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VOL. 3
LINCOLN, NEliRASKA, JULY 6, 190
NO. 13
SIGNIFICANT WORLD VOICE8.
CELEBRATED THE FOURTH.
o) .ft f? fo)
wtr a n irk HUMS? I ro 1 1 n ri i 5
J .. Li Jzd
Rev. Charles Stelzle Write Interest
ingly of Forces Now at Work.
The world is echoing with new,
Ktrange voices. Sometimes it is the
cry of one in the wilderness, the fore
runner of a new world policy, a new
social system, a new religious force.
Often it is the voice of thunder that
comes from the heart of the masses,
speaking with no uncertain sound.
If these world voices could be
blended into one grand chorus, their
name would be expressed by a single
word "Expansion."
Men are today seeking national ex
pansion. America Is bound to grow
because we have all the conditions
which make for permanent success.
We are demanding social and eco
nomic expansion. This will mean a
larger, fuller liberty. It will mean a
more abundant life. In this struggle
the people are going to win. No hu
man power can prevent it, and no di
vine power will. It is part of God's
plan that men should grow, and, grow
ing, they will burst the bonds that
held them.
But the world is, today expanding
religiously. Rarely have there been
such times when men cried out after
the noblest and best things in life.
The world is not yet in the. hands of
the devil, as some are saying. It is
slill God's world. He rules. Let us
never forget that. It is well for us to
be In harmony with His plans. No
sane man would think of fighting the
laws of nature. He would be a fool
who tried to stop the stars in their
courses. But for some reason some
men believe that they have power to
successfully oppose God in the
spiritual world, forgetting that the
spiritual world is God's world, as well
a3 the physical world, and that God's
laws prevail in the unseen world, Just
as they do in the seen.
It is only the small man who will
see no power beyond himself, who rec
ognizes nothing that is divine. He
who would attempt to stifle the voices
that prophecy progress will be con
fronted with the old truth that "the
voice of the people Is the voice of
God."
SUNDAY'S FLOOD.
Wageworker Advertisers Hit Hard by
the Terrific Cloud Burst.
Several of The Wageworker's adver
tisers' were hit hard by the cloudburst
last Sunday evening. The storm sew
ers could not carry off the water, and
as a result It backed up Into many
basements on O street. Miller &
Palne's basement rooms were flooded
to a depth of three feet, damaging
stock to the amount of about $4,000.
This was perhaps the heaviest loss In
the city. The Armstrong Clothing Co.
had about a foot of water, but by
timely hustling a good share of the
goods stored In the basement were
lifted out of danger. The damage there
amounted to perhaps $1,500. ' Rector's
pharmacy got a bad dose of flood water
and the damage to stock amounts to
perhaps $1,200.
The losers were as cheerful as could
be expected under the circumstances,
and If any tears were shed they were
shed in private. So far as the public
could see the losers were too busy get
ting things In shape for business Mon
day morning to spend any time in
mourning.
HIT 8T. PAUL PRINTING FIRMS.
Typographical Union Makes Charges
Against Employers.
Six secret indictments, said to be
against firms and members of St. Paul
printing establishments for the alleged
violation of the state anti-trust and
combination statute were returned on
June 26 by the grand Jury. It has been
alleged and formal complaint was filed
with the county attorney by the legal
representatives of the Typographical
union that a combination exists among
the printing establishments in the mat
ter of presenting bids on state print
ing, which is in effect a violation of
this act.
TOO MUCH WATER.
James Parker, 'a member of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
who conducts a sporting goods store
and repair shop at Twelfth and P
streets, was a heavy loser by Sunday
night's flood. All of his machinery and
repair tools were in the basement, to
gether with a goodly bunch of surplus
stock. About five feet of water rushed
Into the basement.
A Few
The union workingmen of Lincoln
have been quite well aware for some
time that the greatest opposition to
unionism has come from members- of
the Commercial Club. That mer
chants who owe most to the patronage
of working men should oppose a sys
tem that means increased spending
ability on the part of workingmen is
one of the mysteries that union men
have been, unable to fathom. Last
spring the union carpenters formu
lated some demands and these were
agreed to by a number of fair con
tractors. But other contractors re
fused to acquiesce in the demands of
the carpenters and sent out postal
cards to postmasters throughout the
. country, asking them to hand the
same to local carpenters. The cards
carried the Information that car
penters were badly needed In Lincoln.
As a result a large number of non
union carpenters were imported Into
Lincoln to compete with local mem
bers of the craft.
That some members of the Commer
cial Club assisted in this work is quite
The Animadversions of Billy Major, Esq.
In common with some millions of
fellow unionists I got out last Wed
npsday and hollered my head off about
the Declaration of Independence, shot
oft a lot' of firecrackers, waved a little
flag and swelled up at the thought of
being an American sovereign. I do
that every recurring Fourth of July.
It doesn't take much brains to cele
brate the Fourth .of July. Anybody
with the price can shoot on fireworks
and holler about being an American
sovereign. And it doesn't take any
money at fll to shoot off one's mouth
about "independence" and "liberty"
and other things. Perhaps that is the
reason we are always shooting off our
mouths about these things. But for
something less than forty years I have
been waking up on the morning of
July 5 and wondering, as I toss around
in bed, if after all we are not a bloom
ing lot of chumps. Are we really free
and Independent? Are we really .-sovereigns?
Are we freely allowed to
work but our destiny?
How free are' we when any little old
pin-headed judge can throw us into
jail without trial? How much liberty
have we when a jim crow judge can
sit down and write an order enjoining
us from any old thing he pleases?
What kind of liberty do we enjoy when
we are compelled every hour of the
day to pay tribute to organized wealth?
And what becomes of our inalienable
right to the pursuit of happiness when
courts and legislatures and congresses
are controlled by a handful of men who
make us pay tribute on everything but
the air we breathe and poison even
that by compelling us to work in foul
sweat shops, noisome mills and dan
gerous mines? Our Revolutionary sires
fought, bled and died because they op
posed taxation without representation,
and yet three million union men pay
taxes cheerfully and then let the hand
ful of trust magnates and corporation
managers select representatives who
never recognize the rights of the work
ingmen. i
Liberty! The average workingman
has the liberty to pay his taxes and die
when his time comes. But that Is
about all. Up to date we have never
heard of a judge enjoining a working
man from paying his taxes or Issuing
an injunction forbidding a working
man to die. But workingmen in this
country have been enjoined from do
ing everything else. He has been en
joined from using the United States
mail. He has been enjoined against
walking on the public highway, ac
costing his friends, praying for his
misguided or suffering brother, dis
cussing matters of public import and
Quitting work when he pleases. He
Words With The Commercial Club
well known to the union men of the
city. It is to such members that The
Wageworker now addresses itself.
Ninety per cent of the members of
the local Carpenters' Union are men
of family who have their homes in
Lincoln. They spend all their money
for goods sold by Lincoln merchants.
Many of them are taxpayers. Their
patronage, together with the patron
age of other union men, amounts to
hundreds of thousands of dollars every
year. A majority of the carpenters
brought to Lincoln by these postal
card announcements 'did not bring
their families with them. They came
to Lincoln r- drew the same pay as the
resident union carpenters, and then
sent two-thirds of their wages home
to be spent with the merchants of
other cities. This means that thou
sands of dollars earned in Lincoln
were spent elsewhere, to the detri
ment of local merchants and local
business enterprises.
The Wageworker confesses its in
ability to understand the logic of a
retail . merchant who dpposes labor
unions. Labor unions mean increased
wages and shorter hours, and in
has been compelled . to work against
his will for a cruel taskmaster; com
pelled to submit his cause to a judge
and jury selected by the prosecution,
and deprived of his freedom at the
whim of a judge whose breakfast had
soured on his stomach. And yet, de
spite all these things we as working-
men rise up early on the morning of
July Fourth and feel chesty all day be
cause we are "American sovereigns."
"Lif3, liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness," says the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Sounds mighty good, too.
But what is life to the poor devil com
pelled to work in a sweat shop at
starvation wages in order to keep body
and soul together? What liberty has
the poor devil who is compelled to sup
port a family on a wage that will not
pay for the tobacco in the tips of the
cigars smoked daily by his aristocratic
employer. And how futile is the pur
suit of happiness when the pursuer Is
gaunt of cheek, hollow of eye and weak
of limb because the wage offered by
the trust will not suffice to fill his
stomach and clothe his nakedness?
Glorious free. country where 10 per
cent of the people own 90 per cent of
the wealth. Wonderful country where
a few spend thousands in Indecent
orgies while hundreds of thousands
starve for lack of the corn raised by
farmers who shiver because they can
not market their corn and buy coal.
What a wise lot of people we are, talk
ing about over production of shoes and
foodstuffs while thousands walk bare
foot from necessity and hunger for a
square meal.
What a patriotic lot of chumps we
union men are, to get out on the
Fourth of July and holler our heads off
about our freedom and independence,
only to go back , to work the next day
and humbly submit while a lot of
feather-headed political tricksters elect
judges and legislatures to limit our
rights and deprive us of our liberty!
The first thing we know some 2x4
judge will take it into his. addlepated
head to issue an injunction restraining
us from getting out on the Fourth and
boasting of our American sovereignty.
And blamed if I don't think an order
of that kind would have more sound
sense for a foundation than 95 per cent
of 'the injunctions that have been
granted during the past eight or ten
years. ,.
O, yes, it's a great thing to be an
American citizen and have the glorious
privilege of getting out on the Fourth
and wasting money for firecrackers
and red lemonade. The fellows who
really own the country do not care.
creased . wages and shorter hours
mean a lager volume of busi
ness for the retail merchants. If
The Wageworker were a mercantile
institution it would rather have the
patronage of 1,000 union men earning
$3 a day than the patronage of 500
non-unionists earning $1.50 a day. It
would rather have 1,000 resident union
men of family earning $18 a week
than 2,000 non-resident non-union
men earning the same wage and sed
ig two-thirds of It to Muscatine, Dav
enport and other cities in Iowa to be
spent with the merchants of those
cities. '
The Lincoln Commercial Club is
made up of gentlemen who depend
largely upon the patronage of Lincoln
workingmen. If they prefer the pa
tronage of non-resident craftsmen
they will surely have their preference
If they continue their present policy
of antagonism to the trades unions of
the city. ' The Wageworker believes
that a very perfunctory study of the
situation will convince the members
of the Commercial Club that their in
terests are identical with the interests
of the union men of the city.
They rather like to see us do it, be
cause it is calculated to keep us well
content. In slavery days the masters
used to encourage the slaves to look
forward with great anticipations to
Christmas, and many a slave was kept
traceable by the promise of something
nice on Christmas day. Several mil
lion workingmen are kept in a good
humor by the same sort of "dope."
They are assured that they are "sov
ereigns" and that with their little old
votes, they can run things regardless.
And they get so swelled up that they
overlook the fact that the bosses put
up the candidates, and that the office
holders do the bidding of the privileg
ed few. Of course we can elect 'em,
but you bet the other fellow sees to it
that we elect the kind of people he
wants. Thus we get laws that hamper
us, judges who jail us for exercising
what we were taught to believe were
our rights, and the bosses import alien
pauper labor to take our places. Our
children are forced into the mills in
stead of being sent to school and less
than a week's wages stand between
5,000,000 American citizens and starva
tion. Some of these days the American
workingman is going to get wise to the
situation. He is going to stop burning
powder on the Glorious Fourth and go
to burning the midnight oil. He is
going to quit voting for the men the
other fellow puts up and go to voting
for himself and his wife and babies.
He is going to insist on his right to
help make the laws,' and then he Is
going to insist that the law (apply with
equal force to the man with millions in
the bank and the man who has nothing
but callouses on his hands.
The Fourth of July is a Glorious day
indeed! But American workingmen
have become so interested in watching
the growth in size of the fire crackers
that he has failed to notice the de
crease in size of his own liberties. He
has failed to notice that with the
growth in size of our public school
buildings there has been a decrease in
the opportunities his children hare of
going to school. He has failed to no
tice the awful fact that the industrial
conditions now obtaining have forced
more American children under 14 itno
the mines and mills and factories than
there are of similar ages in the mines,
mills and factories of Germany, Aus
tria and Italy combined. He has been
so busy saving up money to buy pow
der before the Fourth, and so busy
nursing his burns after the Fourth,
that he has not given a lot of these
matters his consideration. Some of
these days he will begin considering.
and when he does begin there will be
"hell-a-poppln " for a lot of snobs.
. - BILLY MAJOR.
THE CARPENTERS.
How Lincoln's Biggest Trades Union
' Continues to Grow.
Five new applications were present
ed at the last- meeting. Eight new
members were initiated.
Great interest is manifest in Labor
day preparations.
Local 1055 is growing rapidly .s. Meet
ings are interesting and well attended.
The United Building Trades is al
ready beyond expectation and prom
ises good results.
We have good things in store for the
future. All brethren of Local 1055 are
requested to be present at our meet
ings and assist in the good work.
Next Tuesday evening, July 10, Is a
special called meeting for important
business. Don't forget the date.
"UPLIFT NUMBER.'
The Humor of a "Sweat Shop" Pub
lishing Co. Really Very Clever.
The July number of the "World's
Work," published by Doubleday, Page
& Co., was what the publishers were
pleased to call an "uplift number."
That is very funny. The "World's
Work" is published in a "rat" print
shop by a lot of leaden-footed, heavy
eyed, cowering trimmers who haven't
got life enough in 'them to stand up
for their rights. Doubleday, Page &
Co, insist on having in their shop a lot
of cowering printers who are willing
to let the boss fix wages and hours,
and are afraid to ask for fair play lest
they lose their' jobs.
"Uplift number" is good very good.
If it has the effect of putting the coun
try on a level with the cringing cow
ards in the printing department of the
magazine, then God help the country.
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.
Lyric Winds Up Successful Year and
Prepares for Opening.
The Lyric has just closed a success
ful year, and is now waiting for the
opportunity to open up the coming
season in its handsome new quarters
on Thirteenth street.
Manager Miller is exerting every ef
fort to get the oew theatre ready for
the regular opening on August 27, and
his hustling ability promises success.
During the season just closed the
Lyric has given splendid satisfaction,
and the promises for next season are
above the average. The new theatre
will be one of the handsomest in the
west, and the attractions will be even
better than those offered in the .old
quarters.
Printers' Auxiliary Gives a Picnic Sup-
per and Fireworks Exhibition.
Capital Auxiliary No. 11 to Typo
graphical Union No. 209 observed the
Fourth by giving a picnic supper at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Righter,
winding up with a display of fireworks
that would make the average village
celebration look like the change out
of three lead dimes. The attendance
was unusually good, and when supper
was served nearly 100 people partook "
of the good things provided, ahd the
supper hour was filled with enjoyment.
As soon as it was dark enough the1
fireworks exhibition began, and it con
tinued for an hour or more. The mem
bers of the Auxiliary left nothing un
done to make the ocaslon an enjoy
able one, and the verdict was that the
efforts were successful. Without doubt
this celebration is to be numbered
among the successful ones of the city,
and those who were present will long
remember the day. Mr. and Mrs.
Righter left nothing undone to make
the occasion a pleasant one, and as
host and hostess they have earned an
enviable reputation. Several invited
guests were present.
Will Norton had to go to Ashland on
the Fourth to make music with his
clarionet. He was missed at the Auxil-:
iary's celebration. ' :
' The Auxiliary met on June 29 at the
home of Mrs. Hart Mlckel, who enter
tained with the help of her daughter.
Miss Freddie. pwfn0 to the extreme
hot weather tho attendance was below
the ' average. The following officers
were installed: ' ".
President, Mrs. W. C, Norton. . '
Vice President, Mrs. A. T. Pentzer.
Secretary, Mrs. F. Wi Mickel. '
Treasurer, Mrs. J. E., Marshall.
: Chaplain, Mrs. H. W. Smith.
Guide, Mrs. A. L. Compton. v-
Members of the executive committee
are calling- on merchants of the city"
who are giving advertisements to a
non-union job shop outside of the city;
Don't forget to use your little red
sticker when such advertising is left
at your door.
Mr. Hampton, of the Hampton Print-.
ing Co., Indianapolis, Ind., -is sending
out letters of apology to the Auxiliaries
because the label did not. appear on
the reports of the international elec
tion. It was an oversight on the part
of men who are members of the Typo- i
graphical Uniori.e,' Mrs. McKee writes
that she -feels certain that the mem
bers will realize that it was an over
sight. ' She gave orders that the label
should appear. '
The Auxiliary correspondent is at a
loss to understand why less than a
half-dozen out of a total membership
of fifty have signed the Union Buyers'
League pledge. We have been trying
to push the label ever since the Auxil
iary was organized, and now that The
Wageworker asks us to sign a pledge
to do so there is Very little excuse for
there, not being a pledge from every
member. ,
Mrs. Sam Uhlman attended the last
meeting and was admitted to member
ship. Mrs. Cora Thompson was bal
lotted upon and unanimously elected. '
The Auxiliary is growing slowly but
surely. ' ,
Mrs. Gilbert R. Jones of Chicago is
earnestly working on her plans for the
erection of a home for. printers' wives
similar to the one maintained by the
International Typographical Union at :
Colorado Springs. v She should have
the earnest co-operation of the Auxil
iary members everywhere.
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.
Holds Monthly Meeting and Transacts
a Lot of Important Business.
Lincoln Typographical Union No.
209 met last Sunday and rushed
through a lot of important business in
time to adjourn before the cloudburst. -The
union decided to favor the pro
posed Labor day plan calling -for a
parade, picnic and benefit perform-,
ance and subscribed its pro rata of
the expense. Considerable attention
was given to the work of promoting
the use of the label, and the label com
mittee was Instructed to get busy. H.
C. Peate was elected vice president to
fill a vacancy. '
Some warm talks were made on the -subject
of better recognition of the
Auxiliary, and the union decided that
it was time to wake up to the import
ance of giving the women more cordial
support in their efforts to boost the
label. One new member was Initiated:
