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L.INCOIiN, NEBRASKA, OCTOBEK 19, I90(i
NO. 28
ki , THE DIVIDENDS EXPLAINED.
A GOOD MASS MEETING.
11111
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K T R ADlo I i-abelI COUNCILS
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Good Showing for Stockholders at Ex
pense of Wage Earners.
Vthc Lincoln Evening News of Oct.
13 contained the following interesting
frit of news concerning the Lincoln
"Overall and Shirt Co.:
At the -monthly--meeting -of tlie
board of directors held on the 9th
inst. the excellent showing of the man
ager L. O. Jones, decided the directors
to offer the balance of the treasury
stock of the company; for sale at par,
that the paid-up capital might be in
creased to $100,000. The manager's
report showed a gain In the volume of
business, thus far, of eighty-five per
cent over the business of 1905 with a
steady growing demand for "Jones
Brand" work clothing. The directors
anticipate that the new issue of stock
will be quickly taken as the company
is looked upon as one of the most suc
cessful manufacturing industries of
Lincoln, one that has met and over
come reverses of severe nature and
in spite of these has never missed a
year, in the paying of dividends. As
a substantial evidence of its worth to
the city, It Is noted that its payroll now
reaches' $35,000 annually, practically
all of which is distributed through the
stores of Lincoln. A considerable por
tion of the product of the factory is
already sold ahead to April of next
year."
. Elsewhere in this issue The Wage
worker again prints a fac simile of a
check Issued by this "pald-divldends-cvery-year"
Institution, the check be
ing given an employe for a week's
work of fifty-nine hours. This check
may explain how Manager Jones has
been able to pay increasing dividends.
Jfhe woman to whom this check was
Issued no longer works for Mr. Jones.
The Monday after the fac simile ap
peared in The Wageworker for the
, first time, the, woman was called Into
the business office and discharged. She
knew nothing whatever of the fact
that The Wageworker had come Hnto
possession of the check. She cashed
f Jt at a Lincoln store, and the mer
tenant sold it "to the editor. Parties
, who desire to see the original check
may have that pleasure by calling on
the editor of The Wageworker. As it
has never been cashed at the bank
' on which it was drawn It undoubtedly
has contributed its share to the "in
creasing dividends," along with the
girU who work in the factory at wages
about 25 per cent less than those re
ceived by the girls in the union over
all factories of St. Joseph.
Mass meeting of workingmen, C. L.
U. hall, 1034 O street, next Thursday
- night. Be there!
TAKE YOUR MEDICINE!
The Postal Clerks and Carriers Must
Not Form Unions.
Postmaster General Cortelyou has
officially notified the carriers and
clerks in the employ of the postofflce
department that they must not organ
ize a union for ho purpose of agitating
for higher pay and union condition
Mr. Cortelyou tells the employes that
It is the duty of his department, not
of a union, to tell congress what the
postofllae department needs.
Take your medicine, boys! When
you hire out to Uncle Sam in the post
office department you cease to be a
free man, acording to Cortelyou. You
have no right to petition congress for
redress of grievances as long as you
are in the postal service, although the
constitution says that right must not
be abridged. T'ell with the. constitu
tion! Cortelyou will fix things for
you. Yours is a calling that requires
a superior education, quick wit and
more tban average intelligence, but
you must not talk together about striv
ing to get decent wages. Cortelyou
will attend to that for you. Does he
not get $8,000 a year for doing all your
thinking for you? Back up, boys!
After you have grown so old that you
are no longer fit for duty, you will be
retired without pay or pension. Then
you can apply for naturalization papers
'"and again become citizens of the Uni
ted States. According to Cortelyou
you are not citizens now. Your right
to organize, to petition and agitate is
denied you. It is conceded to Ameri
can citizens. '
Great is Cortelyou!
Mass meeting of workingmen, C. L. I
U. hall, 1034 O street, next Thursday
night. Be there! '
MASS METING OF WORKINGM
There will be a mass meeting at Central Labor
Union hall, 1034 O street, Thursday evening, October
25. of all working-men who are desirous of electing
1 to-the legislature two laborine: men who will make
it their business to look after legislation in the inter
ests of those who work for J wages. Workingmen,
union and non-union, are urged to attend. Good
speakers will be present. Get into the political game
and work and vote for your own interests!-'
i
The workingmen of Nebraska not only have a duty to per
form in the way of securing legislation in their interests, but
have a duty to perform in the matter of preventing some threat
ened legislation, r
v It .-nfoald be-a-great ibJng to secure 'the en&tltaeai oi a
child labor law, of an employer's liability law, of an anti-prison
contract law and of a law defining the fellow servant principle.
But there is a threatened danger of which comparatively few
workingmen are aware. It is a danger that threatens their
every right as American citizens. It is a danger that strikes
at the very foundation of the workingmen 's right to organize
for their own protection.
The men who are moving to fasten this thing upon the
workingmen are not making any fuss about it. They are pur
suing the course of stealth. They are working under cover.
What is it that they seek to secure?
They seek to secure the enactment of a CONSPIRACY
LAW.
And what is that?
It is a law that would make it a felony for a body of work
ingmen to agree among themselves that they would act as a
unit. With such a law on the statute books it would be a fel
ony for a trades union to discuss the matter of raising wages,
decide upon submitting the demand and determine to strike
if the' demand was not acceded to.
Backed by millions of money these enemies of organized
labor are able to hire the best legal talent, and these lawyers
would so draft a law as to make the workingmen of the state
helpless in the face of the opposition of the corporations and
the "business men's associations."
The men who want to enact such a law will have their tools
in the legislature. These tools will be good talkers and ' ' smooth
men." They will be able to deceive the average legislator who .
has given the industrial problem little or no thought. Unless
there are men in the legislature who are able to expose these
schemes, and not only able but interested in exposing them, the
schemes will be successful and the workingmen will be help
less. An "anti-conspiracy law" such as these schemers seek to
put upon the statute books would mean the death of our trades
unions, and any workingman with brains enough to stain a
white silk handkerchief knows what would happen to him and
his if they were left without the protection and the help of the
unions.
Do not be deceived into the notion that we need only the
enactment of a few laws. Bear in mind that we need strong,
earnest true-blue trades unionists in the legislature to prevent
the enactment of some laws. "
And as sure as day succeds night an effort will be
made during the next session of the legislature to enact ait anti
conspiracy law.
UNLESS WE HAVE WATCHFUL WORKINGMEN OK
DUTY IN THE LEGISLATURE THE SCHEME WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL.
Edwin Markham, writing for Cosmopolitan Magazine on
the subject of child labor, tells of visiting a glass factory that
employed hundreds of children ranging from 6 to 15 years of
age. This factory runs two shifts of 12 hours each. He noticed
a barbed wire stockade built around the factory. He asked
the superintendent what the "trocha" was for.
"J), that's to keep the kids of the night shift from skipping
out, ' ' Replied the boss. . t
v3HAT - NEBRASKA WORKINGMEN SHOULD - DO IS
TO-BUIED A BARBED WIRE FENCE AROUND EVERY
FACTORY, PRESENT AND PROSPECTIVE, NOT TO KEEP
CHILD LABOR INSIDE THE STOCKADE, BUT TO KEEP
CHILD LABOR OUTSIDE OF THE FACTORY.
The only way to secure the enactment of a child labor law
is to elect men to the legislature whose sentimental and per
sonal interests impel them to oppose child labor.
The lawyer knows little or nothing about the child labor
question, and cares less. The average politician would sacri
fice youth on the altar of his political ambition. The corpora
tion tool will do the bidding of his corporation masters, and
the corporation masters thrive and fatten on the toil of helpless
women and children. The farmer, honest enough and willing
enough, but absolutely ignorant of conditions in the crowded
cities, can not be depended upon to take the initiative.
Upon whom, then, shall we depend?
WE MUST DEPEND ON WORKINGMEN WHO ARE
VITALLY INTERESTED IN THE ABOLITION OF CHILD
LABOR.
In no other way can we prevent Nebraska from becoming
infested with this modern crime.
It is not a political question, therefore it is idle folly to
expect the politicians to take it up unless they see a. chance to
make political capital. The republican party will countenance
child labor as long as the soulless employers will make it an
object to do so. The democratic party is no better nor no
worse. Both are thinking of the offices, the political pie and
the power. Nebraska, a banner republican state, has no child
labor laws. Mississippi, a banner democratic state has no child
labor laws. The states that do have child labor laws owe noth
ing to the dominant political party. The laws are the result
of trades union activity. The workingman who depends upon a
political party to do something for him is a fool.
If we get laws in the interests of workingment it will be
because workingmen throw aside their partisanship and elect
workingmen who know what they want and try to get it.
In Lancaster county we have an opportunity to drive in an,
entering wedge. Workingmen have a chance to vote for two
men from their own ranks who will, if elected, strive to secure
needed legislation and prevent inimical legislation.
If the workingmen of Lancaster county will lay aside all
partisan prejudice and vote for these two men they will be
elected. There is no doubt of it.
Harry W. Smith and George F. Quick, the former a printer
and the latter a carpenter, are candidates for the legislature,
They ask you for your votes. Shall they ask in vain?
For heaven's sake, boys, get wise to your own interests.
Vote for "Molly and the babies" just once and tell the political
bosses to go to thunder. Assert your independence just this
once, and then watch the political bosses crawling to you for
the purpose of asking you what you want ki the future.
A vote for Smith and Quick is a vote to protect yourselves,
your homes and your little ones. .
THE DUTY THAT LIES BEFORE THE WORKINGMEN
Well Attended and Rousing Speeches
Closely Listened To.
The workingmen's mass meeting at
Central Labor Union hall last Monday
evening was w ell attended. The chairs
were all filled, and although the meet
ing was a lengthy one not a man left
the hall until it was over. Rev. Mr.
Batten and Rev. Mr. Orr were present
and were called upon to speak, and
both urged the workingmen to stand
together at the polls and to quit being
partisans. Frank A. Kennedy of Oma
ha made an interesting talk, in which
he complimented the workingmen of
Lincoln on their enterprise and their
union prosperity. "I'm surprised to
see so many out at a meeting of this
kind," said he. "You couldn't get this
many out In Omaha without the prom
ise of refreshments. And to see you
not only coming out to a meeting of
this kind to boom a couple of labor ;
candidates for office, but actually . go
down in your pockets to help pay the
campaign expenses say. It looks
mighty good to me."
Mr. Kennedy urged the laboring
men to constitute themselves Into a
campaign committee to work for the
election of Smith and Quick,, saying
that there were enough present to win i
if they would only go to work the
right way. ' ' I
The candidates for the legislature,
Smith and Quick, spoke briefly and
outlined the course they would pursue
and the policies they , would advocate
if elected. General Kelsey concluded :
the meeting with a short, bnt forceful .
talk Another mass meeting will be
held at Central Labor Union hall next
Thursday evening. Be there!
Mass meeting of workingmen, C. L. '
U. hall, 1034 O street, next Thursday
night. Be there!
A LITTLE FABLE.
BUt Not Quite So Much of a Fable As
Might Be. ' v
The Truly Good Man was in despair.
He had strived without avail to en
gage in a business requiring male help
and make money. Do what he would
failure stared him in the face, and all
that was left to him was to put his
property in his wife's name and seek
relief In the bankruptcy courts.
, But he realized that after all this
was accomplished there would still be
the necessity of engaging in some
other line of business. '
But what?
"Ah, I have it!" shouted the Truly
Good Man. "I'll start a business where
I can employ women and girls. They .
will be content with any old wages, no
matter how small."
Realizing that he had struck his
gait the Truly Good Man proceeded,
to organize a stock company and pro
pare to have the factory opened with
prayer.
Moral: But the man who went up
into the temple and prayed the loud
est got what was coming to him after
a while.
Mass meeting of workingmen, C. L.
U. hall, 1034 O street, next Thursday
night. Be there! '
THE CARPENTERS.
Every Member at Work and New
Members Coming In. .
All members of Local No. 1055 are
employed and our business agent
seems to be unable to supply the de
mand for union carpenters, despite the
fact that Local No. 1055 is taking in
new members at every meeting.
' Reports from the fourteenth general
convention, which was in- session from
Sept. 17 to Sept. 28, inclusive, at Niag
ara Falls, N. Y., are very gratifying,
meager as they are as yet. They, in
dicate unprecedented progress in un
onlsm all along the line, and a splen
did future is visibly dawning, despite
the efforts of the Civic Federation, an
organization which seems to possess
more money than brains. Every time
they make a move against organized
labor they further educate the craft
and up goes another fence.. Labor sees
the necessity of standing together, and
of ' better entrenchments. Surely a
new era is dawning.
All members of Local No. 1055, U.
B. of C. & J. of A, are urgently re
quested to present their due books for
comparison with ledger on or before
our next meeting, Tuesday evening,
Oct. 23, under penalty. See section
158, general constitution.
IT