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lilNCOIiN, NEBRASKA, AUGUST 16, 1007
NO. 20
J ? WV7 A (jSSl
4 jJ Q'ly
o) 17 T? To)
How One Ministerial
Delegate
(By the Rev. Charles Stelzle.)
My friend was a big-hearted preach
er. I- was sure that he would make
good with the boys, even though h
was the pastor of the swellest church
In town made up largely of employ
ers. He did lots of good, too. I shall not
take space to tell about it, because
t want to know about the welcome
that he received by the Central Body.
This is about the way that he told
me about it:
"I had been told that the labor
unions were hotbeds of infidelity; I
had sat in a meeting of Socialists
where preachers were referred to with
morn and the name of Jesus was re
ceived with cheers. When our Min
isterial association appointed me a
fraternal delegate to the Federated
Trades' Council, I wondered what
would happen when I presented my
self for admission. Would they
sneer? It is revealing no important
secret of the council chamber to say
that when I crossed the threshold
there was a round of applause, and
that 1 was escorted to a seat on the
p'atform next to the president.
I Berved as fraternal delegate for a
year. It Involved no little sacrifice;
but it paid paid big. I became a sort
of chaplain among the workiugmen.
They invited me to visit their local
unions and to be present at their so
cial gatherings and public meetings.
When they asked me to speak at their
annual outing in the amusement park,
they inquired somewhat timidly if I
objected to participating in a picnic
where there would be a good deal of
dancing and shooting the chutes. I
said 'No,' most decidedly. It was a
TELEGRAPHERS
Key-Pounders Get Tired of Conditions
and Go Out.
The telegraphers "all over the coun
try have taken the bull by the horns
and are trying to get, through a strike,
better conditions than they have been
having. The present strike Is a di
rect outcome of the failure of the em
ployers at San Francisco to keep faith
with the employes, having gon
squarely back on an agreement '
reached there about two months ago.
At the time this is written, Wednes
day morning, there had been no gen
eral strike called, but one is expected
unless the men who are in Chicago for
the purpose succeed in reaching some
basis of settlement. Labor Commis
sioner Nelll, Samuel Gompers, and
President Small of the Commercial
Telegraphers, are trying to settle the
trouble, but there U little hope of
their being able to do so, and a gen
eral call may be Issued even, before
l no Wageworker goes to press.
President Small says the trouble
would cease at once If the uie-i had
the assurance that their grievances
would be heard by the g mvnment
board of arbitration, a? the nvsn arc;
initialled any reasonable biarj, after
listening to the evidence, would de
cide that they were entitled to better
pay and shorter hours. The chief of
fender Is the Western Union, and the
strike was leveled against it, but the
Postal became Involved through a
sympathetic walk-out.
As a result of the strike tin news
papers are handicapped in getting
uews, and various interests arc hin
rleif.d, but organized labor will take
its sha'e of the inconvenience attend
ing the strike, and pray t.iat Hit? :'eg
taphers will win out.
The men in the Lincoln offices of
i ho Western Union and Postal Tele
glraph companies quit work Thursday
morning at 7:30 on an order from
Local Secretary I,. F. Taylor, telegra
pher at the Star, whose authority to
do so rested upon a general strike or
der Issued by Sam Small, president of
the National Union.
BIRTH8
Recently two members of the press
men's union, E. C. "Dick" Cheuvront,
and CharleB Cameron became fond
papas, their wives presenting them
with baby girls. Both are as happy
as clams over the event, and have
ordered larger hats. Congratulations!
Was Received
great day. I never preached to the
men. 1 did not try to get them to
come to my church. I did not pose
U print as a 'friend of the laboring
nen.' I simply went to the council
as a delegate to help in any possible
way. I did not even think It neces
sary to remind the council that I rep
resented the churches or the Minis
terial association. They, of course,
understood that. I did say something
on the subject of religion on one oc
casion. It was a banquet. They
asked me to give one of the addresses.
I tried to give them some Idea of the
service the church could render their
cause in some such way as this: La
boring men are demanding justice, not
charity. Every true minister is urg
ing this every Sabbath. Laboring
men are emphasizing the brotherhood
of man. This is the commonest
theme of the pulpit. Laboring men
tre struggling for what they conceive
to be their rights as to property and
leisure. We are eager to give them
our help. And it is our mission also
to remind them that they have souls
as well as bodies, that ttao;re is a God
and that heaven is just beyond.
When I sat down, the man at my
right said: 'We ought to have some
thing like that once a month.' And
the man at my left said: 'I've been
a member of the union for fifteen
years and I never heard anything like
that before. It's all right.'
I have found labor leaders intelli
gent, fair-minded and -dead in earnest.
The ministerial delegate who will go
to them with a modest, genuine de
sire to help, will get from them more
than he can give.
REV. CHARLES STELZLE.
CAPITAL AUXILIARY ITEMS
Capital Auxiliary met August 9 with
Mrs. W. E. Moore, and a goodly num
ber of the ladies were present, not
withstanding the hot afternoon. No
specially important business was
transacted, the auxiliary having its
affairs pretty well in hand. Mrs.
Kt-bard, the vice president, presided
in the absence of Mrs. J. E. MarshaH,
who, as the auxiliary's delegate, is in
Hot Springs attending the interna.
tlonal convention. The auxiliary gave
Its delegate $50 for expenses to Hot
Springs, and still had money left in
the treasury. The auxiliary niember-sl-ip
is admittedly not what it ought
to be in numbers, and it is hoped that
when the weather gets cooler, interest
will revive and the membership in
crease to what it ought to be.
A committee was appointed to ar
range for a reception to our delegates
and visitors on their return from the
convention, and each one will be
called on to make a talk of some kind
or tell about the trip. Members of
Typo union are invited; time and
place given later.
Several cards have been received
from our friends at Hot Springs and
such expressions as the following, are
most popular: "Hotter than " This
is a "hot" place; "Very warm here."
Master Richard Maupin decided at
the last minute to stay in Lincoln and
is being, entertained, during the ab
sence of his parents, at 2308 Dudley
street.
Mrs. August Radebach has been vis
King in Eagle during the absence of
Gus, who is a delegate to the Hot
Springs convention.
Mrs. Freeman has returned from
the east and has very wisely decided
to locate in Printereville, and with Mr.
and Mrs. Lynn Freeman is moving to
Twenty-fifth and Orchard streets.
Our secretary Mrs. Fred Mickel has
been on the sick list a couple of days
tills week. MRS. C. R .R.
AUXILIARY MEETING
Capita' Auxiliary will meet with
Mrs. H. W. Smith, 1725 P street, Fri
day, August 23, at 2:30 p. m. It is
hoped a large number of the ladies
will attend, as there are several mat
ters of importance to come up for dis
cussion. Everybody at the Labor Day pic
nic! Let's make it the greatest so
cial time the unionists of this com
munity ever experienced.
LEGISLATION AND LEGAL MAT
TERS AFFECTING UNIONS.
The bill fixing the maximum time
for labor in the mines at eight hours
per day was passed by the French
Chamber of Deputies.
Governor Stokes has signed a bill
establishing the initiative and refer
endum in the cities, boroughs, vil
lages and towns of New Jersey.
The government of Belgium, having
refused to pass a measure reducing
the hours of labor in mines, was de
feated on a vote taken in the Cham
ber of Deputies.
An immigration bill now pending in
the British Columbia legislature im
poses an educational qualification
whicjj, it is believed, will result in
barring Chinese, Japs and Hindoos.
The Wisconsin assembly has passed
a bill limiting the hours for railroad
telegraphers to eight a day and has
also passed a law giving street rail
way employes a ten-hour day.
By an executive order the employes
of the governmentr printing office are
now enjoying a half-holiday on Satur
days during July, August and Septem
ber, the same as employes of other
departments.
The secretary of war has decided
that the national eight-hour law ap-
V. A. MATTHEWS
Republican Candidate for Coroner. I Am Asking for the First Term.
The Present Coroner is Asking for Fifth Term.
plies in Alaska as it does elsewhere,
without regard to the difficulties of
obtaining an eight-hour day at certain
times of the year.
A government bill for granting
state advances to farmers for agri
cultural improvements, similar to the
system of agricultural bp.nks in ex
istence elsewhere, will be introduce!
next session in the Cape (South Aus
tralia) legislature.
Fifty-one years ago the first eight
hour league in Australia was estab
lished in Melbourne, and parliament
has not yet made eight hours a legal
day's Work. In this d'rection the
unions have done more than parlia
ment for wage-earners.
The third annual state convention
of postoffice clerks, held at Sacra
mento, adopted resolutions recom
mending the passage of the $l,200-a-year
bill for clerks and for an eight
hour day. The association agreed to
ask congress for a thirty-day annual
leave of absence and indorsed the
pension bill for superannuated.
Count von Posadowsky Wehner, the
vice-chancellor and minister of the in
terior of Germany, has undertaken
the preparation of a scheme for the
maintebance of persons out of work
while they are seeking employment.
The state is already carrying out old
age, sick and disability pension sys
tems. .The official bureaus operating
these systems are further charged
with bringing persons seeking work
in contact with employers wanting
labor, ,:and also for forcing vagrants
toto labor.
Even though not incorporated, labor
unions can be held responsible for
damages which they inflict as organ
ization, according to a ruling in the
Unite ! States district court of Seat
tle. The question was raised before
Judge C. H. Hanford in the suit of
Don E. Johnson against Seattle Typo
graphical Union No. 202. Johnson
was expelled from the Seattle union.
He was forced to give up a good po
sition, and was una'ble to obtain work
in Seattle. Suit for damages on the
ground that the union was a co
partnership was resisted on the
grouncj that the union was unincor
porated. A verdict of $3,500 damages
resulted.
When the supreme court of the
United States meets next October it
will be confronted with a question
as io the liability of a labor union
to punishment under th anti-trust
law if a matter which has been certi
fied to that court by the circuit court
of appeals for the second circuit is
pressed. The question arises in con
nection with the case of D. E. Lowe
of Danbury, Conn., versus Martin
Lawior and 200 other members of the
American Fedetation of Labor.
Lowe is a hat manufacturer and it
is charged that the federation has
sent out circulars to Lowe's patrons
all over the country warning them
that if they do not desist from pur
chasing his hats for their trade they
will be put upon the unfair list and
will lose the patronage of union men
and their friends everywhere.
Lowe brought suit in the circuit
court for the district of Connecticu:
asking for $240,000 damages under
the anti-trust law, which provides that
any violation of the law shall be pun
ished by a fine amounting to three
times the amount of the damage sus
tained. The case is certified to the
supreme court on the one point as to
whether the plaintiffs can maintain
an action under' the anti-trust law.
A "scab" coat never covered a good
union breast.
Some Live. News From
Realm
Upon Editor Maupin's departure
for the Hot Springs convention he
ssked me to "dig up" a few items
for The Wageworker during his ab
sence. As Brother Smith, who is tem
porarily in charge of this household
nacessity, has a number of irons in
the fire, I will do what I can to al
leviate the pressure.
Speaking of Hot Springs and the
convention that was a very bright
coup framed up by Delegate L. L. In
graham. For several days prior to
the time of starting Mr. Ingraham
joined with others in planning the
trip, not intimating but that he would
be a member of the party. On Wed
nesday, however, he made a side trip
out into the state and took unto him
self a wife (the lady's name and the
town being at present unknown), and
from there Mr. and Mrs. Ingraham
comprised a party bound for Hot
Springs. It is quite likely that Mr.
Ingraham paid well for his cuteness
when the delegates learned what he
had done. It is to be hoped that no
one will suggest that Mr. Ingraham
decided to make this move by reason
of the increase allowed the delegates!
Among the accredited delegates to
the convention we see the name of
Frank Heimback of Mississippi, who
for many years was a Missouri river
pirate, spending much time in Sioux
City and Omaha. Here is a little
story that is told on him: A dress of
brevier was put on the Republican in
the latter city, which was not at an
pleasing to the printers. One" day
Heimback appeared with a bandaged
thumb. Upon being asked to work"
he exhibited the afflicted member, ex
plaining that he had met with an ac
cident which incapacitated him for
work. He had been empldyed on the
Republican the night previous when
he stuck a "molly" quad in his thumb
casting reflections on the size of
type used.
It i3 said that Heimback has aban
doned many of his old ways, and for
a number of years ha3 been employed
in a Mississippi city, sober, industri
ous and married. It is to be hoped
that if any of the pirates who have
been riding the vehicle so ununiversal-
ly commended should drop their whip
at the convention (which is not at
all probable!) they will soon regain
their positions on the wagon and par
take of nothing stronger than acqua
pura thereafter.
John I. Moore of the Star cnapel is
in receipt of a letter from O. C.
Fodrea, who is located at Spokane,
Wash., doing nicely and very much
infatuated with the place. Mr. Fod
rea has traveled extensively since
leaving Lincoln. He related that
Ollie Mickel had just "blown in."
Karold George, a former member
of 209 and for a long time foreman
of the News, was in the city last
week on the sad mission of attending
his father's funeral. Mr. George is
now foreman ,of the Newspaper Union
composing room ''at Omaha. In con
versation with the writer he said that
he recently sent Charles Brown, a
former member of Lincoln union, to
St. Loui3 to take a lucrative position
with the W. N. U.
The Sioux City (Iowa) Typographi
cal union has signed a six year con
tract with all the newspapers of that
place for a $4 scale. This is a signifi
cant piece of news for Lincoln print
ers. Sioux City has about half the
population of Lincoln. In October
Omaha's new scale of $4 and $4.50 is
effective. Suggestive?
The demise of Col. L. W. Hurt, for
many years a member of this union,
has not been noted in these columns.
He died in a small town in Washing
ton early in July.
V. S. (Tony) Pastor invested somo
of his surplus "jitny" In a ticket to
Pueblo a few days ago. As a direct
result of this purchase Tony is now
in Pueblo. Al Parsons, after a so
journ of several months in Lincoln,
has returned to K. C. v
A. T. Pentzer, late of Pasadena, is
doing swimmingly as machinist at the
Star.
Ed Howe of the Star chapel has
moved into apartments in a new and
up-to-date fiat in the city. He is well
pleased with his new quarters as reg
of Printerdom
ulation to immediate needs Is very.
easy. For instance, he, says that
when he desires to change his unt- '
form the entire apartment can be
thrown into one room, thereby mak
ing it unnecessary to thrust his arms
out of the window when changing his
shirt. , .' '
Calvin S. Hoyt, who has been one
of the dependable operators on the
News- for several months, has been
transferred to the Journal chapel and
will work nights. "Cal" is delighted
with the change, as by working in
stead of sleeping at night he will have
the entire day to devote to his own
Interests. ' ' .
One hot afternoon last week "Abe"
Compton of the News chapel went
home quite exhausted after a strenu
ous day's work only to find that Mrs.
Compton had absented herself from
home, carefully ; locking the doors.
Being unable to get in the house
"Abe" sought solace and comfort in
the cellar.. He stretched out on a
table and was soon in the arms of
Morpheus, as near as he can tell),
but In bis slumbers tossed about and '
overturned the table. There was a
couple of feet, of water in the cellar!
Eliminating comment as to the jus
tice of the action of a certain union
la placing a fine on its members for
attending a certain amusement, there
is one thing that can be said with
out fear of successful contradiction
that it was on excellent advertisement
for the label; al3o that the manager
of the aforesaid amusement will be
very careful when he lias another con
cession to dispose of. ' '',
Word comes from Colorado Springs
that B. C. Sweeney, at one time a
member' of 209. is doing some good
union work in the chapel in which
he works. ? Mr., Sweeney is a machine
operator on the morning, paper inthe.
Springs.
What is home without a mother?
I had intended signing this com
munication "More Anon," but re
frained, knowing if discovered ft
vculd be the end of your uncle
J. E. M.
Doc Righter is taking a "sort of"
vacation. He keeps away from the
keyboard and loaf3 around home try
ing his wife's board. Morris Crisman
and Billy Wilkersou are "setting"
stuff for him.
Billy Norton, being a member ' of
the First Regiment band, is doing
time in camp at Capital Beach.
Axel Johnson, at present superin
tendent of the composing room of tho
Western Newspaper Union's branch
house at St. Louis, was giving friends
the glad hand the past week. Axel
used to browse in this territory ten
or twelve years ago, in the "good old
hand days," being a compositor in
the Western Newspaper Union. Later
he assisted his father, Hon. Eric
New Era, going from Wahoo to Omaha, .
and finally to St. Louis. He informs
and finally t St. Louis. He informs
us that John Sigourney, now foreman
of the St. Louis house, is getting along
all right and doing well.
HOW TO WIPE OUT
SWEAT-
SHOP8.
There is just one method of wiping
out the sweatshops, and that is to pat
ronize the union label. The mother
who insists that our label appear on
the suit she buys for her little boy. is
doing her share toward preventing the
boy of some other mother from being
sentenced to a life of unrequited toil
in a foul sweatshop, a tearless funeral,
and a grave in the potter's field She
is helping to give honest employment
under fair conditions to an adult man
or woman and to drive out the awful
evil of child labor If we could impress
these facts upon the public mind with
enough force we would soon drive out
the sweatshops and have our children
in the schools instead of the mills and
tenement workshops Eight Hour Ad
vocate. -
Those big railroad presidents really
cannot' understand why they should
be compelled to obey the laws, just
like ordinary workingmen:
The merchant wili supply ' label
goods just as soon as he learns for
sure that union men and women will
purchase no other kind. , .
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