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lilXCOIiX, NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 14, 190
NO. 23
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I I l TRADESI COUNCIL)
Fighting a Common Foe
Some Sound Advice
Christianity U largely responsible
for the social unrest Which character
izes) the present generation. For cen
turies It has been presenting to men
the high Ideals which are resulting in
nobler aspirations. The people, have
responded to the appeal made in the
name of its founder, and we dare not
now repudiate the resultant demands
which have become so insistent.
Christianity has been teaching the
value of the individual. The practical
application of that teaching is found
Incarnated In the labor union's insis
tence upon the right of every man,
woman and child to live the life which
God Intended should be lived by them.
llecau.se of the church's teaching it
must stand by the workingman in his
fight, for the child. It must fearlessly
support him In his endeavor to relieve
the almost unendurable condition of
the woman who toils.
Because of its repeated messages in
respect to cleanliness it must champion
the workers in their struggles to se
cure for themselves better sanitary
conditions in the home and in the
shop. It must Are volley after volley
Into the accursed sweat-shop, and into
everybody and? everything that sup
ports it, until the damnable thing is
absolutely wiped out of existence. Be
cause of its well known teaching it
should give no peace until the work
ers have the fullest opportunity for de
veloping the highest type of manhood
and of citizenship. If only one life
were Involved, all this would be de
manded. But there are millions in
whose behalf the fight must be made.
So let tis get together the church
ami labor in the name of our com
AMONG THE PRINTERS.
What Is Doing Among the Men Who
Manipulate the Types.
The trustees of the Home are out
In a manifesto in whtcn they ask that
all complaints and charges against
the Home management be brought to
the attention "first, of the president
of the board of trustees; then to the
board of trustees, and finally to the
convention." What's the use? The
moment a member flies a complaint
that - moment, he becomes "an assail
ant of the Home," "a Home wrecker,"
'a viper," and various other things too
numerous to mention. The latest com
plainants before the board were most
beautifully roasted for daring to lodge
the complaints. Just for experiment
The Wagewtorker's editor will prefer
the charge that the management of
the Home is purchasing "scab" goods
for the ue of the Home. He offers as
proof the shirts furnished the guests
of the Home, the wrappers on several
different brands of soap used at thi
Home, three or four magazines and
periodicals subscribed for and received
Iu the library, and various pairs of
shoes worn by guests. The proof of
the truth of this charge is right there
in the Home, and it is not necessary
to uumnion any witnesses. Neither
will It be sufficient to dismiss the com
plaint by saying that the complain
ant Is "trying to wreck the Home."
Among other paragraphs written by
President Lynch for the September
Journal Is the following: "The con
vention eliminated section 85 of the
genet al laws. The tirades of abuse
can now be let loose, but the law will
not require the international officers
to make a defense or by implication
be adjudged guilty." Will our hon
oied president forgive us it we'll be
gin right now to boost for that little
salary increase of $600 per year? By
the way, did anybody ever hear James
M. Lynch complaining about "tirades
o abuse" when he was profiting by tho
abusive fight put up against Sam Don
nelley? Delegate McCullough of Omaha de
livered himself of the following la
defense of the Home trustees: "But
that was not what these men sought.
It was publicity they wanted. Human
buzzards, they rejoiced in the carrion
feast spread before them. Scavengers
of the lowest order, the offal they
revel In they flung broadcast to all.
" Careless of reputations and regardless
of character, they denounced without
Investigation." That's good. It
sounds like the great and good jour
nalist that Bro. Mac is. Moral: If
mon Leader, to put to rout every foe
of the higher life, whether that foe be
found in ourselves, whether he be in
our own ranks, or whether he be an
outsider who is dominated by the
greed for gold.
Just how this shall be done must de
pend upon local conditions. I have no
panacea. I am an opportunist. I be
lieve in getting all that I can as soon
as I can. Therefore, without elaborat
ing a "cock-sure" scheme, I would
mention some everyday principles
which are fundamental. Necessarily,
our plan must in every case begin with
a campaign of education. We cannot
hope to have others become enthusias
tic iu our affairs until there has been
an intelligent presentation of the facts.
Therefore, stop finding fault, until you
have produced the facts. Then keep at
it until somebody begins to move. Men
are not waiting for your message.
lost of them would rather not be dis
turbed. But a reasonable attitude i3
sure to win out.
Be definite in your demands. If you
yourself do not know what you are
after, you must not expect others to
know it.
Be consistent. If you beileve in re
lieving sweat-shop conditions and if
you would abolish Sunday labor, be
ware of adding to the burdens of those
Be consistent. If you believe in re
lieve. Be patient. There is no short cut to
the millennium. Rome was not built
In a day. You will not correct, all of
the evils of your generation, but your
reasonable, definite, consistent cam
paign will surely bring some things to
pass. Rev. Charles Stelzle.
to act on the presumption that the
Home managers are not infallible. By
the way, Delegate McCullough' Intro
duced a resolution at Colorado Springs
especially endorsing the executive
council "in the levy of the 10 per cent
assessment, and commend its adminis
tration and expenditure of the funds
so raised." Just two questions, Bro.
McCullough: Have you contributed 10
per cent of your earnings to the fund?
Is it not true that 50 cents a week has
been the limit of your assessment?
G. E. Locker is manipulating a ma
chine in the Star office these days.
McCartney of the New Century shop
Is back from the lakes with a coat of
tan and stories about some big fish.
The proposition to do away with
the executive committee and entrust
all power into the hands of the officers
in creating a lot of discussion.
Mrs. Frank Kennedy writes for the
Western Laborer a little sketch of a
trip up Pike's Peak, and it conveys
the interesting information that o
all the party that started to walk up
the Peak only Mr. and Mrs. Sam Hoon
succeeded. "It was either walk to the
top or lie down' in the snow and freeze
to death," said Sam.
Work in the printing line is good.
One- or two beneficiaries of the strike
fund in nearby cities could get work
in Lincoln if they would let go of their
"good thing."
E. Moll Is foremanizing at the In
surance Journal shop.
F. C. Greenley is now located In
Cedar Kapids, where he worked sev
eral years ago.
you want to be classed as a "viper"
or a "buzzard," just have the insolence
Get Into The Union Game With Both Feet I
Come cn, Mr. Union Man, and help
boost the cause of the workingman.
It's up to you. i
If you don't help yourselves you
needn't expect a lot of pinheaded
political bosses to do it for you.
If you want laws in your interests
you'll have to take steps to get them.
The longer you stick to party and let
the bosses run things, the longer it
will be before you get any recognition
worth mentioning.
You've got a chance to help your
selves this fall. You will have a
chance to vote for two as good union
men as ever wore union made shoes,
union made clothing, union made hats
and shirts, smoked union made cigars
and gave practical evidence of their
unionism.
HARRY W. SMITH and GEORGE F.
QUICK.
CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
Gets Away With a Lot of Business in
in Short Order.
The Central Labor Union met last
Tuesday night and managed to get
away with a lot of business in a com
paratively short time. Delegate Kel
sey was instructed to go to Omaha and
see why the charter of the Stage
Hands was being ' delayed so long.
Delegate Walker of the Home Indus
try committee was instructed to write
the Regent pople at Omaha and in
quire if it is true, as reported, that
the factory is to be removed to Liu
coin. If it is true an effort will be
made to secure an agreement to make
the factory unipn. ? -
Very much- to the pleasure of tha
body, a delegate from the Machinists'
Union came in with his credentials
and was obligated.
The . Barbers have not been repre
sented for several meetings, and an
inquiry will be sent out. Secretary
De Long failed to appear on the seen
and the roll call was dispensed with.
When he shows op he will be in
structed to get busy with notices of
fines against unions that have not
been represented of late. The state
of trade was reported good in all lines
represented. The Machinist delegate
said the employers were crying - for
men, and the Cigarinakers' delegate
said there were several jobs open in
the city for union men.
The following resolution was intro
duced and unanimously adopted:
"Whereas, The time has come when
organized labor should exercise its
unionism at the polls as well as-inithe
union halls, and ' .
"Whereas, It is only by concerted
action that the army of toilers can
secure recognition from the lawmak
ing bodies, and -
"Whereas, The workingmen of Ne
braska have without success asked the
legislature time and again for relief
and for a just employers' liability law;
from the competition of convict labor,
from the infamous fellow-servant law
therefore, be it.
"Resolved, That we use our best en
deavor to elect men to the legislature
who will strive to secure for labor a
just recognition.
"Resolved, That we urge all workr
ingmen, and especially union work
ingmen, to vote for H. W. Smith and
George F. Quick, union men who have
been nominated for the legislature.
"Resolved," That while disclaiming
any intent to engage in partisan poli
tics, the Central Labor Union of Lin
coln endorses the candidacy of ' these
two union men and urges the union
men of the county to give them a
united and enthusiastic support."
Rev. Mr. Batten, a fraternal dele
gate from the Ministers' Union, w3
present and made an interesting and
instructive talk, urging the working
men to study more closely the topics
of the day.
BOOMING HIS UNION.
"Jim" White, a union stereotyper
ot Omaha, and a man upon whose
unionism no flies ever roost, was in
Lincoln a couple of days last week
and spent a goodly portion of his time
among the stereotypers, gingering
them up. He urged the boys to select
a good correspondent for The Wage
worker, and told them that such a
course would help them more than
anything else. The Wageworker would
like to have every union in Lincoln
act on White's advice.
Smith is a union printer and Quick
is a union carpenter. They are can
didates for the legislature. If elected
they will use every endeavor to abro
gate the convict labor contract. They
v. ill strive to secure an employer's
liability law. They will strive to se
cure the repeal of a "fellow servant
law" that puts a premium on killing
and maiming in the railroad service,
iney will work for a state eight-hour
law. They will do everything possible
to force the purchase of union made
goods for the state institutions.
In short, if elected they will work
for our interests because our interests
and their interests are identical.
Now get into the game not as par
tisans, but as union men. (
as for partisan politics forget it!
Their candidacy has been endorsed
by the Central Labor Union.
THE CARPENTERS.
Breezy Notes Garnered Among Knights,
of the Saw and Plane.
' Tuesday evening, September 18th, is
a special called meeting for the pur
pose of amending the by-laws. All
members are requested to attend said
meeting.
The Carpenters' Union of Perth Am
boy, N. J., has consented to arbitrate
its differences with the .bosses.
Over 1,000 carpenters of Toronto,
Canada, went on strike Thursday for
33 cents an hour and recognition of
the union.
Members of the Carpenters' and
Plasterers' unions of Raleigh, N. C,
went on strike Monday ' morning,
about one hundred strong, demanding
ten hours' pay for nine hours' work.
The contractors and builders have
signed.
Pittsburg carpenters, now on strike,
have increased their benefits from $6
to $12 a week. The members of the
district at work are paying a one dol
lar assessment.
The Carpenters' Union of Butte,
Mont., is erecting a three-story tem
ple at a cost of $25,000.
Labor day was a success, notwith
standing that less than one-half of the
union carpenters were in line. Boys,
whereis the trouble?
The Lincoln Clothing company and
the Sutter-Henry company are mak
ing an honest effort to keep in stock
a full line of goods bearing the union
label. ' Boys, give them a trial. Bear
in mind the label.
Does it appear wise to the commer
cial interests of Lincoln to aid unfair
contractors in importing non-union
carpenters to take the place of bona
fide residents of Lincoln? The resi
dent carpenter spends all his wages
at home and there keeps it in the
legitimate rade, while the non-resident
(assuming he has a family) spends
one-fourth to. one-third of his earnings
here and. the rest goes home to his
family: never to return. ' Where is the
justfee in thus fighting the honest toil
which is responsible for. the upbuild
ing and maintenance of Lincoln, one
of the fairest spots on earth?
New members are initiated at every
meeting of Local No. 1055.
We, still have contractors and busi
ness nouses on the unfair list.
Another election is approaching.
Boys, remember your friends, the
friends of organized labor; forget
your enemies. Vote accordingly.
Remember the label when you buy
goods. . .
Remember your duty to the Deity
and a brother in distress.
Remember the Civic Federation on
election day. .
Brothers Fleicheour and Mauzee are
reported injured.
Bro. Sutter is reported improving.
Bro. Callahan is seen on the streets
of Lincoln. We are glad to have him
with us again.
Local No. 1055 is steadily increasing
its membership.
AN EASY CHOICE.
Union men in the Second congres
sional district the Omaha district
are in luck. Congressman. Kennedy
has voted for all the bills endorsed
by union labor and has shown his
friendship for unionism. Gilbert M.
Hitchcock, his democratic opponent,
is a friend of organized labor and
during the last sixteen years has paid
out a million, dollars to union labor.
Union men are in luck when they have
a chance to choose between such
friends. ,
The Typographical Union one of
the most conservative labor organiza
tions in the country has endorsed
their candidacy.
What about your union?
Invite Smith and Quick to appear
before your unions not as the candi
dates of a political party, but as union
men seeking to advance the interests
of union men and women. Let them
tell .where they stand. Then endorse
them.
But don't stop with an endorsement.
oet out and work for them work
as if you meant it. Work as if you
were really interested in unionism
more interested in unionism than you
are in advancing the interests of a
political party that never tore its
shirt trying to help you.
Which does you the most good,
Bryan Tells His Views
On Lafeo Questions
'I have referred to the investigation
of international controversies under a
system which does not bind the par
ties to accept the findings of the court
of inquiry. This plan can be used In
disputes between labor and capital;
in fact, it was proposed as a means of
settling such disputes before it was
applied to international controversies.
It is as important that we shall have
peace at home as that we shall live
peaceably with neighboring nations,
and peace is only possible when it
rests upon justice. In advocating arbi
tration of difference between large cor
poration employers and their employes
I believe we are defending the highest
interests of the three parties to the
disputes, viz: the employers, the em
ployes and the public. The employe
cannot be turned over to the employer
to be dealt with as the employer may
please.
"The question sometimes asked:
"Can I not conduct my business to suit
myself?" is a plausible one, but when
a man in conducting his business at
tempts to arbitrarily fix the conditions
under which hundreds of employes are
to live and to determine the future of
thousands of human beings I answer
without hesitation that, he has ho right
to conduct his own business in such a'
way as to deprive his employes of their
right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness I need only refer to the laws
regulating the safety of mines, the fac
tory laws fixing the age at which chil
dren can be employed, the usury laws
establishing the rate of Interest. The
effort of the employer to settle differ
ences without arbitration has done
much to' embitter him against those
who work, for him, to estrange him
from them a condition deplorable
from every" standpoint.
"No reference to the labor question
STREET RAILWAY MEN.
"Quitters," "Quillers" and "Pikers"
Afflict the Whole Body.
The recently organized union of
Street Railway Employes ' in Lincoln
seems to be in a bad way. It has even
been reported that a few men who
joined have actually gone to the man
agement, turned in their buttons and
begged pardon for having joined ths
union. If this is true the men who
did it have a yellow streak as wide as
a barn door.
From the very first the men who
endeavored to organize this union had
a hard time of it. "Quillers" who seek
to hold their jobs by carrying tales to
the management, opposed it. Others
who didn't have nerve enough to call
their souls their own opposed it
through fear that it would cost them
their jobs. Others couldn't see the
use of paying out 40 or 50 cents a
month in dues. Still others didn't
have sense enough to realize that in
their unorganized state they, were
helpless. The street railway employes
of Lincoln are the worst paid men in
the industry in the entire country,
Not another city the size of Lincoln
has such a low minimum scale for. its
motormen and conductors. In Omaha,
just fifty miles away, the first year
men get better, wages than the five
year -men in Lincoln. It takes a
motorman or conductor in Lincoln
twelve hours to earn what a union
your union or your political party?
Think k . over.
When you do you will hustle out
and work to elect Smith and Quick.
A fusion legislature in Nebraska
occe passed an eignt-hour law, but
they shot it full of holes trying to
make exceptions in favor of certain in
terests. Then a republican judge pro
nounced it unconstitutional.
That's what organized" labor always
gtts when it trusts to party politics.
Will we ever get wise?
Come on, boys! Let's elect Smith
and Quick this trip,' and next time all
ponucal parties will fall over them
selves to ask us what we want.
It's the chance of a lifetime.
sk Smith and Quick to appear be
fore your union not as partisans, but
as union men and listen carefully to
what cuey have to saV.
is complete that does not include some
mention of what is known as govern
ment by injunction. As the main pur
pose of the writ is to evade trial by
jury, is It really an attack on the jury
system. This ougb.t to arouse an unan
imous protest. So long as the thief is
guaranteed a trial by jury, a jury ought
not to be denied to wage earners,, how
ever, as the writ is usually invoked in
case of a strike the importance of the
subject would be very much reduced
by the adoption of a system of arbitra
tion, because arbitration would very
much reduce, even if it did not entirely
remove the probability of a strike.
"Just another word in regard to the
laboring man. The struggle to secure
an eight-hour day is an international
struggle and it is sure to be settled in
favor of the working man. The bene
fits of the labor saving machine have
not been distributed with equity. The
producer has enormously multiplied
his capacity, but so far the owner of
the machine has received too much of
the increase and the laborer too little.
Those who oppose the eight-hour day
do it, I am convinced, more because of
ignorance of conditions than because
of lack of sympathy with those who
toil. - The removal of work from the
house to the factory has separated the
husband from his wife and the father
from his children, while the growth of
our cities has put an increasing dis
tance between the home and, the work
shop. ' ; ' ; V
"Then,- too, more is demanded of
the laboring man now than formerly ;
he is a citizen as well as a laborer and .
must have time for the study of public
institutions, if he is to be an intelli
gent sovereign. To drive him" from his
bed to his. task and from his task back
to his bed is to deprive the family of
his company, society of his service and
politics of his influence." ' '
printer earns in five and a union car-,
penter in six. Yet a lot of "quillers"
and "quitters" can not see the neces
sity of organization. , .
Several of the street railway men
deserve high praise for their efforts to
perfect an organization. They are the
stuff from which good union men arj
made. The trouble is th,at they had
poor material1 to work with.i Men who
are satisfied to work eighty-four hours
a week at a, dangerous and hard occu
pation for the miserable wage of $14 ;
are not good material out of which
to make union men. Men of this
stamp seem to be in a majority among
the motormen and conductors of Lin
coln, hence the failure, to build up
and maintain a strong union.'
It is to be hoped that the men who
have struggled to organize the men
here will not give up. Let them meet
and hold their charter as long as pos
sible. The "quillers" and "pikers"
may die off after a while and make
way for men who have real backbone
instead of a lump of elongated jelly.
THE TEAMSTERS.
-Work Good and the Men Still Holding
to Their Charter.
The union teamsters of Lincoln re
port work unusually good, and the
union is still doing business ' at the
old stand. The season is at: hand
when unionists in other lines can be
of material assistance to the uniou
teamsters. Coal deliveries will soon
be on. If you are a good union man
you will not allow a coal firm to send
your coal out with a non-union driver.
Neither will you purchase coal of a
firm that does not employ ' union
drivers.. Make the driver show1 a paid
up. card or send him back with the
ccal.
FREIGHT HANDLERS.
Lincoln used to have a Freight
Handlers'. Union. What has become
of it? It seems to have died a nat
ural death. Freight handlers' work is
about the hardest kind of work known,
and in Lincoln they work ten hours
a day for less than 20 cents an hour.
The ex-members of the union. If there
are any left, ought to begin doing a ,
little missionary work. '
CAPITAL AUXILIARY.
i ...
Capital Auxiliary No. 11 to Lincoln
Typographical Union No. 209 will meet
Friday -at 2:30 p. m., Sept. 21, at the
home of Mrs. G. M. Wathan, 1744
Holmes street. -
NT.-'
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