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" . ' A Newspaper with a Mission and without a Muzzle that is published in the Interest of Wageworkers Every where. -
VOL. 2 ' LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MARCH 2, 190( '" ' .' NO. 47 ;
- , ' ' ' . ., ' : " . I
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP IS COMING
Municipal Ownership Will Eventually Come to
Pass, and Now Is the Time to Secure Munici
palization of the' Street Railway Lincoln
Will Never Get Proper Service Until This Is
Done An Opportunity That Would Be Folly
to Lose.
Sooner or Inter the street railway must pass
under municipal control, and the sooner it is
the quicker the people will secure relief from
the present onerous conditions. Municipal own
ership is no longer considered communistic,' so
cialistic or anarchistic. ; On the contrary, the
most thoughtful economists are becoming a
unit in declaring that it is the rightful solution
of i vexed problem. If ever a city has been
driven to the point of desperation by the inso
lence Bnd arrogance of a public service corpora
tion that city is Lincoln. The Lincoln Traction
company has ignored the public's rights, evad
ed its duty as a taxpayer, given inadequate ser
vice and insolently .refused redress. Every re-
quest for better service has been met with a
threat. Its service is abominable, its taxes are
unpaid and the people who are entitled to some
consideration have been ignored with con
temptuous' indifference.
Lincoln has stood that sort of thing too long
already. Good lawyers express the Opinion
that the city now has an opportunity to secure
control of the street railway and operate it for
the benefit of all the people instead of for a few
people at the expense of all the people. If this
be true, it would be criminal folly to miss the
opportunity.
The street car service of Lincoln is miserably
inadequate. There are just about half cars
enough, and two-thirds of those in the service
are filthy, decrepit and archaic relics of a long
dead age. They are full of microbes, and are
as comfortable as a bed of shingle nails. The
hours of service are simply atrocious. Two
thirds of the cars are in the barns before mid
night, and the rest are there within fifteen min
utes after. The convenience of the people is
utterly ignored. The city ought to seize the op
portunity offered to acquire the whole outfit
and then run the street cars for the benefit of
all the people.. .
Municipal ownership of the street railway
should be the municipal battle cry right now,
and it should be kept up until the city owns the
street railway. Already the city owns tht,
water plant. After the street railway is ac
quired and under successful management the
other pub'-c utilities may be taken up. (
Hut municipal ownership is bound to come
The sooner it comes the better it will be for all
the people.
CIOAKMAKERS THE OLDEST.
They Outrank the Printers by a Little More
Than a Year.
Iast week The Wageworker, in speaking of
Lincoln Typographical Union, said that the
printers' organization is the oldest in the city.
II. Huette and A. P.. Herminghause, members of
the Lincoln Cigarmakers' Union, take excep
tions to this remark and claim that their union
is "the oldest. More than that, they offer the
proof. Lincoln Cigarmakers' Union No. 143
was organized in 1880, three years before the
printers organized. The cigarmakers, because
of some dissatisfaction on the part,of individual
members, gave up their charter, but reorganized
and. on September 28, 1882, received the char
ter which they now hold. This gives the cigar
makers about four months the best of it.
Messrs. Huette' arid HerminghaUs close their'
historical sketch by saying that they and all
other union cigarmakers wish the union print
ers abundant success, but believe that the honor
of precedence should be given to those to whom
it belongs. In this they are eminently correct,
and The Wageworker is glad to make the cor
rection. "
MISSED HER OPPORTUNITY.
The Woman Might Have Earned a Very Com-'
fortable Living With Eae.
Last, week the local daily papers, told, a sad
story "of a woman who was left destitute,' with
six or seven small children and an aged and
decrepit parent on her hands. Considerable
sympathy was. aroused, and kindhearted citi
zens at once went to her rescue.
We were inclined to be sympathetic at first.
Indeed, we did feel sorry for her, and had the
local aid society not taken the matter in .hand
and attended to the unfortunate woman 's wants
we might have done something. But .why
should any woman in Lincoln that is, any
woman in ordinary health be destitute? The
"daylight factory," wherein overall and work
tmirts are made, is constantly advertising for
help. It is a very sanitary factory, weir light
ed, superintended by a gentleman who is fore
most in religious gatherings, and the factory
itself was opened with prayer. It is a factory,
too, where only "free and independent" work
ers are employed. No union is allowed to dic
tate as to hours, wages or working conditions.
The kindhearted- superintendent will attend to
all of that. If he is in doubt about anything he
does hot stoop to consult with the employes
be prays over it. Usually the answer impels
him to give the factory a little the best of it.
io can ply a needle Or run a
ichine can obtain work
kindhearted Cliris-
jiadequate wages.
i he will give the
i -mz mi
women an opportunity' to earn all they get. !
And he does not ask his employes to do a day's
work in eight hours. lie is so liberal he allows j
them nine or ten hours in which to do it, and
the pay is so liberal that one woman recently ,
made .$2.42 by working only fifty-nine hours in.
one week. Surely in these'days a woman ought
to clothe herself and six or seven children, pay
rent, grocery and coal bills and put money in
the bank for a rainy day on such a munificent
wage as that.
Lincoln ought to be proud of such an institu
tion as this "'daylight factory." There are
other and similar factories here that ask local
support, but the "daylight factory" is the only
one that .was opened with prayer, and the only
one presided over by a gentleman who gener
ously pauses between prayers to pay a woman
$2.42 for fifty-nine hours work.
A WORD WITH THE "KNOCKERS."
And It Is With Reference to Employing Union
Musicians.
Before the Typographical Union's ball the
Lincoln Herald contained a paragraph to the
effect that the printers had employed a "scab"
orchestra, and a few. "knockers" took up the
assertion and used it to the disadvantage of the
ball. Three cowardly and mangy "knockers"
who did not have the courage, to give their
names, sent the editor of The " Wageworker
marked copies of the Herald.
We give the editor of the Herald the benefit
of the doubt, believing that he was imposed
upon. There is no musical union in Lincoln.
Every effort to organize such a union has failed.
It is admitted that there is an orchestra leader
who claims to be a member of the Omaha mu
sical unien, but the editor has never seen his
card. If he is a union musician hei certainly
has failed to evidence the fact by seeing to it
that the members of his orchestra joined the
union, and he has further failed to evidence the
proper union spirit by not being the prime
mover in the organization of a local Musical
Union. Two union printers belong to Reid's
orchestra, and as they have been promptly pay
ing the heavy assessment levied by the interna
tional, and as there was no union orchestra in
the city, the printers thought it no more than
right to give their fellow printers a chance to
earn a little honest monev. That is all there is
to it. The editor of The Wageworker cordially j
invites the three anonymous "knockers" to !
call at the office and maketheir little knock in I
person. -
FILLED THE WRONG HOLE.
Then the "Scab" Teamsters Had to Shovel It
All Back Again.
A load of coal, three nesrroes and a Daniels &
Co. wagon filled with coal. The load of coal
was destined for the Donnelly Printing Com
pany's coal receptacle. The negroes were
strangers in a strange land. They did not
know Donnelly's coal hole from Low's coal
hole, the nextdoor neighbor.. Donnelly's is a
non-union plant; Low's is a union plant. The
negroes didn't know. They took the cover
from Low's coal hole and filled it with Don
nelly's coal. They unloaded it all, only to find
that they had filled the wrong coal hole. An
effort was made to induce the Low company to
retain and use the coal, and while the firm prob
ably would have agreed to the proposition, the
fireman and engineer dissented. They refused
to use any coal brought in by strike breakers.
Here was a. dilemma. The coal reposed in
Jxw's coal hole and no fireman or engineer to
use it. . Mr. Jjow -.demanded. the space.'. Aftr
much unsatisfactory discussion between the in
terested parties the negro strike breakers were
permitted to shovel the coal through an eight
inch hole back upon the wagon. Our inform
ant says it took those three negroes the best
part of two days to replace the coal on their
wagon. Chicago Labor Bulletin.
JUSTICE AS ADMINISTERED.
The Crime Consists in Being Poor and Friend
less These Days.
Some real nice people have criticised The
Wageworker, for expressing contempt for certain-
judges and courts. They haATe accused
this little paper of breeding disrespect for the
courts and encouraging a spirit of anarchy.
The first charge in the accusation is quite cor
rect and Ave are glad of it. The last count in
the accusation is false. And if these nice peo
ple want a sample of the things that are making
us feel a contempt for courts, here it is.
Last week a ' priA'ate soldier in the regular
army, a man named Baily, was accused of hav
ing stolen a bugle from Uncle Sam's storehouse
at Omaha. Baily Avas arrested, taken" before
Federal Judge Munger and fined $1,000. Noav
Ave don't object to that particularly. But '
A couple of months ago a couple of rich cat
tle barons, Richards and Comstock, were
brought before this same Judge Munger,
charged with stealing a tract of government
land thirty-five miles Avide and seventy-five
miles long a tract larger than at least two
states in the union. They entered a plea of
guiltv and were fined
. THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH!
But the poor devil who stole a three-dollar
bngle was fined a thousand, dollars.
And yet some people wonder why the poor
and the oppressed have lost respect for the
courts and believe there is one kind of justice t
for them and another kind of justice for the
i ii. n
LINCOLN'S BIG PARK PROJECTS
Foundation Already Laid for a Park System
That Will Be a Splendid Advertisement for
the City's Enterprise and Public Spirit
Generous Citizens Lend Their Aid to the
Great Project Mayor Brown's Part Therein.
.That Lincoln does not "now have a magnifi
cent city park is no credit to the city or the
men who founded it. That Lincoln is to have,
in a comparatively short time, a magnificent
park system, is a credit to the city. If Mayor
Frank W. Brown had done nothing else during
his administration, his part in initiating and
carrying out a great park project would vindi
cate the judgment of the wage earners of the
city who rallied to his support and elected him
to the highest office within the gift of Lincoln's
citizens. Every time this little newspaper re
views the park plans it rejoices that it had
some little part in the election of the gentle
man who, as mayor, has taken such an active
and successful part in laying the foundations
of the great park Lincoln is soon to have. And
it believes that the wage earners of the city
feel the same way about it.
It was Mayor Brown who took the first step,
and with characteristic business enterprise se
cured the first land in the shape of the Sager
tract. In this move he, had the support of a ma
jority of the Council, and to this majority the
Avage earners. Avho are most interested, also
oavc a debt of gratitude. Then William J.
Bryan stepped forward and said. "There is a
nice 10-acre tract that would help out. You
get the city title to it and I'll furnish the mon
ey."' It took Mayor Brown about thirty sec
onds to close that deal when he got started.
Then D. E. Thomps on looked about and saAv
another fine tract that AArould add to the park.
"Get it for the eity and I'll foot the bill," said
Mr. Thompson to Mayor BroAvn. Another thirty
seconds sufficed for that. Then other citizens
donated lesser but equally desirable tracts, and
noAv the city has the ground for a park that Avill
in time excel anything in the city park line in
the entire Avcst. !
The A-orkiiigmen of Lincoln are particularly
interested in this great park project. They who
have made Lincoln whjvt it is today deserve to
have a resort to which they and their families
may go in search of the recreation they have
earned. They should be, and are, the ones most
A-itally interested in making the park system
something unusually fine. Lincoln has been
Avoefully slow in this park matter, but noAv that
an awakening has .come the interest should not
be alloAved to flag. It will take several years
to make the new park Avhat it should be, but in
the meantime the F street park is all right, and
its popularity should increase every day after
it is opened this spring. Let the park commis
sion provide it Avith benches, SAvings, refresh
ment booth and band stand, and let it be made
a huge pleasure resort for all the people.
GETTING READY FOR WORK.
Label League Preparing to Start a Membership
Campaign at Once.
The Woman's Union Label League met last
Monday evening, and in the absence of Mrs.
Kent, the president, General Kelsey occupied
the chair. Owing to the. inclemency of tho
Aveather the attendance Avas small, but the in
terest made up for the lack of numbers.
The most interesting feature of the meeting
was the preliminary steps for a "membership
campaign." Two captains were chosen to se
lect teams for a competitive campaign, and the;,
first selections -of aides made.: .. The. iapposing'
sides Avill be given in the next issue if the two
captains complete their work in time. Imme
diately after the teams have been selected they
will hustle out and look for new League mem
bers. The contest will be carried on for sev
eral weeks, and then will come the, final rally.
The team securing the largest number of new
members will be given a supper at the expense
of the losing side.
After' the meeting Secretary Schiermeyer in
vited the delegates present to attend a perform
ance at the Lyric, and most of those present
accepted the invitation. - '
PULPIT RAPS JUDGE HOLDOM.
Methodist Ministers Denounce Injunction as a
Menace to Free Speech.
' The Methodist ministers of Chicago have
told where they stand as regards the. infamous
injunction issued against the Chicago printers
by Judge Holdom, arid they have told it with
no uncertain sound. They met in regular
weekly session on February 19, and the Chi
cago Record-Herald of the following day con
tained this report of the meeting:
Judge Jesse Iloldom's attitude toward .labor
is un-American, contravening the right of free
speech, according to the Methodist ministers of
Chicago, who, at their weekly meeting yester
day adopted resolutions criticising the jurist
for his attitude in issuing an injunction against
Typographical Union No. 16 and its officers and
members.
The-resolutions were written by Rev.- J. H.
MaeDonald of the Oakland Methodist church,
and Avere referred to a committee of whieh Rev.
John Thompson of Grace Methodist church was
chairman. They expressed the .hope that the
injunction would be speedily dissolved, because
it '.'restrained f air-'-argument and persuasive
speech', "'-which .action the ministers declared
was a menaceHo individual liberty.
'. At the last previous meeting of the Methodist
ministers a week ago, E. R. Wright, president
of Typographical Union No. ''16, had declared
the ministers Avere not . fair to the striking
printers, because they had not taken a decided
stand. He said the printers had been peaceful
and laAv-abiding from the beginning' of the
trouble with the Chicago Typothetae, and that
the restriction of free speech by the courts was
a question in which the ministers should go on
record. He also said the dispute with the West
ern, Methodist Book Concern should be investi
gated by the ministers. . ,
Resolutions covering both subjects were sub
mitted to the meeting and were referred to the
committee on sociology, which considered them
for a Aveek. When Rev. Mr. Thompson report
ed yesterday's resolutions out of committee
there was not a dissenting voice. They Avere.
adopted unanimously, Avithout discussion:
The resolution dealing with the book concern
is still in the hands of the committee, as the
manager is out of the city and the committee
has heard only one side of the dispute.
PRINTER MEN WILL ELECT.
Lincoln Typographical Union Will Sleet Offi
cers Next Sunday.
Lincoln Typographical Union No. 209 will
meet in regular session next Sunday afternoon,
at which time it will select officers for the en
suing six months. Officers were elected three
months ago, but as it was done in violation of
the reA'ised constitution the officers-elect were
declared ineligible and a new election ordered.
The campaign for president is overshadowing
everything else, and friends of the opposing
candidates are making a huge hustle. F. C.
Greenley, . the present presiding officer, Frank
M. Coffey and II. W. Smith are the candidates.
There are no particular contests for the other
offices of the union. The election for interna
tional officers Avill riot take pl&ce until May,
and then there Avill be some Avarm doings.
All -members having tickets for the ball un
accounted for are requested to make settle
ment next Sunday afternoon. The editor will
undertake to attend to this matter. It may be
stated here that the ball was not a financial suc
cess, for reasons that need not be publicly men
tioned. But despite the herculean efforts of a
few the ball will entail no particular loss upon
the union. Socially it was the most successful
ball ever given. 1 II. W. Smith and Gus Rade
bach are entitled to the bliie ribbons for having
sold the largest number of tickets. There were
tAventy-seven printers present, which is a frac
tion more than double the attendance of print
ers at the union 's annual function.
The folloAving notes from the "T)ay Side" of
the Journal-NeAvs shop were contributed by' a
gentleman and a scholar and we wlBh' there
Avere more like him in the other chapels of the
city :
Miss Ethel Thorngate, former proof reader
on the- News, departed for Omaha Tuesday
evening, AA-here she has accepted a position in
the Western Newspaper Union proof room.,
When Miss Thorngate stopped to bid fareAA'ell
to her former associates in the news room she
was presented by the members of the chapel
with a fountain pen and a box of stationery,
and many were the Avishes of success iu her neAV
field of labor.
Machinist Ira G. Stephens spent Sunday in
Omaha. He states that. conditions in,that place
are looking good, and that No. 190 is presenting
as solid a front now--as the. day the trouble
started. ' ' ' .
Abraham Compton is now wrestling with a
Merg. on-the News. Abe expects to be able to
turn 'er 'round by the Fourth of July.
A majority of the dayside force resides in
northeast Lincoln Printerville and the
macks of industry in that section are many.
Gardening and poultry raising will be carriea
on very extensively this . summer, and each
evening the husbandmen ir$y be seen prancing
impatiently around the back lot, longing for
the balmy days of spring that they may get
busy with the hoe. Such joyous anticipation!
The Journal's big contract for printing the
supreme eourt report is making work qnite
lively on the book side. .
"Bill" '-Norton, is doing stunts in the News
aelroom these days. ..
It was a new "devil" in the News composing
room who, Avhile working among the turtles,
asked the foreman where he wanted "this frog
put."
That George Locker believes in starting at
the bottom and growing up with the business is
attested by a new hand made poultry "house"
in his back yard in Printerville. The structure
is built on the point system, and of nonpareil di
mensions, and not many nonpareils at that.
CAPITAL AUXILIARY NOTES.
Some Items from the First" Aid to the Typo
graphical Union.
Mrs. A. L. Compton is visiting with relatives
in York. .
A gunnysack would look better on a union
man's wife than a "rat" pattern.
No. 11 has about a half-dozen candidates for
the "goat ride" this week.
Mrs. C. B. Righter and son Charles are visit
ing in Kearney this week.
' Hoav about that union made soap ? It ''Knox"
the dirt and the "scab" soap factory.
The presence of every member at the meet
ings is an influence for good. Get the habit.
You'll enjoy it after a while.
It was noticed that- Mr. Fred Berge, business
manager of the Independent, was the only enw
plover at the union ball.
Mary Shepherd, of the Crete Vidette-Heralft
and Miss Nellie Robertson of Crete, were guelts
of Lincoln friends last week and attended tjjie
nn'nivpiKJirv hslll - - -A ; I
SOME LABOR HALL EXPERIENCE
A Minister Gives an Interesting Little Account
of Some Things Seen and Heard in
Where Union Men Gathered to Transact
Business for Their Organizations Rev.
Charles Stelzle's Observations Among the
Men Who Toil with Hand and Brain.
' "What's the use of talking about the moral
aspects of the labor question ?" indignantly de
manded a socialist at a meeting which I recent
ly addressed. "Don't you know that all sin is
due to poverty?" he continued. "Is that so,"
I replied, "then I suppose you would say that
all the capitalists are saints." -
There were abou,t a dozen of them Cigar
makers waiting in the anteroom for a special
'order of business. ' .
They Avere talking about various phases of
the social question, when the sergeant-at-anns
remarked, Avith emphasis: ''You fellows ought
to study the Bible if you want to learn some9 of
the greatest truths ever given mankind. Take
such sayings as Paul's as 4 Charity -begins at
home,' and 'Know thyself.' Are'nt they
great?" The crowd took it in very solemnly
as the learned brother gave them a little ser-,
mon on the mystery of the latter text. But if
there had been a mart in the bunch who had had
even a Sunday school scholar's training in the
scriptures, he might have made the speaker
feel like thirty cents, for neither of his texts
can be found anywhere in the Bible. ,
I was not responsible for the discussion, but
after I had finished my address, the boys began
telling me and the rest of the crowd why they
had given up going to church. I was naturally
very much interested in the reasons-presented,
although there really wasn 't a new thing said.
Finally, the business agent , of the brewery
workers remarked, with something of a blush :
''Well, I suppose you have all told the truth
about yourselves, but I Avant to say that I don't
go to church -any more because. I just plain
'back-slid.' " And his candid expression dis
counted several of the fancy -little speeches of
his brothers. .
He was long-whiskered, loud-mouthed, and I
he supported a bad breath. He happened to be
present because it was an open meeting. When i
he found his feet, he gave us some pretty good
advice from, his view point. . ;
He did say some fine things about the beauti-v
ful spirit of Jesus Christ, and he very earnestly
reminded us that he had accepted the teachings' j
of Jesus as the guiding principles ,of his life, i
But in the veryie3$t sentence, he detlared, with
fury: "If I had my Avay, I'd send every capi
talist to hell!" At the conclusion of this fiery
speech a very modest Avorkingman arose and
quetly remarked: "My brother, you had bet
.ter go home and learn your lesson over again.
You haA-en't quite caught the spirit of Jesus, if
oaaAi a.ist puy , (j 4noqB SapqiiB aou3 j
speaker. '. r -
A delegate was reporting for his local..
"We initiated five candidates at our last
meeting," he said, "and it required five differ-
ent interpreters to obligate them.".
I wondered what kind of a proposition it' ,
must be to get anything like harmony in that
labor union, even under,, ordinary circumstances.-
I thought, too, of the report of the
United States labor commissioner, in which he
declared that the labor union is doing more to
Americanize the foreigner than, any other in-'
stitution in the country. . '
DEATH OF H. P. STOVE,
Secretary of the Cigarmakers' Union
His Long Home.
II. P. Stine, secretary of the local Cigarmak
ers' Union, aiad one of the oldest and best
known unionists in the city, died at his home,
1427 f street, last Sunday, of dropsy. Mr.
Stine 's death was not wholly unexpected as he
had been 'ailing for some time, yet his "death
was' a shock to all of his friends, and he had a
great many, of them. For some time he had
been secretary f his local union and performed
good service. . He leaves a wife and : six chil
dren, to whom the sympathy of , every, unionist
in Lincoln is tendered. The funeral services
Were held Wednesday and the interment was
in the Jewish cemetery. Mr. Stine was a mem
ber of several secret fraternal organizations
and these; together with his union, were well
represented at the funeral. Organized labor
has lost, a good and influential member by the
death of Mr. Stine.
ENTERTAINED FRIENDS.
Visiting Newspaper Men - and Their Wives
Given a Little "Joust."
' Last Wednesday; evening, immediately after
the McCutcheon lecture, Mr. and Mrs. W. M.
Maupin entertained a few -friends at a "Dutch
lunch. ' ' The guests were visiting members of
the Nebraska Press association. Those in at
tendance were Mr. and Mrs. J. B, Donovan of
Madison, Mr. and Mrs. Harry. Tostevin of Oma
ha, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Reed of Shelton and
Mr. and Mrs. Hall of Lincoln.
The whple "history of newspaper making was
told and retold., and some side issues discussed
while sitnng'iafrountl a table. A couple of hour
s. Ai'ouuie oi nour
were pieasaniiy spent.
pUedto V