L3o tci
VOL. 3
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MAY 25, I90(i
NO. 7
n r l l ApjruNcjLi) p J
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Some Union Literature
Well
Some writers and orators, who
4k now less about the labor question
than they do about the north pole, de
clare that trade unions destroy per
sonal liberty and keep all the workers
down to "a dead level of sloth and in
competency." This is just as true as to say, that
the seats in a street-car destroy the
liberty of the passengers to stand up.
There never was a more shameless
, fraud than this "right to work" prop
osition, in the way that it is being put
forward by the trusts. The right to
work for nothing is not a right; it is a
wrong.
When a body of workmen are being
treated with gross Injustice, when
their employer contemptuously refuses
to arbitrate, and when they choose to
be strikers rather than slaves, the
"scabs" who take their places are mor
ally criminals.
It is legal to be a "scab" in such a
case. " There is no law against the
"scab" any more than there is against
the monopolist or the Wall street
plunger. But the harm wrought to
the nation by these three is as great
as that done by burglars or counter
feiters. No man has a right to make himself
a menace to the community or nation
In which he lives. The man who is
beastly enough to be satisfied to live
in a pigsty has no right to endanger
the public health by his unclean hab
. Its. ' ' ...
. Jn everything else except money
making and the latkr question it Is a
principle of law that no one has a
right to be a public nuisance or a
public menace.
Do we not quarantine a man's pri
vate house and violate its privacy in a
dozen ways if ho or any of his family
has 'contagious disease? . - '
What becomes of the sanctity of the
home when the home contains a case
Of cholera?
How long would we permit a man
to play a cornet in an apartment house
from midnight until 2 o'clock in the
morning?
Would he not hear the peremptory
knock of the janitor and a policeman
in less than half an hour? And how
much would his plea of "Individual
rights" amount to?
I do not mean to say that a worker
who tries, ignorantly or deliberately,
to break up a trade union should be
treated like a cholera pa'tient or a
drunken musician, but only to show
that the rights of the individual stop
where social injury begins.
Of course, there should be no vio
lence. Violence is advocated only by
.anarchists and military generals, and
neither of these are to be found in the
membership of labor organizations.
But there should not be either, any
public commendation of' the "scabs"
who place themselves directly in the
path of social progress, and who, if
successful, make liberty impossible for
their fellow workers. ...
There is a vast difference between
the "scab" and the mere non-unionist.
Non-unionists are those workers who
drudge along like "dumb, driven cat
tle," taking no part in the great indus
trial struggles that are being waged
around them; but "scabs" are those
who take an active part in the fight
against the workers of their own'
trade.
The "scab" in nearly every case is
like the horse In a burning stable, who
not only refuses to , come out, but
kicks and bites the brave fireman who
goes to his rescue.
The union is battling to benefit
every one in the trade, "scabs" includ
ed. The Increase in wages obtained
by the coal miners will be paid to the
17,000 "scabs" who tried to break up
the strike, as well as to. the 150,000
strikers who went through poverty
and hardship for five months to obtain
it. 1
The activity of the "scab" is suicidal.
He injures himself as well as his
mutes. . All the millions of the corpor
ation are not as deadly to the union
as his obstinate traltrship. If this
fact is kept In mind, the hatred of the
trade unionist for the "scab" can be
seen to have some justification.
What are trade unions organized
for, if not to obtain more personal lib
erty for their members? Can any one
seriously imagine that a body of men
will stand together and pay dues for
Worth Reading
years for the sake of getting less per
sonal liberty than they have?
What does liberty mean? Is a man
free who has nothing to say about
his wages and his hours of labor? Is a
man free who takes the harness and
the whip as obediently as a cart
horse? ' Is a man free whose only aim
in life is to do what he Is told and take
what he is offered? If this is freedom,
then the trusts must have a peculiar
dictionary of their own.
No man is free who has not some
thing to say about the conditions un
der which he works.
The free man today is he who has
some money in the bank, who is out
of debt, who works a fair length of
time for a fair amount of money, and
who can, personally or through his
union, remedy any injustice from
which he may be suffering. -
If the wage workers do not protect
their own interests, who will?- Will
the politician? Will the college pro
fessor? . Will the supreme court?
As for the trust makers, they are
racing to see who shall be the first
billionaire, and they have no time to
think of the insignificant $2 a day
atoms who wriggle about in their
great mines and factories. Herbert N.
Casson.
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FIGHTING FOR TIME.
Directory Company Not Anxious to
, Push Its Collection Cases.
. The Polk-McAvoy Directory Co. does
not seem anxious to push its collec
tion cases in this city. Some fifteen
or twenty men who subscribed to
their directory under promise that the
work would be done in Lincoln have
refused to pay the bills and the com
pany has brought suit. Adam Schaupp
was selected by the company as the
one to use as a "horrible example,"
but somehow or other Schaupp re
fused to stand for it. He showed un
expected qualities as a fighter, and as
a result the company is seemingly
afraid to push its case. When notified
that It would have to show that it is
not a trust it hurriedly took a continu
ance from May 14 to May 23, and on
the latter date took another until
June 1. Perhaps it is taking all this
time to prove that it is merely a part
nership. In the meanwhile Mr. Schaupp is
smiling a series of broad smiles, and
seems well satisfied as to what the
outcome will be. He Is ready for
trial, and as be does not anticipate
being called upon to pay the costs of
the suit he is content to let it drag.
FULTON STOCK COMPANY.
Resumes After Three Days' Vacation
. . and Is Warmly Welcomed.
The Fulton Stock , Co. resumed
Thursday evening after three days va
cation, caused by prior engagements of
the opera house. . "Dora Thorn," a
dramatization of the famous novel,
was the offering for the last half of
the week, and will . be given a final
performance Saturday evening. The
company needs no words of commend
ation from . The Wageworker. Its
place In the affections of the Lincoln
theatre-going public is well fixed.
During the remainder of the sum
mer new and popular plays will be
presented, the bill being changed
twice every week, with splendid spe
cialties between acts. The company
is stronger than ever, and has a better
repertory of plays than ever before.
There is no better place to spend an
evening than at the Oliver, witnessing
the presentation of a clean drama by
the Fulton Stock Co." ,
NEW DIRECTORY COMPANY.
North Printing Company Will Get Out
the Next One.
The next city directory will be print
ed in Lincoln by Lincoln men. This
Is an assured fact. Jacob North of the
North Printing Co., has " interested
himself and others In the matter, and
as a result a local' company has been
formed for the purpose of keeping
Lincoln supplied with city directories.
It will be printed at home by union
men. ,
The Plok-McAvoy Co. has contracts
with a number of local advertisers,
but it is claimed that the company
violated its pledges, thus invalidating
these contracts. At any rate the ad
vertisers ' will act on that supposition
and if the Polk-McAvoy people want to
go to law about it they will be given
a legal tussle that will be worth going
miles to see. The publication of a di
rectory by home people means that
several thousands of dollars in wages
will be paid to Lincoln craftsmen, and
the total receipts of the business kept
in the legitimate channels of trade in
Lincoln.
ORGANIZE A UNION.
Some of the later additions to the
train service of the Lincoln Traction
company have started the organiza
tion of a union among the employes.
Street Railway
The car men in the employ of the
Lincoln Traction company have at last
decided to organize. For several
weeks past .quitt but effective work
looking to this end has been going on,
with the result that a majority of the
conductors and motormen have signed
the charter roll and the new local is
as good as organized. The charter has
been sent for and temporary officers
have been elected. . ' ' ' ',
The matter has been kept very quiet
owing to the known opposition of some
of the men to forming an organiza
tion, but with the growth of the char
ter list the opposition dwindled until
it is how confined pretty much to a
half-dozen men.
"We have not organized for the
primary purpose of making any. de
mands on the company," said one of
the new union men to The Wage
worker editor 8hursday evening. "Our
first object is to get closer together
and have the benefits and protection
that 'have come from organiation. As
matters . have 3tood . we have iad
neither sick,' accident nor death bene-
v - .-
fits,, and we. thought it high time to
The jUnion Buyer's League
It does not cost a ceht for dues to
belong to this League. The initiation
fee consists of a 2-cent stamp, which
is to be placed on the envelope which
contains the following pledge signed
by you and to be sent to the editor of
The Wageworker. As soon as 250
have sent in their names a meeting
will .be called and formal organization
perfected. Then will begin a union
label campaign that will make a lot
of retail merchants sit up and take
notice of the demands of union men
and women. It is going to be the
simplest and best plan ever drawn
for the 'promotion of union interests.
Remember that the plan, which will
be outlined in full at the proper time,
does not require the '. payment of a
penny of dues. . It only asks a little
work ' such as every union man and
woman who is in earnest is always
ready to perform in the interests of
unionism. All preliminary expense of
W.
The Union Buyers biague
I HEREBY PROMISE, that under no cir
cumstances will I purchase any non
union Clothing, Hats, Caps, Shoes,
Shirts, Brooms, or other non-union made
articles of common use, such as are -made
somewhere by Union Labor, and that I will
become a member of the UNION BUYERS'
LEAGUE, and join with my fellow unionists
in buying these articles Union Made from
some dealer in this or another city who
handle the products of fair labor..
Name.
St. and No.
Cut this out and mail to Wageworker, 1216 Q St- Lin
coln, Nebraska.
Fortytwo men , have already aligned
themselves with the organization. One
of the older men in the service said
that it was unlikely that the union
would get even a majority of the men
enrolled, Judging from the feeling ex
pressed. Evening News.
LEGITIMATE AND BENEFICIAL
ORGANIZATIONS.
Trade unions are authorized by our
statutes and are approved and sup
ported by the enlightened .sentiment
of all right thinking men, and their
benefits, both to their members and
the general public, are seen and ap
preciated by every unprejudiced mind.
Judge Bland; of Missouri Appellate
Court.
Men Organise
remedy these conditions. Later we
will undoubtedly ask the company to
right what all of us believe to be
wrongs. These conditions are not seri
ous, however, and there is no possible
chance for trouble."
It is reported . that . the following
temporary officers : were elected to
serve until the receipt of the charter
and the election of permanent officers:
President, Fred Sampson.
Vice-president, Frank Hawkins.
Conductor,' Bert Jenkins.
The temporary organization was per
fected at a meeting held last' Monday
night and seventy men are reported to
have signified a desire to become
members." Twenty-five more will be
taken in this (Friday)' evening. This
is a majority . of the men- in the car
service. - Regular meetings will ,. be
held in the future, and the progress
of the new union will be watched with
interest by every unionist in the city.
The Wageworker wishes . the union
street railway men of Lincoln every
success in their efforts to secure jus
tice, and it assures, them of its hearty
sympathy: ' and : support in every fair
move tnVy make... .' rV. ... ' - '.': .'
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organization ; will. . be borne by The
Wageworker, and' when the plan is
in operation the expense will . be too
small to" require any particular
thought. ' How shall even . this small
expense be paid? Well, The Wage
worker will attend to that. That's one
of the little secrpts that will be made
public at the proper time. Just rest
easy in the assurance that the 2 cents
you spend for a postage stamp is all
that you will have to pay to become
a charter member. The plan has
been outlined to a few enthusiastic
unionists, and they are ready to make
aflldavit that it will be a winner.
Now, if you are a genuine unionist,
just fill out the subjoined pledge, cut
it out, put it in an envelope and mall
it to "The Wageworker," 1216 G St.,
City. Let's get this label campaign
started in time to make 1t influential
before the fall season -opens up.
Get busy and make your unionism
felt! - . '- :
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What Stern Saw in
In
A couple of weeks ago S. J. Stern,
special label promoter of the United
Garment Workers of America, . spent
several days in Lincoln. A report of
his visit here was made In The Wage
worker. After leaving here. Mr. Stern
seized his trenchant pen and wrote a
few burning thoughts for the official
organ of the. Garment Workers the
Weekly Bulletin: of the Clothing
Trades. The letter, which is printed
below, indicates that Mr. Stern is a
keen observer, for he put his finger
directly on one of the chief evils in
this and other college . towns. Mr.
Stern wrote as follows:
"Lincoln, Nebr., May 14. (Special
Correspondence for . The Bultetlft-ip-?;
Since my last letter to the puHetin
have visited Cheyenne('' Wyo,,i Sna' JAnp
coin, Neb. Here In Lincoln ihie Jaipor
unions are getting along airly,,, well.'
I found two overall f actories '.ukS'-ne-shirt
factory, all non-union. 'J did. .noS
take up the question of?,, . organizing
these factories, as, I had "no time urj
ing my short stay, here, but I feel that
if a man was sent here who could put
in a little time,' one and-perhaps 'aJI .ef
these factories could be "Organized". v
v "There,. w.as, one thingj here in Lin
coln; that struck, me' .very forcibly . X
found that" ther-e was aiq unioiji . of oooks
pnd waiters. After' making e-veral.. in-
(juirles, . I learned the'.- j-eason. forthts:
bs v'ci'ty Jhyerruh. WiQriiaiv,er&&s
am,coIlege consequehtlyOtlief e 'are a
greamany students' spm,k Tjrhbin
are working ..their ;.waV iwugn col
lege. Others are- th$ sons of Well-to?
do parents. ' These boys" are allowed
a certain sum of money.' by theirpar-.
ents, but.lt does not' appear to -be
sufficient for their wants, so they ap
ply to the various restaurants-anL
take positions. as waiters. ' r ' ; ,
.jjyj the restaurants in Lincoln are.
filled with student waiters from 6-a.
CAPTURING THE CHURCH.
Rev. Charles Stelzle Gives Working
men Some Valuable Pointers.
When some working men denounce
the church because of its supposed
lack of interest in their affairs, inti
mating that if the church were to ful
fill its duty in this respect, there
would be a decided change in, their
economic condition, these workingmen
unconsciously pay the church some
thing of a tribute. The natural infer
ence, is that the church is really a
great factor in the social and indus
trial life of the community.
Few thinking men will deny this
statement. If the church were to coa
mit herself to a definite proposition,
there is no doubt that the thing would
cone to pass. , . . . v .
There are many reasons why it is
not always possible to work out the
plans . which are submitted by impa
tient reformers. And, usually, " these
reformers are outside the church, as
r.uming the position of dictators. They
seek to whip into line the men whom
they profess to scorn. Sometimes
they are men who have gotten out of
the church because they felt that the
church moved too slowly. They seem
to forget that in leaving the institution
they forfeited all right to demand of
the church those measures for which
ihey stand, for' no man outside the
church has a right to dictate a policy
l'or its guidance, because the church
iv purely a voluntary Organization.
This must be self-evident.
The wiser and fairer thing to do is
to remain within the church," even
though it does not always follow read
ily, and seek to mold the thought and
the life of those who have influence 1
and 'power. : Why cannot the'. God
fearing, man-loving Christian working
men capture the church? This is alto
gether within the realm of possibili
ties. Then they will be in a position
to say just what the church shall
stand for. - Then they can make the
church whatever they choose.
PRINTERS' MEMORIAL DAY.. !
Fellow Unionists Asked to Join with
Them In Its Observance.
At St. Mark's Reformed church next
Sunday afternoon, Lincoln Typograph
ical Union No. 209 and Capital Auxil
iary No. 11 wiHobserve Memorial day
In honor of the union's dead. A cor
dial invitation is extended to all trades
This Big Bfg
m. to 8:30 a. m., from 11:30 a. m. to
1 p. m., and from 5:30 p. m. to 8 p. m.
Oh, glorious American youth who is
so desirous of learning as to work his
way through college! , Oh, grand
American youth who is not satisfied
with the allowance his "parents set
aside for him; grand American youth
who works for his, board, his paltry
three meals, and then uses .the money
his parents send him for sporting and
immoral purposes!
"This Is the youth that our histor
ians rave about; this la the man that
our newspapers continually point to as
the "self-made mam" But is he? Here
In Lincoln you. .can get' the .evidence.
iThere, are a, certain " . number of
wJtlng-'beopleiwhb -follow jthe res
rahtjbuaWeWtqr a livelihood. Only
few; ofe"them can get. employment
here, ahd those at such small wages
that 4t isn absolutely. Impossible ' to sup-
port ?a family von the Income.. The stu
dent '.works ttir- his' three." meals, and
tlieisestaurant 'keepers- don't feel dis
pesefl : to;lSaV;;?fSw;regfir help that
k:t i'-Jtylii our. npfermfeilcan youth
wap .is Decerning -sen-maae man is
doing so. atbe expense" and "suffering
of - J.he" ' other,; AnYertcan citizens who
follow a certain J&tlsiness for a
Irving.' i Vpif .'. -Qaeat.$lierfeaBtem
to rise abcye .Wni . If&w-eltizens at
chi 'etpe:fikar fellow-men? .
Sdes. h Apteth constitution teach
miit'om, fellow-men? Is it
to the best interest of this country that
a handful of people should, rise at the:
expense of many? I hope some col
lege professor will see this short out
line of what I saw in Lincoln and take
the 'matter up, for ' I feel positive if
such matters were given more consid- ,
eration a great amount of good! would
result- ' - -,,' ;" S. S. STERN." -
unionists and their wives to 'attend
these memorial services.1 The mem
orial address will be delived by the
pastor, Revi P. M. Orr. " " 'r "
The members of the Typographical
Union and Auxiliary are requested to
meet at thie Western Newspaper Union
building at 2 o'clock p. m., and be
ready to march to the church prompt- :
ly at 3:15. All visiting trades union
ists and their wives are requested to
proceed directly . to the church. ' Im
mediately after the services at the
church the printers and the Auxiliary
members will take the cars at Six
teenth and O streets and proceed to
Wyuka, where special services will be
held at the Typographical Union's
burial lot.
CHANGE OF BASE.
It' Leaves the Pressmen Without a
. Delegate to International. '
'At the last meeting of the union
pressmen and assistants of Lincoln,
Ike Dean was elected delegate to rep
resent the local at the international in
Pittsburg next " month. Last week,
however, Mr. Dean, who, has . been
foreman of the Western Newspaper
Union's press room for a number of
years, was promoted to the position'
of foreman of the press room of that
concern's Omaha plant a promotion
well deserved. WV D. King, for a long,
time assistant foreman in ' the local
office, takes the position vacated by
Mr. Dean. ,-
The removal of Mr. Dean to Omaha
leaves the local without a' delegate,
although Mr. King was 'elected alter
nate. It is now believed that the local
will make no effort to be represented
at the international.
THE EFFECT. '
At the Toronto convention of the
International Typographical Union a
couple of Cincinnati's delegates 'voted
to expel a Jabor editor. A few weeks
ago the Cincinnati union asked labor
editors to pull a lot of its chestnuts
out of the fire, "but for God's sake
don't say we asked you to do It." The
bump that Cincinnati union got from
the labor press was terrific. But it
was a good bump. The Cincinnati
boys got wisevand immediately began
giving their home labor paper support
instead of trying to starve it.' As a 1
result Frank Rist's Chronicle has en
larged and now looks prosperous. Lest
we forget. i
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