D r A S TRADESjKI COUNCIL) H J
11; lfUIL WiAiCCTiwlHJ liYdAvl
VrOLi 4 XillfCOLiK, KElJltASKA, JULY 5, 1007 , t NO. 13
i ' i .. . '
J";
Among the Live Union j
Workers of Lincoln
The Central Labor Union will meet
next Tuesday evening, and it wilt have
a raft of important business to handle.
First and foremost, of course, will be
the matter of continuing to push tho
Labor Temple project. The matter oi
the theatrical benefits will come up for
definite action. And then the mat
ter of giving the initial Impetus to the
proper observation- of Labor Day will
demand attention.
It is not a bit too early to begin ar
ranging for Labor Day. It is always
necessary, H seems, to put in a lot of
time getting ready to do something
definite, and it takes time to get the
various locals to send In their dele
gates to participate in the arranging
of the program. There are a score of
reasons why Labor Day this year
should eclipse all former efforts.
There is some opposition to a parade
this year, and the opponents are pre
pared to advance sound arguments
to support their contentions. One ar
gument is , that the musicians have
failed to organize, thus making it Im
possible to secure the services of a
union band, and a lot of union men are
.1.) favor of standing pat oil the reso
lution adopted by the central body
lust year not to parade again behind
non-union music. Those who favc a
purade, however, will be on hand with
their arguments, and here's hoping
that the matter will be settled amica
bly. The Labor Temple project has been
the subject of a lot of talk since the
recent open meeting. Men who are
not engaged la any craft has signified
a willingness to get In pn the game.
Walton G. Roberta, the undertaker.
stopped the editor of The Wageworker
on the street' the other day long
enough to say: v
"It's a mighty good thing and I want
to give it a little push towards success.
I'll go you $25 on It as a starter, and if
necessary will do a little better than
that."
A. H. Armstrong, the clothier, said:
"Of course I must be counted in on
the scheme, but to what extent de
pends altogether on the way the union
men themselves take hold of It.' 'God
helps those who help themselves."
Show us what you can do, and we'll
do what we can to help you. But it's
your first move."
v The Wageworker knows where $300
in coming from when the need arrives.
It will not come from union men,
either, but from men who are neither
. craftsmen nor employers of labor.
The various unions are requested to
select their member of the building
committee and to report the name of
the man selected to George H. Bush,
secretary of the Central Labor Union:
, This is an important matter, and the
success of the movement depends up
on the men thus selected.
Every delegate to the' Central La
bor Union owes It to himself and to
his union to be on hand when Presi
dent Kelsey'8 gavel falls next Tues
day evening at 8:30 o'clock.
.BORAH INDICTED.
How many of our readers know that
Senator Borah, leading counsel in the
Haywood prosecution. Is now under
federal indictment for stealing govern
ment timber land? Well, he is, and it
may be possible that before the trial is
over with. Orchard will confess that it
was he and not Borah who did the
. stealing. Colorado Springs Labor
News. ,
NEW LABOR COMMISSIONER.
J. J. Rider, an Omaha Politician, Lands
. the Coveted Job.
J. J. Rider, an Omaha politician and
' ex-newspaper man, was appointed dep
uty labor commissioner last Monday
by Governor Sheldon. Rider was back
ed by the Douglas county republicans;
his chief qualification being that he U
sr. astute politician.
Rider is not a craftsman, is not a
union man, and knows nothing about
the labor question as it concerns tho
great mass of workiugmen in thi
slate. He Is employed in the office of
the clerk of Douglas county, and was
formerly a reporter on the Omaha Bee.
Back east somewhere he got into poll
tics a little bit and was elected to the
legislature a couple of times. He was
candidate for the republican legislative
nomination in Douglas county last fall,
but failed to arrive. The deputy labor
commissionership seems to have been
given him as a "consolation prize."
Governor Sheldon " has appointed
Joseph W. Johnson deputy food and
dairy commissioner. Mr. Johnson is
fully as well qualied for this job as
Rider Is for the other.
THE ANNUAL BENEFIT.
Fulton Stock Company Again Favors
the Central Labor Union. .
The Fulton Stock Company, under
the management of Jess B. Fulton,
and M'anagen Zehrung of the Oliver
have again tendered company and
house to the Central Labor Union for
another benefit. The date selected by
the management and the Central La
bor Union committee is Monday even
ing, July 17, and the attraction will
be the beautiful drama, "The Belle of
Richmond." There will be no increase
in the prices of admission, the prices
remaining 25, 15 and 10 cents. Box
seats will be sold at 50 cents each.
The tickets will be distributed to
the delegates at the meeting next
Tuesday evening, and will be sold to
friends and supporters of the union
movement. These tickets must be ex
changed at the box office at the thea
tre for reserved seat tickets.
Beginning Monday, July 10, the Ful
ton Stock Company will offer for the
entire, week the beautiful military
drama, "Cumberland, '61." This will
be staged In the best possible style,
and the full strength of the company
will be used. The offering is one of
the very best In the company's reper
toire. Everybody get busy now and boost
the benefit!
THE CARPENTERS
First Meeting of the Quarter Marked
by Satisfactory Attendance.
The Carpenters had a rousing meet
ing Tuesday night, the beginning of
the third quarter. The hall was
crowded and business was dispatched
with a rush. Three new members
were taken In, with three or four more
on the waiting list. The following
officers were installed for the ensuing
term:
Ross Shepherd, president.
Oscar Stowell, vice president.
A. R. Gibson, financial secretary.
J. A. Chambers, recording secretary,
Ed Bly, business agent.
George Quick, delegate C. L. U.
A. R. Kent, trustee.
W. A. Gray, who resides at Univer
sity Place, was struck by a Traction
company car last Monday afternoon
and seriously Injured. - He is resting
comfortably at bis. home. '
H. E. Atterbury is located at Fair
mont, instead of at Fairbury, as re
ported in The Wageworker last week.
THE CIGARMAKERS.
The Clgarmakers met Tuesday
evening and elected the following offi
cers for the ensuing term:
T. W. Evans, president.
John Steiner, financial secretary.
Jed Kohoup, treasurer.
J. Herminghaus, recording secre
tary.
T. W. Evans was selected as the
union's representative on the Labor
Temple committee. Messrs. Evans,
Ross and McMann were elected dele
gates to the C. L. U. Business is re
ported good.
SARCASTIC.
Frank Kennedy Turns Delegate Ma
Culloch's Language Back Upon Him.
Butte Typographical union has filed
exhaustive charges against the execu
tive council of the I. T. U., charging
'it with serious offenses, both of omis
slon and commission.
"It is useless to try to overtake
these men In their folly. Day by day
they bring forth - new accusations,
week by week they put out ' new
charges. You are attacked one day
and I am attacked another, and some
one else on the third day, and no ef
fort is ever made to prove the charges
made. These men do not want to
Third Annual Benefit
Lino
oln Central
Union
(Mveir YCneattire
Monday, July 17
Through the courtesy of Mr. Jess Fulton and his
company, and Manager Zehrung of the Oliver, the 'Lin
coln Ontral Labor Union offers its Third Annual Bene
fit at the Oliver Theatre on fhe above date On that oc
casion the Fulton Stock Company will present the beau
tiful southern drama
"The Belle
, Coupons exchangeable at the box. off ice for reserved
seat tickets are now on sale by delegates to the central
body. No advance in prices 25, J 5, and 10 cents.
Box seats 50 cents. The public is cordially invited to
help us make this benefit a success. The proceeds are
for the furtherance of the work of the Central Labor Union
prove them, they do not care to prove
them. They are as careless of the
truth as they are of the characters of
themselves or others. Buzzards and
scavengers, they are a disgrace to
their calling and a menace to the
peace of all." Western. Laborer.
STRIKE A THUMBOLDT.
Non-Union Men Quit to Enforce De
mand, for Better -Wage Scale.
Humboldt, July 2. Humholdt Is ex
periencing some of the woes of a man
ufacturing city, as this morning eight
een employes of the "brick company
went on a strike subsequent to the re
fusal of the management to Increase
their pay, and the plant is now shut
down pending a settlement or a filling
of the vacant positions. The workmen
affected are employed in the pit and
iTieE Tffl LOCAL
UCMKR
At the mass meeting at Central Labor Union
hall last Tuesday night to consider the Labor Tempi.
proposition, it was decided to ask all trades and labor
unions to select one member each to act upon an
advisitory committee. This committee will consider
ways and means, and report back to their locals for
rejection or approval. Local unions are urged to se
lect the best possible material for this committee,
and to do so at once, without waiting for formal
notice from the secretary of the mass meeting, and
to notify George Bush when selection is made. As
soon as a majority of the unions have reported, the
committee' will be called together.
Every union in the county, regardless of affilia
tion with the American Federation of Labor, is urged
to select a member of the committee, and to do so at
Speedy action means quicker results.
rt-once.
Labor
of Richmond"
the house, and pursuant to their re
quest their wage was recently placed
at five cents per thousand instead of
at the day rate, which they have re
ceived heretofore. The kilns tare not
all completed and the management
has been unable to keep the plant
running on full time owing to inability
to burn the brick, and the men be'
came dissatisfied on account of haying
to lay off so often. Yesterday they
asked the manager, O. L. - Bantz, for
an increase to eight cents per thou
sand, but this was denied by the lat-
ter, whose action was upheld by the
directors, and as a result eighteen of
the men quit this morning. The strike
is not attended by any demonstration,
and it is hoped an amicable adjust
ment may be reached and the estab
lishment kept running profitably as
It has proven a good thing for the city.
First Walking Delegate
In American History
In the year 1774 the first union was
organized In America, says Charles H.
SanfordTof North Bend, Ore., in the
last issue of The Carpenter. At that
time a fellow by the name of Sam
Adams, discontented with the state of
affairs, made up his mind to get the
boys together and. organize. 1 No doubt
he was called an agitator by the boss
and blacklisted. Nevertheless, he got
the boys to back him up. A committee
was appointed consisting of Sam
Adams, Jack Adams, John . Fay, Pat
Henry and George Washington, to
draw up a set of resolutions setting
forth their grievances, which they did,
and the followin resolution wa3
adopted (see declaration of indepen
dence:) '
'Resolved, Thatj we hold these
truths to be self-evident; that all men
are created equal; that they are en
dowed by their Creator with certain
unallienable rights; that among these
are life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness; that to secure these rights
governments are instituted among men
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed.! That when
any form of government becomes de
structive of their ends, it is the right
oi the people to alter or abolish it and
to institute a new government, layj
ing its 'foundations on such principles
and organizing its powers : in such
form as to them shall seem most like
ly to effect their safety and happiness.
and when a long train of abuses
and usurpations, pursuing invariably
the same object, evinces a desire to re
duce them under "absolute .despotism,
it is their right, it is' their duty, to
throw off such government; and to pro
vide new guards for their future secur
ity." j
The boss, whose name was John
Bull, , got rip roaring mad and said
he would . be ding busted before he '
would give them what they asked for,
and said he would ' fire the whole
bunch if they didn't behave' but
these union men were pretty stiff
necked themselves and said they would
go him a Whirl if they lost their jobs
by it. One fellow got considerable
applause by shouting, "Give me liber
ty or give me death!"
About one-third of the members were
opposed to calling a strike, but the
motion carried, and George Washing
ton was unanimously elected "busi
ness agent." No doubt yotf have
heard something of what happened.
How they gained their point,, and not
only gained their point, but kicked
the boss off the job and took charge
themselves and ran It on the co-operative
plan., They had considerable
trouble before the won; the boss Tan
in a lot of strike breakers, and there'
were quite a lot of non-union men and
"scabs" around them, and some joined
them just to keep the boss . posted on
what they were going to do, but they
made short work of these fellows when
they found them out. Sometime after
they got this settled, they had trouble
among themselves, because some of
the union men wanted to work non
union men, but Abe Lincoln, who was
then president of the union, said "No."
Then the fellows who wanted to use
the non-union men said they would
draw out of the union and get a char
ter, and organize a union of their own.
But Abe was a pretty sensible old
diick and said: "We must preserve
the integrity of the union" and he
went after the blacksliders, thrashed
them into line again, made them dis
charge their non-union men and took
the non-union men into the union.
Probably there are not very many
people who have heard of this before,
a3 it happened in an out-of-the-way
sort of a place, but I will give my
word of honor that it did happen just
as I told it, and if those fellows did it,
and it was considered all right, I don't
see vhy other fellows, who are the
same kind of fellows, have not the
right to do the same. The very foun
dation of these United States was laid
on the organizing of a few men who
went on strike to better their condi
tions. Yet, hoarse on the Fourth of
July sounding the praises of George
Washington and his co-patriots, stren
uously oppose any. attempt the men of V
today may make in organizing to
protect their interests and better their
condition. I feel safe in saying had
these men who now oppose organized
labor been in existence in the year
1774 they would have opposed George
Washington and his co-patriots, and
would have been what they are today
non-union' men and scabs possibly
spies. They can not bring forth' a
logical argument in support of the
stand they take if they 'believe In and
support the action taken by George
Washington and the others, " and if
they do not believe in and support
the action taken they should be driven
from the country as traitors to this
government. The sole and only feel
ing that prompts them to oppose or
ganized labor is selshness pure, un
adulterated hog bristle selfishness. The
laboring man and woman produce all'
the wealth of the country, directly or
indirectly, and receive a very small
portion in return for so doing and
those who work little or not at all,' and
who receive the larger portion be- -grudge
them the little they do get, and 1
continually ; and systematically fight
any attempt they may make to get a
little more of what is justly due them.
In this little town, at the present
time, the men are asking for one hour
less on the" workday one hour more
in which to train their children in the
way they should go, so they may be
come good and able citizens, so they
will be able to act justly and honor
ably when the , government " of thi3
country may be put in their hands;
one hour more in which to read, that
they may be the better prepared to
live this, life and the life to come, and
I understand the one man who is most
opposed to it has said he would see
their tongue hanging out and black for
want of food before he would grant it.
Methinks I can see him standing on a
platform on the Fourth of July .eulo
gizing and praising the acts of George
Washington.
A BIG PRIZE.
And Some Wageworker Reader Ought
to Win It- ;
The American Humane Educational
sooiety, through its president, George
T. Angell, 19 Milk Street,, Boston,
Mas3., makes the following announce
ment: ', "Our American Humane Edu
cation society desires to secure the
best story that can be written to make
the rich and poor . more kind to each
other and so harmonize the disputes
between capital and labor a story
which will be read with interest by
both rich and poor, and for this pur
pose I offer, in behalf of our American'
Humane Education society, a prize of
one thousand dollars for the best.
To receive the prize the story must be
declared by crlics carefully selected
by us to be worth a thousand dollars.
Each competition must be typewritten
on stitched sheets, signed with a fic
titious name and accompanied by a
sealed letter giving the actual name
and postoffice address of the writer,
which will not be opened until the de
cision' has been made. All stories
must be received at the offices of our
American Humane Education society,
19 Milk Street, Boston, on or before
January 1, 1908, and on each of the
envelopes must appear the prize offer
which must be kept entirely separate."
There are many readers of The Wage-
worker , who are capable of carrying
off this prize, did they but set their
minds to the task of preparing a story
on this subject. -
LAUNRY WORKERS RESUME.
The Laundry Workers' strike in San
Francisco is happily terminated and
the members of that organization' re
turned to work last Monday. The
agreement reached with the employ
ers, and which was approved' by the
union, provides a graduated scale and
concedes the eight-hour day on the in
stallment plan .
"... . LOTS OF THEM.
.... A great many people squeal jlike a
stuck hog . against working with a
scab; . and yet some of these mei
load 'up with scab goods on the. way
home, and never even ask for a clerk's
union card when making the pur
chases. Evansville Advocate.-