to union men of
the city, and the selection of Mr. Hens
ley is a tribute to his standing and to
his ability. He has been an earnest
working member of the union for
many years, and those who know him
best are assured that he will give the
city good service and reflect credit
upon unionism.
The St. Joseph union reports i a
steady increase in membership and a
constant strengthening of the union
spirit. Conditions in the Missouri
town are datty growing brighter and
better.
Janesville, Wis., carpenters are on
strike. .
Washington, D. C, carpenters report
that conditions in the nation's capital
were never better.
Members of the Elgin, III., building
trades are on strike for recognition
by the contractors.
Two months ago the building con
tractors of Trenton, N. J., organized
( ,,., .
nounced with a flourish of trumpets
that no more union contracts would
go. . They then sat down and waited
for the unions to surrender. The
union men smiled and waited. Com
petent men refused to work and the
contractors began tearing their hair.
Finally one or two contractors broke
away. Then some more. Then came1
a stampede. The union men are all
at work under union contracts and
the incipient Parry association is a
thing of the past.
VAST IMPROVEMENTS
Nebraska Telephone Company Putting
Its Wires Underground
The Nebraska Telephone Co. i is
spending in the neighborhood of $100,
000 in Lincoln in the work of burying
its wires in the business and near-by
residence districts. The work is giv
ing employment to an army of la
borers and has increased work for
linemen.' .
The burying of the network of wires
will add vastly to the appearance of
the down town streets, and at the
same time increase the efficiency of
the service given by the Nebraska
Telephone Co. The work - is under
the immediate supervision of Manager
Thompson and is being pushed with
characteristic vigor. ,
Be a Real Union Man.
If you belong to a union, be a real
union man and demand the union la
bel. It will put an end to strikes,
lockouts and boycotts. Buffalo Progress.
Some More About
The Union Label
Members of organized labor are not the only ones who should
be concerned about the union label. Every lover of humanity should
take an interest in the;Work of pushing the label. Every lover of
health and personal comfort should take an interest in the work of
making the label universal. - ; : ' : . .
One trouble with organized -.labor and its efforts to makeT the
label popular is the lack of systematic , endeavor. Too much stress isV
laid upon the union end of it, and not enough upon the humane end
of it. Every woman with a heart big enough to feel a thrill of sym
pathy for her fellows ought to know what the label means, and it is
the duty of organized labor to teach such. ! Even the most chronic
bargain hunter would, if she were made fully aware of the facts, hesi-
tate before buying a wrapper or a night dress or underwear if she.
knew it was made in a room infested with the germs of tuberculosis,
typhoid, smallpox, diphtheria, or a thousand other diseases. And
yet that is the risk every woman takes when she buys such articles
made in "sweat shops." More especially would any tender-hearted
woman- hesitate to buy them if she knew that those articles were
made by the unrequited toil of helpless and hopeless widows, (starving '
children and toddling infants' whose eyes never saw a flower in
bloom or the green grass growing, and who never knew what it was
to be free from the pangs of hunger. The absence of the label means
that the goods might be and doubtless were, made under just such
conditions. The presence of the label is a guarantee that it was made
under healthful conditions by adult labor that received a fair wage.
Why shouldn't women in all walks of life take an interest in a move
ment that means so much for their sisters? If the humane women of
this land would stop for a moment and think of all the misery and
woe their bargain rushes cause their unfortunate sisters; if they
would pause for a moment and think of the cruelty inflicted upon
helpless children by their efforts to get "bargains," they would cer
tainly quit it and be willing to pay fair prices for fair goods made by
happy women under healthy surroundings. The woman whose at
tention is called to these things, and who pays' no attention but goes
right on profiting by the sweat and sorrows of her sisters' and the
hunger and grief of God's little ones, is not worthy the name of
woman. ' ' ,,--' . .-, : -. '- , '. b . : '.;.
'Good friends, the union label means a .whole. lot more than we
have been giving it credit for. It means more than temporary profit
it means hope and happiness for millions." , It means life to tens of
thousands. It means joy to thousands.of children, love to thousands
of mothers and new ambitions to thousands of despairing men.
If you are not insistently demanding the label you are untrue to ;
your obligations as a union man or woman. .If you are not insist
ently demanding the label you are untrue to your, fellows. : If you
are not preaching the virtues of the label to your non-union friends
you are not a proper missionary' and should receive a new baptism
of the union spirit.. . . , , ,
STAND UP
Here's a Way to Help Make the City Larger and More Prosperous
and It's' Easy. -' ,
There are not less than 10,000 smokers in the city of Lincoln. It
is safe to say that these smokers consume an average of three cigars
a day, or their equivalent in smoking tobacco. Inquiry reveals the
fact that only one cigar in sixteen smoked in Lincoln is made in Lin
coln. The money for the other fifteen goes olit, qf town to men who
live in other cities. ' ''"- r ' '''':
, Now, every cigar factory in Lincoln ' is union, but regardless of
your attitude towards unions, wouldn't it be better for all concerned :
if every smoker used the cigars,made in Lincoln? A Lincoln made .
cigar is just as good as any cigar made elsewhere that's a cinch.
There are about 40 cigarmakers in Lincoln, and they average about
$12 a week each. If every Lincoln smoker used Lincoln cigars it
would take nearly 400 hundred cigarmakers to keep them supplied
an increase of 3G0 men in this one trade, and an increase of $2,500 a
week in the volume of Lincoln's retail trade. ;. That would be $125,000
a year all made and spent right here at home. It would mean an
additional population of 1,200 or 1,500 people, all of whom would
patronize Lincoln merchants. That would mean more clerks, more
consumption of other Lincoln made goods, and more business all
around. ')''''. 1 ' '. " -y '' : V."
There should be enough home pride to settle'this point to Lin
coln's advantage, to say nothing about ridding yourselves of the
danger of smoking rotten cigars made in disease infested tenement,
shops in New York City and Philadelphia. If you don't call for a -union
made cigar because jrou are prejudiced against labor unions,
call for them because the label is a guarantee against the foulest dis
eases imaginable diseases that infest the coolies and1 scum , that '
manufacture the boosted cigars of the tobacco trust. Leprosy,' con
sumption, diphtheria, syphillis, and every other dread disease thrive
in the tenement factories where non-union cigars are made. Protect'
your own health by looking for the
town by buying home made goods.
STUFF AND
Why Shouldn't Andy Carnegie
for Nephew-at-Law?
Adrew Carnegie's niece recently married a coachman, and since .
then a lot of the boot-licking press has been saying soft things about
Andy because he congratulated the happy pair.
"I d rather have her marry a
is reported as saying, and then the boot-licking press took it up and
is saying beautiful things about the man responsible for Homestead-'
Why shouldn't he be willing for his neic to marry a coachman ?
He ought to beWoud of it, for it's dollars to doughnuts the coachman '
takes more genuine honesty and character into the Carnegie family
than any male member of the crowd has ever had. Isn't a coachman .
just as good as the pin-headed scion of a purse-proud millionaire
whos'e money was won by rank stealing under the guise of pu'r
chased laws? If the coachman Carnegie's neice married is'a young
man of average character we'd
than to take those of a multi-millionaire whose dollars "are tainted
with theft and stained by the blood and tears of working men and
women. We'd rather have a few friends point to us and say, "There's
an honest and industrious coachman," than to have the world point
to us and say, "There goes a man who accumulated millions of money
by bribery, collusion and special
millions wrung irom the sweat and
Andrew Carnegie has purchased a great reputation for philan
thropy by building big libraries, but every stone in them represents
a hungry workingman's child, the obs of a starving widow or the
despair of a man forced to the wall by brute strength backed by pur
chased privilege. The ghosts of Homestead's murdered victims
haunt every corridor in the Carnegie libraries. A reputation for
philanthropy bought by money accumulated like Carnegie's money
was accumulated may look good here, but there will come a time
when it will look like hell and it will be hell, too. "Be not deceived ;
God is not mocked." , 1
' Of course Carnegie ought to be proud to have a coachman marry
into the family. It's a cinch that the coachman's character will raise
the Carnegie average a whole lot.
" The corporations have scored again in the United States su
preme court. Supreme court judges are appointed for life. Elective
judges would have to answer to the people.' Appointed judges can
snap their fingers at the people. . . i; . ;rlUttKi.
FOR LINCOLN.
label. And then boost your home
Get into the game for fair!-
NONSENSE.
Be Willing to Have a Coachman
coachman than a duke, Carnegie
rather take his chances of heaven
privilege, and added thereto other
toil of better men. ' ;
.
i-