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J-a U i-1 J 1 -l U LU U V J 1 U V U LI.U AVI I I I A
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A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interestof Wageworkers Everywhere. ;
VOL. 2 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, DECEMBER 15, 1905 . 7 NO 3.
7
'S PIPE DREAM
By Liberal Whiffs at the Dope He Sees Some
Wonderful Victories Already Accomplished
by the Union Busting Association When
the Pipe Goes Out Isaac Will Wake Up and
See Things in a Different Light.
In the December of the "World's Work," a
magazine published by Doubleday, Fage & Co.,
Isaac F. Marcosson lias a long article entitled
-The Fight for the Open Shop." To read the
.Marcosson Effusion one would imagine that
the unions were already out of business. The
article is so full of palpable falsehoods, so rife
with erroneous assertions and so permeated by
prejudice that it can be of little help to the
union busting crowd. If the union smashers
can not find any better literary genius than
Marcosson to secure publicity for their cause
they are in bad shape indeed.
. According to Marcosson the Teamsters' Un
ion of Chicago is only a mere shadow of what
it was. According to indisputable facts the
Teamsters' Union of Chicago is stronger than
ever. Mr. Marcosson goes into detail con-
corning the Employers' Teaming association
and explains that it is a corporation organized
by members of the Chicago Employers' asso
ciation, among them being Montgomery Ward
& Co., Marshall Field & Co., and others. He
says that this teaming company has made the
Teamsters' Union very humble and destroyed
its power for harm or usefulness to the team
sters themselves. Then he says that this com
pany has 150 teams. As there are 35,000 team
sters in Chicago one often wonders how much
effect a little bunch of 150 'scab" teamsters can
have on such a huge organization. Clearly
.Mr. Marcosson's pipe has a good draught. And
then he quotes the managers of the Employers'
. 'Teaming association as saying: "We could
do three times as much business if we had the
teams."
Well. Montgomery Ward and Marshall Field
together are worth $300,000,000, and both
are stockholders in the company doubtless
they could raise money enough to buy a few
more teams. Why don't they do it? Clearly
Air. Marcosson isn't half earning his money.
In another place Marcosson says: "Take the
clothing trade, one of Chicago's largest indus
tries, for another example. Three years ago
all the shops were closed. Now they are all
open.''
Mr. Marcosson is evidently a superficial ob
server or else a very untruthful man. The
clothing shops are not all open. Kohn Bros.,
one of the largest manufacturers of clothing
in the United States, are located in Chicago,
and (their shop is union from cellar to garret
a closed shop. Mr. Marcosson let his pipe
go out for a minute or two.
Then this veracious chronicler refers to Gen
eral Otis of the Los Angeles Times. They all
do. He quotes Otis as saying of the strike on
the Times: "It was not for wages but for
the control of our business and the domination
of our property."
The same silly old lie. The men struck be
cause Otis arrogantly refused to give them
any voice in the disposition of their labor. And
asking as the printers can herd most of the
long-tailed "rats" in the Otis office the Inter
national Typographical Union will not worry
much. Most of the "rats" are in the Otis
shop, and as Los Angeles is 500 miles from
anywhere the aforesaid "rats'' are not doing
anybody any particular harm, least of all the
Typographical Union.
'.Marcosson says that "organized labor is now
on the defensive instead of on the offensive."
We are willing to leave that to the Typothaete.
He further says that "the labor agitator has
. been taught to respect the law." Labor union
ists have always respected the law they have
refused to respect venal courts.
He tells about the schools opened by the
Typothaete to teach girls how to run typeset
ting machines. He neglects to tell what an ig
nominious failure every one of these so-called
schools has been. He fails, too. to state that
while member after member of the United
Typothaete has deserted that organization, not
one Typographical Union has been false to the
eight-hour day cause.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Marcosson's article
is so full of falsehood and misrepresentation
that it is actually humorous when it pretends
to be serious.
CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
Will Hold a "Rally Meeting" in January to
Stir Up Dilatory Unions.
The Central Labor Union had a larger at
tendance than usual Tuesday night, and a gen--ral
feeling of enthusiasm was manifest. On
motion of H. W. Smith it was decided to make
the first meeting night in January a "rally
night" and a committee was appointed to go
around among the union men and women of
the city and get them out to this meeting. It
will be open to all unionists.
It was decided to send a committee around
to the various local unions and urge them to
send delegates who would attend to business.
Smith. Pentzer and Johnson were appointed to
do this work and requested to visit every union
possible and awaken a renewed interest in the
central body. '" '
President Caster presided lor the first time
mi two months, having completely recovered
irnm an illness that kept him-indoors a long
time. He was warmly welcomed. He criti
cized the committees that never report and
ike r;
said that it was time to compel committees to
get out and hustle a bit.
The delegates expressed themselves as deter
mined to have an organizer of the Federation
in this district, and it was unanimously decided
to make an immediate demand for one and ask
the other central bodies in this district to join
in the demand. The labor temple committee
reported progress and was given more time.
Some encouraging reports for union labor were
made and the delegates present appeared to be
well satisfied with the reports.
The following unions were not represented,
at the meeting: Bartenders, Bricklayers, Plas
terers, Lathers, Pressmen, Plumbers, Stereo
typers, Bookbinders, Locomotive Engineers,
Stationary engineers.
THE CARPENTERS.
Some Brief News About the Knights of the
Saw and the Plane.
At Tuesday's meeting the following officers
were elected :
President, J. W. Emberson.
Vice President, A. B. Atterbury.
Recording Secretary, C. H. Chase.
Financial Secretary, J. M.' Schuler.
Treasurer, Rosswell Shepard.
Conductor, Frank Binder.
Warden, L. A. Ilgen.
Trustee to fill vacancy, Ed Dullanty.
Auditor, L. A. Jenkins.
Delegates to C. L. U., G. F. Quick, Charles
S. Smith, A. A. Callahan.
Three applications were acted upon and four
candidates initiated.
The committee on open meeting and enter
tainment reported recommending a program
which they were given full power to carry out.
Particulars will be given later.
The committee on badges introduced sam
ples for inspection of members and gave prices.
The matter was again referred to the commit
tee to obtain prices on 75 or 100 badges.
The auditor's report was received and re
ferred to the trustees.
A new steward blank was adopted and the
committee on stewards' reports was instructed
to have l.ooo printed.
The chair appointed the following members
to investigate the expediency of building a
hall : J. W. Emberson, G. F. Quick, C. H.
Aasc.
A permanent sick committee was appoint
ed as follows: John Robinson, chairman, 229
North Twelfth ; A. L. Ilgen. 729 North Tenth ;
Xels Nelson, 133G O: J. W. Jewell, 1020 Q; H.
B. Atterbury, '.'005 Vine. Any member know
ing of a sick or injured brother will please
make the same known to any member of the
committee.
The wife of Bro. O. H. Say has recently un
tcrgonc an operation for appendicitis. She is
said to be doing nicely.
The business agent has a few of the Her
cules clamps on hand.
We now have a few idle members.
A CONGRESSIONAL FOUR-FLUSH.
Introduces a Bill Calculated to Tickle but Not
Help Railroad Men.
The 'Washington dispatches convey the in
telligence that Congressman Norris of Nebras
ka has introduced a bill to prevent the em
ployment of railroad men beyond a reasonable
number of hours at a stretch. His bill provides
that any railroad engaged in interstate com
merce cannot require or permit any conductor,
brakeman. engineer, fireman, train dispatcher
or telegraph operator who has worked con
tinuously for twelve hours, except in cases of
casualty or unavoidable emergency, to again go
on duty or perform any work until after eight
hours of rest. The violation of this law is
made a misdemeaor, punishable by a fine of
$5o for each offense. The interstate commerce
commission is directed to enforce the provis
ions o fthe act.
That sounds very good but it will not de
ceive the railroad men. In the first place rail
road men are not compelled to go out after a
long stretch of work, having the right to claim
time for rest. In the second place there is no
possible chance for the Norris bill to become
a law. In the third place, the introduction of
the bill will serve no good purpose, but will
have the effect of interfering with legislation
that would be of material benefit to the em
ployes of railroads. Congressman Norris is
mistaken if he-thinks that the railroad men in
his district arc so silly as to be deceved by
anv such antes.
NEW YORK TRUCK DRIVERS.
Three Hundred of Them Strike Against the
Team Owners' Association.
A general strike of truck drivers was begun
in New York city Monday lastjv.320 union
teamsters quitting work before, noon. The
strike is against the team owners' association
which employes several thousand drivers and
does most of the heavy trucking in wholesale
districts and about the steamship piers. It
resulted from a resolution last night of the
Teamsters' Union calling a general strike un
less the owners immediately forced their non
union employes to join the union. Police
men were placed on many wagons with non
union drivers today. ,
Police Commissioner McAdoo said today he
feared lSiOOO drivers would go out on strike.
In anticipation of . this he lias ordered all po
lice reserves in ; Manhattan in their station
houses tonight.
MAKER AND EXECUTOR OF LAW
Another Sample of How Federal Judges Enact
Laws and Then Act as Judge, Jury and Ex
ecutive and Send Men to Jail Without Giv
ing Them a Trial by Jury Such as is Guar
anteed the Vilest Criminal. .
Federal Judge Smith McP'nerson is another
judge who holds office for life and is there
fore not responsible to the people but only to
big corporations and influential powers
that secured his elevation to the bench. In
court at Keokuk, la., a few days ago he ren
dered a decision in a contempt case, sending
three men to jail for four months and fining
another $25. The convicted men were found
guilty of violating an injunction issued by
Judge McPherson and jailed iike common
thieves or murderers, only they were not given
the same treatment accorded to the meanest
felon. They were denied a trial by jury, but
were jailed by a judge who first' made the
law, then executed it with charming disregard
of the guaranteed right of trial by jury.
The history of the case is as follows : In
May, 1904, the employes of the Atchison, To
peka & Santa Fe railroad at Fort Madison, la.,
were locked out by the management this action
being taken to forestall a strike. Immediately
after the lockout the railroad managers ap
peared before Judge McPherson and secured
the usual injunction against the striking work
men. This was a blanket injunction and is
familiar to union men long before this. In re
strained the locked out men from doing about
everything save eating, sleeping and breath
ing the air that surrounded the plaintiff's shops.
It seems that the locked out men immediate
ly ceased picketing when the restraining order
was issued, but immediately employed men of
their own number to watch and report the
names, etc., of non-union men imported by the
company. This was declared to be a violation
of the injunction. Accordingly four men, Ran-,
dall, Neyer, Hult and Morley, were arrested
on the charge of contempt. Judge McPherson
examined the men himself, but did not give
them a hearing before a jury. He merely fol
lowed precedent and first announcing himself
as prosecutor proceeded to try and sentence.
"If judicial proceedings are to be sneered at,"
said Judge McPherson, "courts ought not to be
tolerated, because whenever courts fail to
do their duty or have their proceedings re
spected, they become farcical."
We heartily agree with Judge McPherson on
this point. But we, perhaps, go further, and
declare that judges like Smith McPherson are
responsible for the growing contempt and dis
respect for the courts, and that such courts
are rapidly becoming intolerable to people who'
still cherish the old-fashioned belief that men
shall not be deprived of their liberty without
due process of law. In deed and in truth, such
courts are rapidly becoming farcical.
"I know in advance," said Judge McPherson,
"how these decisions will be regarded by the
ignorant and vicious, and how the court will be
misrepresented."
Judge McPherson makes a very pretty plea
for support, doesn't he? But if he imagines
that only the "ignorant and vicious" are stirred
up by the despotic actions of federal judges he
is as sadly mistaken as to public opinion as he
is ignorant of individual rights under the con
stitution. Better lawyers than Smith McPher
son have denounced "government by injunc
tion," and men as intelligent, as patriotic and
as honest as Smith McPherson ever was have
expressed their detestation of the un-American
idea of depriving men of their liberty at the
mere whim of a man clothed with judicial
power and anxious to repay his corporation
friends for the part they played in his eleva
tion. In his decision in this peculiar contempt case
Judge McPherson said:
"I was in hopes that at this hearing,
which occupied nearly a full day, largely
by hearing testimony, that it would appear
that my admonition, in my opinion, had
been heeded, and I am glad to say that in
my judgment, Mr. Randall has heeded, in
the main at least. There is no showing
here, since my opinion was made known,
that he has been engaged in any violation
of the restraining order, and it is with '
much satisfaction that I announce that I
will only subject him to a nominal pun
ishment of a fine of $25, while I am com
pelled to administer something like a
substantial punishment on the other
three."
This reminds us of the newly appointed Irish
policeman: "It is not because Oi hate yez
that Oi bates yez, but t' show me awtooriety."
After declaring that Randall was not guilty he
proceeds to administer a fine of $25, doubtless
for the mere purpose of showing that he has
the authority. Judge McPherson then con
cludes by saying :
"These parties and all others mist un
derstand, and they will understand, either
by information from this court, or from
other sources, that this government of ours
is one of law, that the peaceable men shall
be protected, and that the lawless men
. must pay a penalty. It is for others to
say whether or not they will take, warn
ing, or whether they will interrogate to
themselves the pretended right of so con
ducting themselves as to take, not the law,
but contempt for the law, into their own
hands."
We admit that the intention of the republic's
founders was that this should be a government
of law-s-a government of laws duly enacted by
men chosen for the sole purpose of enacting
laws. But it has come to pass that it is a gov
ernment of -the people by ukase of a federal
judiciary appointed and controlled by arro
gant corporations. Federal Judgs Munger
gives Bartlett Richards a nominal sentence of
six hours in the custody of the United States
marshal for stealing 212,000 acres of govern
ment land. Federal Judge McPherson gives a
laboring man lour months in jail for violating
an order of his court. It is a greater crime un
der present day conditions to violate a federal
judge's order than it is to steal 212,000 acres
of land. For two years the United States has
been vainly trying to bring Armour to justice,
but it took only thirty-six hours to apprehend,
try and sentence to the penitentiary a couple
of poor devils charged with trying to blackmail
Armour. , Armour holds up and robs the" public
of millions, and can not be brought to book.
But a poor devil who tries to hold up Armour
for a paltry thousand or two soon finds himself
behind the bars. . .
And yet federal judges like Smith McPher
son command respect for their courts and peo
ple wonder why there is a growing disrespect
for the courts.
THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY AS AT
PRESENT CONSTITUTED IS A MENACE
TO OUR FREE INSTITUTIONS.
SHALL AMERICA BE RUSSIANIZED?
A Friendly Daily Paper Calls Attention to a
Menace That is Growing.
You are startled at what is taking place, in
Russia. Five hundred years ago the people of
Russia were free. They held district meetings
and national meetings. Their czar listened to
their demands and granted them. They lost
their liberty by Weing separated by being
beaten in detail. . They sank in a condition of
slavery that made African chattledom in com
parison a delight. Now they are struggling
to get back what they have lost. .
Thus injunction after injunction has taken
away from the man who toils in the sweat of
his face his right to property, liberty and hap
piness. Labor is his property. Now, in this
year the right of assemblage and of free speech
are denied to an organization of workingmen
on the application of an organization of em
ployers after two-thirds of the employers have
agreed to what the workers ask.
You destroy the prosperity of the working
class and you strike a vital blow at the life
of this nation. ,
These printers want what every other honest
workingman wants decent hours and decent
wages for all. They are seeking to elevate the
standard of living among workingmen. They
are trying to get away from the conditions that
are prevalent when workers wore iron collars.
The result of this injunction is to paralyze
one branch of the producing classes for the ad
vantage of a class that buys labor at the lowest
possible price and gives to the seller no voice
in what he has to offer.
You destroy unions and you break down the
last fortification against monopoly that is tak
ing over courts of law, legislatures, congresses,
councils, and will have an absolutely free hand '
if it can break the toilers into a disorganized
mob, and thus beat them.
The printers members of a trade that has
made possible the civilization we have and are
in danger of losing are an intelligent, edu
cated class of men. They are good citizens ;
they obey the law. Against them a rule of law
is turned that should go but one jump further
to denounce their union as a conspiracy.
It is time that the rights of the man who asks
nothing but a right to get a living wage and
living hours for his toil be defined in the last
courts of appeal.
There should be an appeal from this, injunc
tion issued by Judge Holdom.
The people of this nation still stand for the
liberty of every man and the right of every
man to the full enjoyment of his liberty, labor
and property. If the courts have so shaped the
law as to destroy any of these things the people
will see that the true intent of the framers of
the law is carried out. Chicago American.
WHY WAS IT NECESSARY?
If They are Good Union Men the Passing of
the Petition Was Useless.
It is learned from the Cedar Rapids, Ia.
Tribune that at" a recent meeting of the local
Typographical Union a petition pledging every
member to purchase nothing but union- made
goods "was endorsed, passed around and signed
by every printer present. .
We don't see anything in that announce
ment to arouse our enthusiasm. If those print
ers are good union men they have been buying
only label goods all their industrial lives. If
they are good union men it was, a. waste of
time to endorse and sign that paper. The mere
fact that they are union men should be suffi
cient guarantee that they purchase nothing
but union made goods. To endorse and pass
such a paper in a Typographical Union ought
to be a sinful waste of time that would be care
fully avoided. The idea of it being necessary
for a union printer to sign a pledge that he
will purchase only union made gopds ! It's
enough to make a genuinely union printer hang
his .head in shame. . , ,
GREAT TRADES UNION VICTORY
Open Shop Advocated Carry Their Case Into
Court and Meet With a Decision That Balld
Them in Their Efforts to Legally Crush the
Trades Unions A Decision That Carries '
' omfort to Unionists Everywhere. ,
The following interesting account of a court ,
decision favorable to trades unionism is taken -from
the Philadelphia Trades Union News.
The Wageworker calls especial attention to it
because it affords a gleam of sunshine in the
general gloom of court decisions against the
welfare of the producers of the country: '
Something over four years ago the Protect
ive Coat Tailors and Pressers' Union of New
York entered into an agreement with Morris
and Louis Cohen, contracting tailors, to fur
nish men for their shop, conditions that tiie
Cohens would employ none but members of the
union. , :
The union had previously had . agreements
with the firm, which the latter had violated as.
suited their whim, and in order that, they might,
be held to their promise the organization de-
manded security. The Cohens were unwilling
to deposit a cash forfeit, but gave a note -jf or
$200 as a guarantee of. good faith.
True to their instincts and their record, how
ever, the firm, after the contract had been in
force about a year, violated the agreement by
declaring for the "open shop" and employing
non-union men. .- ;
Suit was brought by the union on the $200
note and judgment rendered thereon in a spe
cial term of the supreme court in Brooklyn,
Judge Garretson presiding.
The Cohens appealed, basing their appeal on
the claim that the contract was against public
policy and therefore void.
The appellate division of the supreme court
of New York upheld this contention, reversing
the court below and directing a-verdict for the
defendants. ,
This decision was seized upon as a sheet an
chor by the National Association of Manufac
turers and its progeny, the local Mtmnfactur
ers association, the Citizens associations, the ,.
Trade Associations and the '. other combfrta- -tions
of employers. The "American Industries ,
devoted columns-to' thedissemiriation-ofthe 1
glad tidings that the union shop was illegal;
that contracts "providing for the union shop
were against public policy and therefore void ; .
that contracts for the union, shop being unlaw
ful were not binding in morals.
The union-hating newspapers all over the
country shrieked their approval of the decision.
From a decision that the contract was void
and non-enforceable,, because against public
policy, it was first interpreted by these mould
ers of public opinion as unlawful and later, by
the more rabid of the class, as criminal.
A Chicago judge even went so far as to de
clare from the bench that the New York" de
cision made a union contract a .violation of
criminal law and that both members of a un
ion and employers signing such ah agreement
might be prosecuted criminally.
But the Tailors' Union carried the case up
to the court of appeal's; the court of last resort
in the state of New York. That court has
handed down a decision concurred in by the
full bench, that the contract was valid and that
the Cohens, having violated its provisions,
must pay the note and the costs of the suit.
GOMPERS ON CHILD LABOR.
Frejldent of American Federation of Labor
Chief Speaker at" Big Meeting.'
Washington, Dec. 9. President Samuel
Gompers of the American -Federation of La
bor was the chief .speaker at today's session
of the national child labor commission. Mr. .
Gompers refuted the charge frequently made .
that the federation is' not sincere in its oppo-
sition to child labor and acts through selfish
motives. He declared that labor organizations
were the first and have been the most success .
f ul advocates of laws against child labor. With-?
out any outside help, Mr. Gompers said, or-'
ganized labor succeeded in having such laws .
enacted in Alabama, . Tennessee, Texas and
Oregon. . "
Laws protecting women workers have been
championed by organized labor. Mr. Gompers
mentioned the attacks which have been made
on labor organizations in the south for their
advocacy of laws protecting children and dis
cussed the conditions in southern factories. .
where negro children are excluded and white ;.
children are employed exclusively. The result.. .
is the-negro children are in school while the
whites work, Mr. Gompers declared, and the .
very men who disfranchised negroes are now
working great injustice to the whites of the
laboring classes.
Elbridge T. Gerry of New York, the leader
in the movement to protect children, was cruot
ed by Mr. Gompers as saying that the hope
for anti-child labor lies with organized labor,
which has been behind all the legislation so far
obtained. There is no division of opinion now,
Mr. Gompers said, as to the inadvisabihty and :
inhumanity of child labor, and he pleaded for
a concerted movement on the part of all friends
of childhood, a- .'
Felix Adler,'. of Columbia university, chair
. man of the committee, opened the session with
a plea for constant effort to better the condi- ,
tons of child labor.
, The general subject for the day was legisla-
L'tiqn. lor. the District of Columbia. . . . :