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i Tflc Wagewdrker j
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THE ' WAGE WORK
A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Everywhere.
VOT,. Q
LJCOLX, NEBRASKA, JUNE J), 1905
C )fc 3c )K Jfc
NO. !
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ER
Aii Open tetter to Voters o
To the Voters of the First Congressional District of Nebraska:
By the mutations of politics, you are called upon to elect a repre
sentative in congress at a special election to be held soon. Condi
lions confronting the people of this country today imperatively de
mand that you take careful thought upon-this matter, and endeavor
to select a representative who will represent you as a body in the
national congress, and not represent any faction or individual or cor
' porate interest. If ever there was a time in the history of this country
when partisan politics should be laid aside, that time is now. If ever
there was a time in the history of this country when the people
should have representation in congress to combat the influence of
the representatives of special and selfish interests that time is now.
Every great trust in the country is adequately represented in con
gress. Every great special interest, with one exception, has its care
ful, watchful and tireless representative in both house and senate,
and the one exception is the great body of voters whose toil and
sweat and endeavor have made the country rich and great and pow
erful. Is it not time that this great interest the people themselves
shall have some representation at Washington?
I am not a statesman. Neither am I a great orator nor one so
gifted of tongue as to be in demand at commencement exercises and
chautauqua gatherings. But I am deeply interested in the solution
of the great problems fronting the people I am not a politician, and
never could be for the very simple reason that I do not know how to
palaver and soft soap the dear voter and make him believe that I be
lieve as he believes when believing something else. What I think
and believe I am very frank to say something that a politician must
not do if he would be a successful politician.
I am a candidate for the democratic nomination for congress in
this district, not solely because I am a democrat, but because parti
san lines have been drawn and a nomination can come only from the
democratic party at this time. In announcing my candidacy I want
to write a platform for myself Not that the convention could not
write one, but because I believe I can write one that would fit better.
I am in favor of a radical revision of the tariff to the end that
protection be withdrawn from the great trusts and the benefits
spread out over more territory and more people. I believe that any
tari sufficient to raise the revenue needed for the government will
be ample protection, and a protection that will not make a few
Cajnegies and Rockefellers and Morgans and Schwabs and a mil
lion men without homes or opportunities, but will make millions of
opportunities and no Rockefellers and Morgans and Carnegies and
Schwabs whatever. "
I am opposed to spending millions wastefully on rivers and har
bors and neglecting the great highways over which the farmer must
haul his grain to market. I favor national provision for better road
ways. I favor the postal telegraph system, and the postal savings bank
system. I believe that the government should reserve to itself the
function of issuing money and not delegate it to others, and I am
opposed to the government hoarding up a great surplus at the ex
1 ense of all the people for the purpose of loaning it to favored banks
without interest in order that those favored banks may be able to
control the finances of the nation.
' I am opposed to a government "policy that spends $300,000,000
on an army and navy and less than $10,000,000 on the greatest in
dustry we have agriculture. If elected to congress I, will use my
utmost effort to bring about a better average between these things.
I am in favor of granting to the interstate commerce commis
sion the power to regulate freight rates, and if elected to congress I
will support President Roosevelt to the limit in all that he may do
to break the hold the railroads have upon the business interests of
the country and make them tote fair. I hold that a railroad pass
given to a public official is given for a purpose, and that purpose is
not to benefit the people whom the official was elected to represent.
Therefore I am opposed to the pass evil, and if elected to congress I
pledge myself not to accept any railroad passes, but to pay my fare
to and from Washington and collect my legal mileage with a clear
conscience.
I believe that the present system of paying for the transporta
tion of mail is rank robbery and a gross injustice upon the people.
The railroads that make a profit on carrying express do not deserve
to .be paid eight times as much for carrying the mail, pound for
pound, to say nothing of being- paid handsome rental for cars that
are furnished to the express companies without price. If elected to
congress I will do all that lies within my power to correct this gross
abuse and make the railroads carry the mail at a reasonable figure.
I believe in the right of labor to organize for its own protection
and advancement, and for the protection and help organization af
fords to members of the same craft. I am a union workingman and
carry a union card which, next to my country and my family I prize
as my chiefest possession. It naturally follows, therefore, that I be
lieve in the 8-hour working day, not to the end that my hours of
labor may be shortened, but that my fellow workman may the more
readily find employment by which to earn bread for himself and
those dependent upon him. As a mechanic I am opposed to the
hypocritical protection that boasts of preventing the pauper made
goods of Europe from coming into competition with the wares made
by American skilled labor, and then turns about and allows the
pauper labor of Europe to come in by the hundreds of thousands to
compete on American soil with American workingmen. The im
portation of ignorant hordes that can never be assimilated or Amer
icanized, merely to gratify the selfish lust of tariff barons, is re
sponsible for most of the great labor troubles that have afflicted us
of late. Far be it from' me to shut the gates against the worthy of
any land or clime, but if elected to congress I will endeavor to secure
the enactment of more stringent immigration laws and will demand'
a more rigid enforcement of the alien contract labor laws.
I believe that every man who knowingly violates a law is an
intentional criminal and should be punished as the violated law re
quires. I therefore believe that the rich men who have knowingly
and with criminal intent violated the Sherman anti-trust law should
be sent to jail just as speedily as the small criminal who has vio
lated the law "thou shalt not steal." If elected to congress T will, if
a congressman has any influence whatever, use every effort to land
a few gentlemanly criminals of the Standard Oil and Beef combine
kind behind the bars of the penitentiary.
A public official is but a public employe. Every employer has a
right to discharge an employe who is unfaithful or incompetent,
therefore I believe the employing public has a right to discharge an
unfaithful or incompetent employe. - For this reason I favor the
recall system which will enable the people to discharge a servant
who is rendering poor service.
I. believe in direct legislation that is, the right of the. people
to propose laws they want that selfish lawmakers elected by them
will not enact, and to veto legislation that unscrupulous legislators
may seek to force upon them. This is the initiative and referendum,
which, is so honest, so simple and so just that only the dishonest or
the politically blind will oppose.
I believe in a system of taxation that will levy taxes in propor
tion to benefits received and not according to man's necessities.
e
IFSt I
1
I believe that public utilities should be publicly owned and ad-
ministered for the benefit of the public.
Just now I am very much more interested in restoring freedom
to this country than I am in bestowing freedom upon other coun
tries; therefore I am opposed to spending millions needed at home
in keeping a huge army at work pacifying Filipinos who seem to t.e
laboring under the opinion that as a people they have as much right
to be free as any other people. I believe that the old flag for which
my father fought is too almighty good to float above any people who
would not die to defend it from assault. ' - V
I believe that every man should strive to make himself able to.
defend his own fireside, but I am opposed to the idea of a man load
ing himself down with big sticks or big guns and swaggering around
like a big bully in school, threatening dire results to any or all that
max question his right to be It. To my mind this?cbuntry's mission
is something higher and nobler than to be an international policeman
with a locust club or an international collector! of bad debts. ' ,
I believe that the man who will not submit his disputes with a
neighbor to arbitration should be made to do so, and that the same
rule should apply between organizations and between nations. I am
therefore in favor of a national arbitration commission with power
to procure books and papers and compel the attendance of witnesses.
I do not favor legal compulsion in the matter of accepting the find
ings of this commission, believing that public sentiment would be
far more effective, and that neither of the parties tb the questions at ,
issue could afford to affront that sentiment by refusing to acquiesce
in the verdict. , ' . ;.
These are my sentiments expressed as briefly as possible. No
one has asked me to be a candidate. I do not flatter myself that the .
eyes of the people are turned towards me or that their lips are fram-
ing me giaasome remark, "He hold a Moses to lead us out of the po
litical wilderness !" As a matter of fact, I do not want to be a Moses,
for I read in the Good Book that Moses failed to "set there.".
set
I have many reasons for harboring the desire to go to Wash
ington. Among them might be enumerated the following: '
I would like to experience the feelings of a real live congress
man without feeling as big as the Average congressman. .
I would like to be in a position to take an official whack at some
of the big evils that have been visited upon the people by selfish
interests that work without the fear of God or the love of man.
I would like to draw a congressman's salary for about two years
or more. " '::''?-4f., , - .
I would like to see the mechaniche organized workingmen of "
the country, represented in congress ;fbjt, a craftsman . who knows
how to work for himself with; his hands' Jar better than he knows
how to work other people by his w'itsvii
If nominated I will do my best tb bcf-elected, and if elected I will '
do my level best to represent all the. people and not the private inter- '
ests. of a few of the people. ,." '
If neither nominated nor elected, I will not shed 'any tears but
go right ahead striving to earn an honest living and taking comfort
in the fact that I gave the people an opportunity to elect a man who
would think of their interests and not devote his whole official time,
to thinking of selfish interests antagonistic to the people's interests.
If you want a representative , in congress who thinks more of
his party than he does of the general good, I would advise you not
to nominate me. . , , -
Conscious of the rectitude of my intentions, and willing to sub
mit the whole matter to the people most interested, I am,
Yours hopefully, 1
WILL M. MAUPIN.
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AGAIN "HOLLERS" FOR HELP.
Lincoln Overall and Shirt .Factory .Pleads .for Protection in Its
v Business.
The Lincoln Overall and Shirt company is again "hollering for
help." After the fire which destroyed its plant last winter. Manager
L. O. Jones made a tearful appeal for financial help on the ground
that it was a Lincoln institution employing Lincoln workers, and
therefore worthy of help. At that time The Wageworker made a
fe wremarks concerning the kind of "indusry" it was. Taking Mr.
Jones' own figures it was demonstrated that this companynon
union, of course paid an average wage of $6 a week, and in the
average was included the Superintendent, the foremen and fore
ladies, traveling representatives, and all. '
What the wage of the girls who run the machines may be is
better left to the imagination. Manager Jones is an ardent oppon
ent of labor unions, being of the opinion thac "Anicrcan workingmen
women should be free and independent," and not "slaves of tyranni
cal unions and venal walking delegates." Of course Manager Jones
takes no thought of the fact that if he employed union help he would
have to pay more thin an "average of $0 per week."
The Lincoln Overall and Shirt company is now threatened with
the competition of convict labor, and it make a ptea for help. It
does not want, to be forced into competition with the labor of con
victs. We do not blame it. And under any circumstances we hasten
to echo the protest. But we'd feel more like jumping in and helping
:f the Lincoln .Overall and Shirt company paid better wages to its
"free and independent employes."
Of course, convict competition wou'J injure the Lincoln Over
all and ShirC company's business. So ,too. it injures the business of
the law abiding makers of brooms but the stockholders of the Lin
coin Overall and Shirt company do not seem to care a farthing for
the. broom makers. They "holler" about convict competition be
cause the cheap labor of convicts will enable the prison contractor
to undersell them. But they seem to overlook the fact that by their
sweat shop system they are enabled to undersell the manufacturers
11 who pay living wages and have work done under fair conditions.
' In view o fthe fact that other overall and shirt factories are
running profitably although paying the union scale and working the
short hour day, we see no necessity for tearing our union made
shirt and our union made pantaloons in a desperate toffrt to befriend
a concern that works long hours and pays sweat shop wages.
. Mr. Carnegie has just given $10,000,000 to establish a pension
fund for college professors. The money was a small portion of the
vast amount he wrested from honest toil by the us of special
legislation often purchased from venal lawmakers.
Can you imagine what the condition of the laboring men and
women of this country would be today had there never been a
labor union?.
-joooocoocooocxxxxxy
OPEN MEETING CENTRAL LABOR UNION
TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 13, 8:15 O'CLOCK
Theodore W. NcCultogh, of Omaha, will speak In defense of "The Union or Closed Shop Con
tract." Mr. McCullogh is managing Editor of the Omaha Bee and a member of Omaha Typo
graphical Union. He should be greeted by an immense audience. Everybody invited. Free.
5cocoooococoooc
GENERAL MENTION.
Some New Notes Picked Up at Home
and Abroad for Your Perusal.
The largest line of union made shoes
in the city at Rogers & Perkins.
Rogers and Perkins lor union made
shoes.
Patronize Wageworker advertisers
and tell the merchant the reason. It
always helps.
The fad for imitation stone has had
one good result it has made work for
the stonecutters.
The International Stonecutters have
Issued a new traveling card which is
the handsomest thing of the kind ever
seen.
Do not forget the open meeing of
the Central Labdr Union next Tuesday
evening. T. W. McCullogh of Omaha
will be the principal speaker.
Stonecutters are warned to keep
away from Itchlca, N. Y., amd Mem
phis, Tenn. The strike at Rock Glenn,
N. Y., has been satisfactorily settled.
By purchasing Lincoln made cigars
you add to the city's prosperity and
patronize Lincoln citizens who are in
terested with you in making Lincoln
a better city.
St. Joseph's labor carnival opened
up Monday, and it has proved to be
one of the biggest things ever pulled
off by organized labor in the Missouri
valley.
Bert Wilson, foreman of the Western
Newspaper Union, has been ill for a
week, but is now) convalescing. .
The Wageworker apoligizes for the
shortage of news matter last week,
and for the several "bulls" in the
makeup. It has no apology, however,
for the handsome line of advertising.
The St. Joseph Union of last week
came to hand with eight pages of
seven columns each, and forty-two of
the fifty-six columns were filled with
advertising matter. We're glad of It.
Shelby Smith, Indicted by the inter
national officers of the Typographical
union, was not only acquitted, by the
trial board, but was elected delegate
to the international convention at Tor
onto. There promises to be something
doing in Canada next August.
SUBLIME NERVE.
Ask Him.'
When you hear a Union man com
plaining of the scarcity of work or low
wage scale, ask him if he is wearing
Union-made clothes and patronizing
none but Union people. If he Is, then
the other fellow is to blame, for the
lack of patronage of our own wares is
the cause of all our . troubles. New
Brunswick Federatlonlst.
And Perhaps That is What Makes a
Successful Labor Paper.
Last week The Wageworker rat
ceived a copy of a labor paper pub
lished In a far eastern state with the
request, "please exchange." The pa
per in question is a handsome one,
and it contains several articles of
great merit. We admit this because
the articles were stolen bodily from
.4.
The Wageworker and reproduced with
out credit. To all appearances the ar
ticles are original with the aforesaid
exchange.
If this is not deliberate' and malic
ious "scabbing," what is? The Wage
worker does not pretend, to be the
greatest and best labor newspaper in
the world, but it does pretend to be
honest. Every line not credited in
this modest little labor paper is orig
inal with the editor and don't you
forget it. It may not be worth much,
but if it is good enough to be repro
duced in other papers it is good
enough to be credited and don't for
get that, either. We are of the opin
ion that it requires a sublime nerve
to deliberately steal another man's
product and then offer to trade it back
to him for some morof his prodifct.
THE ELECTRICAL WORKERS.
Preparing to Have a Splendid Social Time at Their Hall "on Mon-
day Evening, June 12.
The Electrical Workers' Union of Lincoln is preparing "for a:
social time at the hall on Monday evening, June 12. -The object is '
to cultivate more sociability between the members of the union and
their wives, and to interest the non-union members of the craft in
the union. The union men have invited the non-unionists to meet
with them and enjoy the evening, and the intention is to show them
by force of example that it is a good thing, socially, morally amL
financially, to be inside of the union fold. r ' "', "'
The social will not be a public affair, but the members'of the "
union will invite particular friends. A goodv program is being pre-.
pared, and good music will be provided for those who care to dance.--.
Every electrical worker in the city, union and non-union, should
make it a point to be there, for he who misses it is going to miss
something that those present will remember wtih pleasure for a '
lifetime. . - .- '
'I
OPEN MEETING OF JHE CENTRAL LABOR UNION. - .
On Tuesday evening, June 13, the Central Labor Union will . ,
hold an open meeting at;C. L. U. hall, on which occasion Theodore
W. McCullogh, of Omaha a union man oil thirty years standing, ; , ? .
will deliver an address on 'The Union or Closed Shop Contract." t "
The Wageworker takes especial pleasure in recommending Mr.v
McCullogh as. 'a man amply .able to defend the cause of unionism, , .
and as a man worthy -of the hearty co-operation of all genuine r ; i i
unionists. ' A few weeks ago Timothy J. Mahoney,1-attorney for the; 1 1
Omaha Business. Men's association, addressed the Omaha Central j . ?
Labor Union and defended the ''open ."shop". -The "address -was i f
published broadcast throughout the country. Mr. McCullogh, w!m: $
is managing editor of the Omaha Bee, has prepared a defense of, he f -j ,'i
closed shop, and no one in this section of the country is -better
able than he to meet and overthrow the arguments of the versatile -
and shrewd Mr. Mahoney. ,,' '
Every union man in Lincoln, and. every non-union wage earner
as well, should be present on June 13. The meeting is free to. alL.vv-v
and everybody will be cordially welcomed. v v ' .
' ; ,' i -J '
When the policy of the Urfion Busters' Association builds ai-
hfiome like the one the printers7 have at Colorado springs we wiij
iegin to think that the supporters of the unoin busting game are
fcnselfish in their aims. y- ' f:
Tiirlrrp fli rist in n C r&.ohlsaat of riiiraorn is mprelv oavmST tne
j Ut - - r " - 1 - , y
orporations for having secured his elevation to the federal bench.,
What unionism needs is a larger number Of consistent unionists.
J