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VOL. 3
lilNCOLiN, NEBRASKA, JUNE 15, 190
NO. lO
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Street Railway Delegates
Wee Watmly Welcomed
Things -looked good at the Central
Labor Union meeting last Tuesday
evening. In the first place, the at
tendance was the largest in months,
showing a renewed interest in union
affairs in the city. But the chief point
of interest was the fact that the new
ly organized union of Street Railway
Men had its three new delegates pres
ent, and they were duly installed.
When the three new delegates stood
up to take the obligation they were
gieeted with applause, and when they
modestly acknowledged the greeting
by speaking a few words they got
more of it.' It certainly' looked good
t see the motormen and conductors
' participating in the councils of the
Central Labor Union.
Secretary DeLong notified the body
that he had slapped a fine on several
negligent delegates and notified .sev
eral unions of the unseating of their
delegates. The body endorsed the sec
retary's action. The Carpenters' dele
gates were excused for absence upon
presentation of good and sufficient rea
sons for not being present. Several
unions that have not been represented
for months are going to find them
selves up against their internationals.
They are affiliated with the A. P. of
L. and are required by their charters
to maintain delegations in the central
body. The reports of trades were eml-
' nently satisfactory.
A communication from the interna
POLITICS BE DASHED!
What's the Matter with Electing Some
Good Union Men?
The voters of Lancaster county will
soon be called upon to elect five repre
senttaives and two senators to repre
sent them in the state legislature. Al
ready a lot of prospective candidates
, have been mentioned, but to date not
one union man has been spoken of in
this conection. Several lawyers, one
or two ostensible farmers, a contractor
who manages to get about all the fat
state contracts in his line, and a dozen
or more professional politicians have
started little booms, but the men who
work for wages are calmly ignored.
Now what's the matter . with start
ing booms for a lot of good union men?
The Wageworker doesn't know the
politics of but one or two of the fol
lowing, but it does know that all of
the mare capable men, and that they
would not only representt he county
as a whole but would take good care
to represent the wishes of the men who
work for wages:
There's Castor of the Electrical
Workers, English of the Plumbers,
Locker, Smith, Norton, Righter and a
dozen others of the Printers; King and
Brown of the Pressmen; Ress of the
Bookbinders, Small of the Stereotyp
ers, Kelsey of the Leatherworkers,
Walker and Sundean of the Bartend
ers, Evans of the Cigarmakers, Quick,
Schuler, Callahan or Eissler of the
Carpenters, Swanson and Bacon of the
Bricklayers, McBrlde, Primley or
Strain of the Barbers. Or a thousand
and one other good men who carry
union cards and are capable of reflect
ing honor and credit upon the county.
The Wageworker could go through its
subscription list and pick out 500 men
who would cut more ice than any Lan
caster county delegation has cut dur
ing the past decade. And the union
men of this county can elect a major
; Hy of the legislative delegation if they
will forget their partisanship for once
and vote in their own interests. It is
time to get right and busy.
UNION MADE BROOMS.
Grocers Have No Excuse For Not Car
rfying Them in Stock.
The union women of Lincoln have
teen experiencing great difficulty in
buying union made brooms, the local
grocers complaining that they have
been unable to purchase brooms bear-
' lng the label. The excuse is not good.
The real reason Is that they can make
a larger profit on the convict made
blooms handled by the notorious Lee
Broom and Duster company, which
has the penitentiary labor contract.
There are several union broom fac
tories in Nebraska, and Lincoln mer
chants should patronize them. If they
will not, let the union women organize
' little bands and buy their ewn brooms
at wholesale prices. The following
tional secretary of the Retail Clerks'
Protective Union was read. He will
be notified that if his organization will
send an organizer here he ' will be
given all the assistance that lies with
in the power of the central body.
Hints of two or three new organiza
tions were given, and altogether the
outlook is brighter than ever before in
the histtfry of the labor movement in
Lincoln.
Two amusement managers, having
kindly offered to give benefit perform
ances for the Central Labor Union, a
committee composed of Messrs. Mau
pin, Anderson and Evans was appoint
ed to take the matter in hand and
make the necessary arrangements. A
committee composed of Messrs. Smith,
Quick and Walker was appointed to
outline and present a tentative plan
for the proper observance of Labor
Day. As soon as a definite outline can
be made the proper committees will
be appointed and an effort made to
make Labor Day, 1906, the greatest
event in the history of organization
in this section 'of the country.
A little talk disclosed the fact that
the new Bijou theatre had been con
structed almost wholly by non-union
labor. The painters managed to se
cure a portion of the work at the last
by getting busy and crowding their
men to the front But the rest of the
building was done by non-union labor.
The facts will be properly set forth
ai another time.
Nebraska firms make brooms bearing
the union label:
Kelso Broom Works, Grand Island.
Fred Swanson, 1109 South Fifteenth
street, Omaha.
James Schneiderwind, 1448 South
Twenty-eighth street, Omaha.
Thompson Bros., 1337 Chicago street,
Omaha.
If your grocer persists in handling
non-union and convict made brooms,
cut him out and order direct from
one of the above named union fac
tories. The union home that is swept
with a Lee broom ought to be disin
fected. WOMAN'S LABEL LEAGUE.
Conduct a Successful Social But En
tertain Few Union Men.
The Woman's Union Label League
gave a social at C. L. U. hall last Mon
day evening and in every respect save
one it was a splendid success. In
stead of there being two or three hun
dred union men present, there were
less than a half-dozen, and the male
contingent was made up chiefly of
young gentlemen whose ideas of life
were centered about the dance. But
there were a number of loyal union
women present, and a good time was
enjoyed by the company present. Re
freshments were served during the
course of the evening and dancing was
indulged in until warning was given
that the last cars were about to start.
The Label League is striving earn
estly to make itself felt for good in
the labor world, and the good women
deserve the support and co-operation
of every consistent union man in the
city. This support and co-operation
the League has not had in the past.
But despite this drawback it has gone
ahead and done the very best it could,
and it has been a factor in the growth
of the union sentiment in this vicin
ity.
THE BLUE LABEL.
Guarantees Cigars Made Under Sani
tary Conditions by Skilled Hands.
The Cigarmakers' blue label on a
box of cigars is an absolute guarantee
that every single cigar is union made
and manufactured in decent cleanly
factories. If that label is absent from
the box Gabriel himself could not tell
you if they are fit to smoke. Every
disease breeding cigar in America is a
non-union cigar. The blue label gives
the smoker the satisfaction of knowing
he has a cleanly article in his mouth.
The non-union cigar costs as much as
the clean union made article. The
man who really wants his money's
worth does not want to pay for a cheap
article. The reason retailers want to
handle non-union cigars is because
they are made by machine and chil
dren. They get the extra profit and
you stand the price and run' the risk.
Speak up like a man. Demand a good,
clean cigar with the union label. The
dealer may not get as big a profit, but
you get better value. Why pay 5 or
10 cents for a cheap non-union cigaf,
when the same price supplies you with
an article any honest man can smoke
with satisfaction Say, Mister, it's up
to you. Union Picltet. '
THE CARPENTERS.'
Elect New Officers and Transact Busi
ness of Importance.
The Carpenters and Joiners held an
important meeting Tuesday night. It
was a regular meeting but important
because the Carpenters elected officers
and because the local is growing , so
large that all of its meetings have be
come important factors in the organ
ized labor movement in this section of
the country. Nine new members wqre
initiated and nine- applications for
membership received.
The Carpenters are beginning to in
terest themselves in Labor Day and
desire an early meeting of delegates
from all unions in the city. The Car
penters will do their part to make this
year's celebration of Labor Day a rec
ord breaker.
B. M. Withnill o'f Cedar Rapids, Ia
was admitted on clearance card from
Local No. 1649. Ex-Secretary Chase
received a severe bump from a falling
scantling at Capital Beach the other
day. A slight ' gash was cut in his
head. Apart from this and the sudden
shock Bro. Chase was not injured and
was able to go right ahead with his
work.
There were no union carpenters em
ployed on the new Bijou theatre.
Tuesday evening, June 19 will be a
called meeting of Local 1055. All mem
bers are urgently requested to be
present, as business of the utmost im
portance is to be transacted.
The following officers were elected
at the meeting Tuesday evening:
President, J. W. Emberson.
Vice-President, F. W. Kent.
Recording Secretary, S. D. Swab.
Financial Secretary, J. M. Schuler.
Treasurer, Roswell Sheppard.
Conductor, J. A. Chambers.
Warden, George Quick.
Trustees, Messrs. Faulhaber and
Overman.
Relegates to C. L. TT., Messrs. Quick,
Smith and Roberts.
Auditors, Czuba and Vincent.
BARBERS WIN.
Colorado Supreme Court Upholds Den
ver Sunday Closing Ordinance.
The union barbers of Lincoln will
be interested in a recent decision of
the Colorado supreme court upholding
the constitutionality of the Denver city
ordinance prohibiting the keeping open
of barber shops on Sunday. It is right
in line with a recent effort to annul the
Lincoln ordinance and will be a prece
dent in case another effort is made to
bring about Sunday opening in this
city.
T. A. McClelland, a non-union bar
ber-was convicted of violating the ordi
nance -and appealed to the supreme
court. Justice Gabbert, speaking for
the court said: "The experience of
centuries has demonstrated the neces
sity of periodical cessation from secu
lar labor. The rule of conduct with
respect to secular pursuits is- recog
nized by the entire civilized world as
essential to the physical and moral
welfare of society. Sunday ordinances
are, therefore, generally sustained as
constitutional upon the theory that, for
the purpose of promoting the general
welfare of the inhabitants of the city,
it is necessary that their usual and
ordinary avocations, except those of
necessity or charity, should be sus
pended upon the Sabbath day, and that
for this reason such ordinances are
within the domain of police powers of
the municlpalit yexacting them."
SHORTER WORK TIME.
Miners in Butte Given a Valuable Con
cession by Their Employers.
Beginning with the first of this
month the eight hour day was volun
tarily adopted at all of the extensive
amalgamated mines in the Butte dis
trict, Montana, whereupon the man
agement declared that it had quit poll
tics. The new order affects some 10,
000 men. For several years the min
ers have been working but eight hours
for a shift, going to work on their own
time. That is, they reported at the
mines, half an hour before working
time and were required to be at their
places underground promptly on the
hour. Beginning with the first day of
May the men went-into the mines on
the company's time, making a differ
ence of half an hour in favor of the
men. At the same time the eight hour
day was made to apply to all other em
ployes of the Amalgamated company,
who had been working nine and ten
hours. The change will mean an an
nual difference to the company of
about $600,000. The concession was
voluntarily granted by the company,
the new rule applying as well to
smelters of the company at Anaconda
and Great Falls.
THE ELECTRICAL WORKERS.
Celebrate the Fourth Anniversary of
Their Local Union.
The Electrical Workers of Lincoln
met Wednesday evening and celebrat
ed the fourth anniversary of the local
union. Like all previous celebrations
the fourth one -was a great success
even more so than its predecessors.
The wives of the Electrical Workers
provided the cakes and the local pro
vided the punch and ice cream, and
The Wageworker is prepared to give
expert testimony to the fact that the
wives of the men who string the
"juice wires" are master hands at-cake
baking.
Mark T. Castor welcomed the mem
bers and guests in a clever speech in
which he briefly outlined the princi
ples and aims of unionism, and urged
all wage earners to educate themselves
for a more intelligent participation in
the duties of citizenship.
W. M. Maupin complimented the
Electrical Workers and their wives on
the ocular proof that "race suicide"
could not be charged to their craft and
congratulated the union on its pros
perity in the past and its prospects for
the future. While the guests were as
sembling and during the serving of the
refreshments a phonograph concert
was given and greatly enjoyed. Danc
ing was the chief order of the evening
and those present were unanimous in
declaring that it was one of the most
pleasant occasions in their experience.
MOTORMEN AND CONDUCTORS.
Midnight Meetings and New Members
Taken in Regularly.
The Motormen and Conductois'
Union is holding meetings with great
regularity these days, or nights,' and
is taking in new members with grati
fying regularity. The meetings are
hld at midnight in order to give the
night men an opportunity to be pres
ent. At the meeting Wednesday night
so v oral new members were taken in
and several applications presented.
The spirit of organization is growing
ani the men who took the initiative in
organizing the new union are feeling
greatly encouraged over the outlook.
In . very short time the organized man
will be wearing union buttons, and
th.m union men will be able to recog
nize their friends and allies. -
Considerable opposition is manifest
among some of the older men, but
their advice Is not being given much
consideration. It is well known that
it is selfish advice and therefore not
worth much. To date the management
of the Lincoln Traction Co. has shown
a disposition to act fairly with the new
union. This is encouraging to the
organized men and is having its influ
ence with the men who are holding
back. The Motormen and Conductors'
Union is gratified at the assurances of
sympathy and help that come in from
un;on men on all sides, and promise
thot the new union will get Into the
labor game and lend its support to the
label campaign now being waged on
all i-ides.
NARROW MINISTERS.
The St. Louis Trades and Labor
Council elected a bartender as one of
the fraternal delegates to the Minis
terial Union of that city. Some of the
ministers were so narrow minded as
to object to seating him, but after
three or four broad-minded ministers
had spoken on the subject all objec
tions were withdrawn. It 13 reported
that the objecting ministers were
roasted to a brown turn and given
some valuable information on the sub
ject of charity, brotherly love and duty
to humanity.
RAILROAD TELEGRAPHERS.
Twenty years ago on June 9 the
Order of Railway Telegraphers was or
ganized at Cedar Rapids, la. Last Sat
urday the anniversary of the founding
of the order was celebrated In grand
style at Cedar Rapids. The order
started out with thirty charter mem
bers. Today, it numbers upwaTds of
40,000 members and is prospering as
never before.
Leaders Wanted Who
Can Point the Better Path
It is said that every soldier in Na
poleon's army carried a marshal's ba
ton in his knapsack. This statement
may be an exaggeration, but it is a
suggestion which may well become an
inspiration to every worker. .
I have no sympathy with the idea
that the workingman must of neces
sity always remain in the position
which he now occupies. ' Of course, It
is true that most workingmen have
come to the conclusion that they will
always work for wages, and that what
ever reward comes to them must come
in that form. But even if that is true,
it does not follow that there is nothing
better ahead. To be satisfied with
one's position in life, with no ambition
to advance, is the blight which curses
many a toiler. "Meat, Malt, and Mat
tresses," seems to be the motto of
many a workingman. v
I can hear the professional agitator
or even the humble worker himself in
sist that it is impossible to advance
under the present social system. . I
think I know something about this and
other difficulties that stand in the way
of progress. The present social system
is not ideal, but if one is to wait until
we reach the millennium before seek
ing better conditions, the millennium
will never come. The millennium will
be ushered in very largely- because
some enthusiastic individuals forged
ahead in siite of every obstacle, carry
ing with them even those who were
dismally howling that the thing could
not be done.
Something like four hundred years
ago a man became convinced that
there was undiscovered land beyond
the bounds of his country, although
they had erected a monument on the
shore and stamped their coins with a
motto which indicated that their coun
try was the end of the earth. But Col
umbus found upon the shore strange
things which must have come from an
unfamiliar land. In spite of the ridi
cule of scientists, philosophers, . and
nearly everybody else that was sup
posed to amount to anything in those
days, he began his search for the un
known shore, and the -result is Amer
ica.
There is many an apprentice in the
shop and man, a journeyman, too, who
may become a Columbus. Not alone
may he carve out for himself a name
that will bring honor and fame, but in
advancing himself, he may prepare the
way for those who are bound to him
by the ties of brotherhood. For the
best type of manhood is not that which
seeks power for power's sake, but that
which uses it for hte good of others.
There is no greater field today for
the exercise of real talent than in the
labor movement. There are few men
outside the movement who can ever
become the leaders of labor. They may
study out for us the significance of cer
tain phenomena and offer suggestions
which may be helpful, but the actual
leaders must come from the people.
The workingman who has a vision of
what his people are, and, principally,
what his people may become, has a fu
ture which no one can take from him,
W
The Union Buyers League
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-
coin, Nebraska.
II
for neither capitalist nor social system
nor prejudice nor power of any other
kind can deny him the right to win and
lead to better things those who believe
in him. Rev. Charles Stelzle. '
TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN.
Grand Chief Stone Tells of the Worfe
' of the Auxiliary. " 1
Grand Chief W. S. Stone in address
ing the seventh biennial convention of
the Brotherhood of LoconjQtive Engin
eers in session at Memphfrt, gave the
following tribute to the women: "The
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers:
has a Ladies' Auxiliary, composed of
the wives of our members. It Is true
these women do not run engines, but
some of them run the engineers who
do run the engines, so they are a very
important factor in our' organization
Speaking seriously, the mothers and
wives of our railroad men have the
hardest part of the hard railroad life
So much of their lives is spent alone.
They have the care of the home, the
rearing and training of the. family. The
irregular hours and meals, the care
and anxiety, the watching and waiting,
for someone who may never return Is
constantly tugging at the heart striags,.
and this' all goes to make up the daily
routine of their lives. Yet, with it all,
the many acts of kindness mercy and
charity this noble band of women find
time to do cannot be numbered, and
stands as a record of the great good
accomplished by their organization.'" .
WITHOUT THE LABEL.
'City Clerk ' Pratt's annual report
makes its appearance in printed form
without the label thereon. This is. due
to the fact, that the report was printed .
in a 'rat" shop, a fct made manifest by
the appearance of the book. Mr. Pratt
excuses himself on the ground that the
"raC shop put -in . the lowest bid. If -.
The Wageworker is not mistaken- the
ordinance specifies, the "lowest and
best bidder," or words to that effect.
The concern in question may have '
been the lowest and undoubtedly was,
as it does not pay as good wages as.
the fair shops but the book itself is
evidence that it was not the "best bid
der." The city clerk ought to do a
little hustling in the interests of the
large body of wage earners who are
unionists and who have a big propor
tio nof the votes at their disposal.
CAPITAL AUXILIARY NOTES.
Mrs. Hoyt is visiting relatives in
Burwell. .
Mr. and Mrs. Hofmeister, of St..
Louis, former residents of Lincoln, ate
in the city visiting friends. Mr. Hof
meister is working at the Frie Presse
and we are glad to not that they will
in the future reside in our midst. .
Capital Auxiliary will give an en
tertainment at Bohanan's hall, Friday
evening, June 22, entitled "The Peak
Sisters." This production will please
every one, and we solicit your patron
age. Come and hear the good music
and see the elegant costumes.;-
