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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1907)
VOL,. 4 IjIXCOLK, NEBRASKA, JULY 26,. 1&07 NO. 17 ! Bartenders Inaugurate Memorial Observance Lincoln unions seem to have fallen Into the habit of setting the pace for sister unions throughout the country. Four years ago Lincoln Typographical Union inaugurated the custom of ob , serving memerial day each year, and now the custom has the sanction of international law and last May scores of local unions observed the day with fitting ceremonies. Last Sunday the Bartenders' Union of Lincoln observed "Memorial Sun day," and thus Inaugurated a custom In their craft which promises to speed ily become well nigh universal. It was, bo far ns known, the first time a Bartenders' Union that ever held memorial excerslses over the graves of departed members. The local met at Carpenters' hall at 3 o'clock last Sunday afternoon, nearly 60 per cent of the membership being present. Each member was given a carnation and a mourning badge, and the local marched from the hall to Sixteenth and O streets, where a special car was taken to Wyuka cemetery. The union's banner and ' an American flag were carried at the head of the procession. At the cemetery gates the procession again formed and proceeded to the grave of' a recently deceased member where brief memorial exercises were held and the grave decorated. The members then visited other graves and decorated them,' two of the graves being located in the Catholic ceme tery. There was no attempt at a for mal program. After the decoration services the members returned to the city and disbanded at the hall. The members have unanimously de cided to observe the custom every year, and already a movement is on foot to purchase a burial lot and erect a monument. The following ad d.ess was delivered at the grave of Fred Karcher, where the ceremonies were held, the speaker being "Will M. Maupin, editor of The Wageworker: "It is meet and proper 'that we, ilie surviving comrades of that great army which marches and fights In the cause of unionism, should pause in our campaign now and then, and for one brief hour devote ourselves to tender thoughts of the comrades who have gone before; comrades who marched side by side with us, who divided our misfortunes and doubled their joys by sharing with us. In the almost death grapple for existence which has been thrust upon us by modern Industrialism, It is most nat ural that unless we join hands in mutual helpfulness we should degen erate socially and physically; it is most natural that unless we pause in the struggle now and then and let tender memories and fraternal senti ments stir our hearts we should grow callous and unsympathetic, and in time tear one another's throats over the few bones dropped from the tables of the more fortunate. "Because such gatherings as these call us back to our better selves, we who fight in the great Industrial army have realized their necessity, and so we of the various crafts and occupa tions are more and more every year laying aside the cares of life long enough to commune for a brief though tender season with the spirits of those who have answered the final sum mons. "In an hour like this the torturous language of the logician, the fine spun theories of the philosophers, and the creeds and dogmas tf the theologians, are wasted upon us, and we attune our minds to that language of the infinite which speaks to the hearts and not to the ears of men. In this silent city of the dead, where the green grass waves above the crum bling forms of once valiant soldiers of peace who were our comrades, we need no theologian to tell us that death did not end all for these dear friends. "When the winds of autumn blow and the chill winds of winter come. we see the once blooming rosebush lose leaf find petal and become the bar brown bush. Its appearance then Is not Indicative of what it shall be when the spring winds shall blow again, and the sunshine of April and of May shall call back to root and branch and twig the life-giving 3ap And can it be that the same kindly hand which fashioned the rosebush and the stalwart man shall deny to the wasted and empty shell of mor- . tallty the same glorious resurrection given to the rose? Men In the pride of their strength and manhood may often entertain doubts of Immortality, but the doubts are only momentary. Deep down in every heart is that long ing for another life for another op portunity beyond the grave for an other reunion with the loved ones lost. And can it be that the great power which framed the wonderful mechan ism of these mortal bodies overlooked the answer to the longing which every heart has felt? "I am not of those who look upon death as something to be feared. I have been called upon to pass under the rod of affliction, and while bowed beneath that rod, mourning the tem porary separation from loved ones, I have been sustained by the belief that their farewell kiss was only a pleasant good-bye until that glorious morrow when hearts knit to hearts on earth should be knit together again on a fairer shore. And believing thus. I am constrained to believe that across the chasm which we call death, the spirit of all my loved ones, all my comrades, who have gone before, are reaching 'out to me, that they are help ing me because the. tender memories of their personal associations with me on earth make- me better fit for the stern duties of life that confront me. Because of these things I am made stronger by these annual memorial meetings. They awake in our hearts better thoughts, kindlier feelings and strengthen the ties of friendship, with out which life would not be worth the living. The Great Craftsman who walked and taught in Galilee, and in three years laid down a code of ethics which has regenerated the world, told us that "No man llveth unto himself, and no" man dleth unto himself." The great truth contained in these words grows more important as the days go by. I am my brother's keeper; you are your brother's keeper. And be cause we are our brother's keepers we who toil in kindred occupations have banded ourselves together in unions to better guard our weaker brothers. Unionism is the outgrowth of an unselfish, not a selfish, motive. We demand better wages, not that we alone may prosper more, but that those dependent upon us may enjoy life as it should be enjoyed. We de mand shorter hours, not because we desire to work less, but because we desire to give our brothers an oppor tunity to secure some of the good things of life. We organize because Ufa is a battle that cannot be won by individual action. In these unions we learn to know one another as we would never learn if engaged in a selfish struggle for individual exist ence. Ties of friendship are formed that are only strengthened by the appearance of the death angel. We follow the mortal remains of the dead brother to the cemetery, we hear the clods rattle upon the coffinlid and listen to the words of the minister as he repeats, "Ashes to ashes and dust to dust," but if we have learned the lessons of unionism well we realize that death has not ended all. We realize that death has only added to ihe sum of our responsibilities, for into our keeping has been left the sobbing widow and the orphaned chil dren. Into the keeping of our mem ories is left remembrances of the kind ly deeds, the smiling welcomes and the handclasps of the dead brothers who sleep but for a time, only to awaken as the rose awakens at the call of 'spring. From these meetings we go back to our daily toil, strength ened for the conflict by this brief co.timunlon with the spirits or those who fought the fight and who have finished the course. " 'There is no death! What seems so Is transition; This life ot mortal breath Is but a suburb of the life elysian, Whose portals we call death." "The blossoms we lay today upon the resting places of our dead com rades will fade away into decay, just as their mortal bodies have faded to dust. But we will remember this brief hour when we scattered the blossoms, and the memory will be an inspira tion to us. Ours shall be the blame if we fail to profit by the lessons of fraternity and charity whicfy these dead comrades taught U3 by precept and example. "But In thus remembering and dec orating the graves of our dead com rades, let us not .forget the living comrades. Let us not reserve all our fragrant flowers for the dead, but scatter them into the lives of the living. When we turn away from this beautiful spot where sleep our fallen comrades, let us carry with us a real ization or the fact that the flowers we have left here will be of no avail to those they cover unless we carry with us the knowledge that we owe more to those who are still with us. To the brother in sickness or in dis tress, to the widow and to the orphan, to all the countless afflicted who toil shoulder to shoulder with us, we owe a debt that a lifetime of service can scarce repay. Fraternity is a flower that will not bloom in the narrow confines of one's own life; it must be given the sunshine of comradeship, the soft rains of friendship and the rich soil of mutual love and fore- bearance. "This, then, is the lesson for those who still survive. We gather here to pay tribute to the memory of our beloved ones, but. more than that we gather here that we may take on new hope, new faith, new courage. that shall better fit us for the battles of the morrow. ' "Sleep on, O, comrades brave and true! Sweet be thy rest until the Master bids thee awake. And may thy spirits hover over us and inspire us to better works that shall result in better things for all those who toil and strive, and in toiling and striving forget not the weak and the oppressed. "And when the last one of us shall have been laid away in the narrow confines of the tomb, may we all awake to join in that Grander Union where all men are brothers, and where toil and heartaches and hunger and oppression shall never more be known." LABEL LEAGUE DISBANDS. Faithful Few Could No Longer Carry the Load of Responsibility. The Lincoln branch of the Woman's International Union Label League haj disbanded. The charter has -been re turned, and the small balance in the (reajii.y, amounting to about $10, has been turned over to the Central Labor Union. A few earnest women workei hard i make the Label League a success, but the absence of any indus trial organization among the women of the city, together with the indiffer ence and unconcern of many who were vitally interested in making the league a s'lcof ss, worked to make the orgaui 7ai: 1 a failure. For a year k faith ful half-dozen have met regularly, paid dues and boosted for union-made goods all they knew how, but realizing that they could accomplish nothing worth while unless others were inter ested, they decided to quit. In dis banding the ' league thanked the cen tral body for its many courtesies, that organization having paid the League's hall rent from its . inception. The Label League should have had as many members as there are wives and sisters of union men in Lincoln. The women are the spenders of the wages, and this puts them in position to make a good boost for the label. The men should have taken a greater interest, because the League was cal culated to help them. But the union men ignored it. PRINTERS' PICNIC Guests of Capital Auxiliary at Ante lope Park Tuesday Evening. Capital Auxiliary No. 11 entertained such of the printers as were courteous enough to accept a kindly invitation at Antelope park Tuesday evening. Supper was spread under the trees at 7 o'clock, and the seven or eight printers present had enough of good things and to spare. Barring the presence of the flies the evening was pleasantly spent. The women en gaged in a rope jumping contest names of winners being suppressed. The men had a tug-o'-war which re sulted in a tie. Some "Injun wrest ling" afforded amusement for an ad miring crowd. The picnic was voted a success. THE CARPENTERS. Little Notes of the Craft Picked Up Here and There. Business Agent Bly of the local union has been laid up for several days, and therefore unable to attend to tia duties. At this writing he is re ported on the mend. With other tradesmen engaged in the construction of the Orlo flats a number of carpenters attended the re LEST WE FORGET! LEST Lincoln Overall . Shirt Co. ' " rf'r " S.aiy . . lb F$st National- Bank. ' ( -.":,r f. ;:Yv The above is a fac simile of a check issued by the Lincoln Overall and Shirt Co., to a former employe, the check representing the wage paid for fifty-nine hours' work. This fac simile i; again printed because the manager of jthe company issuing it is manage- of the Ep worth Assembly, which opetis next week. ception given at the new building by Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Sawyer. George Quick of the Carpenters' Union was on the list for a talk and he made it. The carpenters appointed a member of the Labor Temple committee and he has been present at every meeting of the central body since his appoint ment. He found no other committee men there.. The carpenters also ap pointed a member of the Labor Day committee, and he has been ready for business ever since. y .Over 2,000 building tradesmen in Louisville, Ky., went on strike on June 24, owing to a set of resolutions issued by the contractors, declaring their determination to maintain the "'open shop." Owing to a disagreement with the carpenters about the wage scale, the mill owners of Memphis, Tenn., post ed notices hat, beginning -with Juno 15, their places would be run as open shops. A strike was the result, and within three days the mill owners capitulated, conceded the "union shop" and Saturday half-holiday and all is lovely again. All union carpenters at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., went on strike Monday, demanding an increase in wages from 33J-2 cents an hour to 36 cents. Conp ti actors offered a counter proposition to complete the present contracts on the present basis and then give 35 cents, which was refused. All work is at a a(tandstill. The woodworking plants are also tied up, about 100 men being idle. The Colorado Springs Labor News notes with great satisfaction that a large majority of carpenters arriving in that city bring paid-up union cards with them. It also notices with ap proval that a lot of them are young men, a fact which disaproves the anti union claim .that unions discourage apprentices. The 6,000 carpenters in Manhattan, New York, were granted an, increase in pay from $4.80 to $5 a day, on Mon day. On January 1st their pay was in creased from $4.50 to $4.80 a day, with a promise to receive $5 a day July 1st, and the employers have fulfilled their promise. Only two employing firms declined to grant' the increase and 12 men went out on strike. PREPARING TO TOUCH US. "Sadie Maguire" Throwing the Bull Con With Ulterior Motives.' Last week the daily papers printed dispatches from Lincoln, announcing that Will M. Maupin, editor of the Wageworker, had fallen heir to a for tune of seven figures. The last time we saw Bill, he was saying "Down with the rich." No doubt he will be come class conscious now. How ever, we hope the report 4s true, and that we will have one labor editor in this country who is a millionaire. Here is our heartiest congratulations, Bill. We think you will make a peach of a millioniare. Omaha Western La borer. Owing to the lack of interest and poor attendance nothing came of the meeting held in Montreal recently to form a purely Canadian Typographical union. PAY ROLL ACCOUNT. " ' jjr: f '' mCOLM Lincoln. N kb." "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every that saith unto' me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my 'Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophecied in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy To Work With If the Central Labor Union carries out a plan decided on at the meeting Tuesday night, it . will have ' work enough to keep it busy for the next few months, and it will be work that will call for the best talent of the organization. ' .' Some months ago a committee of the Allied Building Trades called on the executive committee of the Com mercial club, and the two committees had a long and" satisfactory consul tation as to conditions . in Lincoln. The Allied Building Trades council now asks the Central Labor Union to'; act through a committee in conjunc tion with the building trades commit tee, to call upon the Commercial club and endeavor to arrive at some under standing whereby the trades unionists of the city can "work' hand in hand with the Commercial club for the up building of Lincoln. The whole trouble so far seems to have been that the unionists and the members of the Commercial club have not sufficiently understood one another. If this is the case the joint committees hope to set tle the trouble amicably. I The : trade unionists insist that busi ness men who talk about the .neces sity . of "building up Lincoln institu tions", ought to be willing to employ Lincoln citizens and taxpayers in pref erence to the "floaters" who come in, work through a season and then de part .for their homes elsewhere to spend the wages earned here. Again, they insist that if they are expected to' purchase Lincoln made goods the goods shall be up to specifications made by the purchasers. The business men insist that the carpenters, brick layers, .plumbers, painters and others whom them employ shall perform the work accprding to specifications. The joint committee is going to meet with the executive ' committee of the Commercial club as soon as, possible, and The Wageworker anticipates good results for all parties concerned. The following gentlemen have been named to represent the central body on the committee, other names to be added as affiliated unions send delegates regularly to the meetings: Kolsey. Leaden, Evans, Warner, Rudy, Walker, Parmalee, Weckizer. "It is a mistake for the union men of Lincoln to look upon the members of the Commercial Club as 'enemies,' " said one speaker at the Meeting Tues day night. ' "On the contrary, a ma jority of the members of the club who employ labor are really our friends. The trouble is that we have neglected to show our side of the question. We have failed to demonstrate, as we are LABOR DAY MASS MEETING ALL UNION MEN interested in making Labor Day a success, are cordially invited to attend a mass meeting at Central Labor Union hall, 1034 O street, Monday evening, July 29, at 8:30 o'clock. The meet ing is called by the Central Labor Union, but that body will have no official connection with the meeting. WE FORGET! NQV 4 1905 MIT mOLf. AGOOUMT. OVERALL A SMIHT CO. name done many wonderful works? An then will I profess unto them, f never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity." "Woe unto you, scribes and Phari sees, hyprocrites! ' For . ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make, long prayers, therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." . Lest we forget! Lest we forget! ! the Commercial Club well able to do, that our interests are their interests. We have been looking at a lot of things from different stand- : points, and it is up to use to bring the business men around to our viewpoint. , A majority of the members of the . Commercial Club are not employers of labor. They are lawyers, doctors, den-' tists and capitalists, and the question of labor does not in any way interest them. ' The minority members who do employ labor can easily be reached, and we have failed- in our duty to our selves and to our unions if we have neglected to so inform ourselves that we cannot demonstrate by facts beyond dispute that our interests. are common interests." ' It was hoped that the delegates ap pointed by various unions to act on the Labor Day committee would appear In sufficient numbers to permit the holding of a meeting Tuesday night. But the hope died. The Central La bor Union does not meet again for " three weeks, and that will only be two weeks before Labor Day. In view of this fact the central hody has decided to call a mass' meeting at the hall, 1034 O street, next Monday night for the purpose of starting the ball to roll ing. Every unionist who in interested in making the Labor Day demonstra tion a success, in whatever form is de cided upon, is cordially invited to be present at the meeting. While called by the Central Labor Union that body will have no official connection with the meeting. . , . ' " .' ' : .'. ' MORRISON A GRADUATE. One of Few Leaders Boasting a Col- lege Education. " Frank Morrison, secretary of the American Federation of Labor for the last ten years, is one of the few labor leaders who have had a college educa tion. He was graduated from the law school of Lake Forest University. After his post-graduate course he be gan the printing trade, and from that time on he was active in the general labor movement. He was chosen to devote his time and ability to the cause of the workingman instead of practicing his profession, which would undoubtedly have brought him greater returns in a financial way. Ex. The International Union of Brewery Workers, recently deprived of its char ter by the American Federation of La bor, has a membership of 40,000.
