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VOL. 3
LIXCOL2i, NEBRASKA, MAY Hi,
JST. 7
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Eloquent Sermon
For the Toilers
'Labor Sunday" was observed in
Lincoln with special services at St.
Mark's Reformed church. A male
quartet sans "Jesus Saviour. Pilot Me"
and "Nearer My God to Thee." and the
pastor. Rexerend P. M. Orr. delivered
a "union labor" sermon so roll of rich
thought that the brief synopsis that
The Wageworker is able to give but
feebly sets out its real worth. The
union men and women bo failed to
hear Reverend Mr. Orr missed a rare
intellectual and spiritual refreshening
Re. Mr. Orr said in part:
"Bear ye one another's burdens and
mi rulnil the law of Christ." GaL :
"The opening chapters of the EW
are mainly narratives of isolated in
dividuals. They deal with their for
tunes and misfortunes; their virtues
and their sins. There is no attempt
to relate the individuals with organ
ised society. In "Holy Writ the re
lated organised social life begins vita
Moses.
"When Christ came. His own people
had almost lost the individual in a mul
tiplicty of religious ceremonies, ser
vices and "sacraments." He Introduced
a new conception of -the value of the
individual to society. That is. He
placed personality in the foreground
and made things subordinate to per
sons. "In spite of the teachings of Jesus
and the acception of His principles,
the fault of the present age is to em-
phasite things to the neglect of per
sons. This is the age of production
and accumulation. We are making
money are we making men?
Scholarship is often sought irrespec
tive of character. The last census
tells us that about one and a half mil
lion of children nnder fourteen years
of age are earning their own living in
our cotton mills, mines and sweat
shops. .V Pennsylvania official went
before a committee that was consider
ing a bill to prohibit child labor in
glass works and coal mines and made
the plea that child labor was necessary
in the production of glass and coal.
What does this mean? It means that
we. in this enlightened age. think more
of glass and coal and cotton titan we
do of boys and girts, of manhood and
womanhood.
"Jesus t "hirst placed the emphasis
on persons rather than on property.
Paul expressed the spirit of Christ to
the Gaiatians. 'Bear ye one another's
burdens." Th:s message is to the
Christian church, but it is applicable
to all social groups. Society is so com
plex that we are dove-tailed in depen
dence. Every trade is depending up
on the other trades for its existence.
In our planetary system n change :n
the Drove men; of one body effects
every other body of the solar system,
and so the trades are so related and
bound together by common ties that a
rupture or shock lo one means distur
bance to alt. The coal miner is in
debted to the blacksmith and the
blacksmith to the miner, while both
re depending upon the farmer. The
fanner needs the machinist and the
machinist the holler maker, and we
all need the tailor, at least under pres
ent social conditions. We are so re
lated that in bearing the burdens of
others we bear our own. and in neg-i
lectins to bear the burdens of others
we ourselves must also suffer. For ex- i
ample, m-e are urged to pay a fair price
for clothing that men may receive a
fair wage. But we insist upon cheap
articles and seem to care not how they
are made. Listen! In the tenements
of our large cities, persons in all
stages of sickness are found at work
ficishtag clothing up to the very day
of their death. The poor. sick, con
sumptive, white slave has sewed his
poor life into your cheap clothing. And
with every stitch he has sewed n mi
crobe of death. The insistence for
cheap goods cheapens life. We must
ly the penalty of neglect. The guide
conducting a party up a perilous as
cent ropes each one to the other an
to himself. Each one feels more se
cure, but he also feels that his care
lessness or neglect will endanger
every other one of the party. The care
lessness of one means danger and per
haps death to all.
l ne above illustration has a par
ticular application to union men. La
bor unions are social groups bound to
gether by common ties and what is
detrimental to one is ruinous to the
others, and that which tends to the
welfare and prosperity of one is help-!
ful to alL If you do not seek for the
label of the other crafts you are de-'
predating the value of your own. "Bear
ye one another's burdens." i
Before men will be willing to bear
other men's burdens there must exist
between them a bond or tie of sym- f
pa thy. Robert Burns, plowing the field t
on the bleak December day. tore np ;
the nest of a mouse and has he r
watched it scampering in fright he
sat down on the furrow and wept and
sang: jj
""That wee bit heap o leaves an'
stibbie.
Has cost thee many a weary nibble.
Now thou'st tamed out for all thy
trouble.
Still thou'st blest compared f me:
The iresent only toucheth thee;
But oh. I backward cast my e'e
On prospects drear.
And forward tho I cannot see.
I guess an fear."
"It was the big. sympathetic heart
of Burns that made him feel for all
animated creation and especially for
his fellow man. How deep he saw as
well as felt we may judge from these
words:
'And man whose heaven erected face
The smiles of love adorn.
Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn."
"Mr. Buchannan relates an incident
that happend while he was editing and
publishing a labor paper in the west.
His support was gone, as his sub
scribers were on strike; his own
money was all spent and he did not
know where he would get his next
meal. The form was made up and
ready for the press. It was to be the
last issue. With a sad heart he leaned
( up against the case and
looked into
space, A young man entered and
threw down before him a gold coin,
Buchannan looked at it. turned it over
and then with tears in his eyes pushed
it back and said 'No I can't take it-"
The young man with the princely sal-
ary of nine dollars a week said. 'You
must take it. I sold my watch and it
was for you. You have been sacrific-
tag but I want to share the burden.
When I read that incident I said "Well
done thou good and faithful servant."
A hero and your name will go down in
history with that ten dollars. If there
jj is any one on God's green earth that ;
t clwuiM trmmtliiHk m itH vnrfcinp men i
it is the working man. In proportion i
to our sympathy we shall be willing to j
bear burdens. I
"In bearing others burdens we are j
fulfilling the "Law of Christ' the I
Umon Label Eidhdbitioiri
At the Auditorium on Wednesday evening, May 20, 1908, will be given a
Union Label Exhibition and Moving Picture entertainment under the auspices of
the Central Labor Union and the direct management of the International Boot and
Shoe Workers' Union. The entertainment will consist of a number of moving pictures,
illustrated songs, views and an exhibition of Union Labels, accompanied by an .inter
esting explanatory lecture of the label movement. This entertainment is absolutely
free to the general public, and the women of Lincoln are especially invited to attend.
Children under 15 will not be admitted unless accompanied by their parents.
Miss Margaret A. Haley
vice-president of the Teachers Federation of Chicago, will appear at a hall to be
named on Thursday evening. May 21, under the auspices of the Central Labor Union
and affiliated unions, and speak on the trades union movement. Miss Haley organ
ized the public school teachers of Chicago, had them affiliate with the American Fed
eration of Labor, and compelled a corporation-controlled school to collect back axes
from notorious tax dodgers, thus nMig the teachers to secure better pay for their
services. She is one of the ablest women in America and a great power in the labor
movement. The general public, and especially the working women of Lincoln, are
invited to hear Miss Haley. The admission is free, and there will be no collection.
Seldom have the people of Lincoln, and especially the workingmen and women, had
an opportunity to enjoy such an intellectual treat as Miss Haley will provide.
Other speakers will briefly address the audiences on Wednesday and Thursday
evening. The object of these meetings is to inferm the general public as to the real
meaning of the organized labor movement. You are invited. The entire expense is
borne by the unions affiliated with the Central Labor Union of Lincoln, and the
Central Labor Union invites the genera public to be its guests on these two occasions.
Christ that spent His whole life in do
ing good and in sympathy with His
fellow men. He m-as a carpenter be
fore He was the Savior. He is the
Saviour of ail classes and conditions
of men. but more especially is He
the Saviour and friend of the work
ing man. As the head of the organized
church. He calls you unto Himself.
May I say in passing that the church
has many faults and failings. But
remember that it i" made up of frail
men and women with human tenden
cies. But also remember that these
men and women are organized to real
ize in life the ideals of Jesus Christ.
With all her faults there is no organi
zation better fitted or more able to
help you. If there is an organization
that is peculiarly fitted by its head, its
teachings, and its sympathies to be the
friend of the working man. it is the
church of Jesus Christ.
"Jesus Christ gave to the world in
its positive form the perfect law of
justice. 'What so ever would that
man should do to you. do ye so to
them." This law put into effect would
solve many of the economic problems
which are facing this age. It means
the lawyer putting himself in the place
of his client and pleading his case;
the doctor putting himself in the place
of his patient and then prescribing;
the minister changing places with the
pew holder and then preaching: the
employer taking the place of the em
ployee and then paying him wages;
the employee putting himself in the
place of the employer and judging a
fair day s work as well as a fair day's
nsf. The law of fhrisl sties even a
step farther than the Golden Rule. "A
new commandment I give unto you.
that ye love one another." The law and
phophecy are embraced in this ad-
monition to love God with all our
hearts, soul, mind and strength and
our neighbor as our selves. 'Adam
where art thou? "Cain, where is thy
brotherr With the love that He loved
us. He would have us love ' our fel
lowmen. 'Bear ye one another's burdens and
so fulfill the law of Christ. The law
of Christ is love and embraces all
other virtues. 'It is the greatest thing
in the world.' Its fruits are justice,
equality and brotherhood. When men
love men as brethern then will be real
ized the ideal social state. The prob
lems of distribution as well as produc
tion can be solved only on the basis
of love. Love will destroy the dis
tinction made between wages and sal
ary, between head and hand work. It
(Continued on Page 4.)
Central Body Not7
Ready With Means
The C entral Labor Union held a short ! Azora" bore the label for a long time
and busy session Tuesday evening, j an was a big seller. There is a big
The attendance was larger than usual stock of the ,abeIed goods in Lincoln.
and the business was rushed through j
in ranilt fahinn Tito lnhol MmmihoA t
reported progress in its work of mak
ing up a list of merchants handling
union made goods and was given fur
ther time. Delegates were urged to
help the committee in this work.
Fifteen dollars was appropriated to
help defray the expenses of the union
label exhibition and the committee in-1
st meted to nse its best efforts and!
judgment in handling that affair. j
With one or two exceptions the;
unions reported work good. One ex-j
ception was the Bartenders, and as!
about half of them are out of work I
pending the action of the excise board. ,
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuui i
i '
naturally they are not feeling encour
aged. The Barber delegate reported the
Barthelman shop. 122 South Twelfth
as being unfair, the card having been
removed from the shop last Monday.
The Electrical Workers delegate
asked that when linemen or inside
wire men showed up to do telphone
or electric lighting work they be asked
to show their cards.
Secretary Kates acknowledged the
receipt of several contributions from
unions to the label exhibition fund.
UNFAIR NOW.
The Lilies Cigar Co.. of Detroit,
manufacturers of the "La Azora cigar,
has gone wrong and is now employing
non-union rigarmakers. The "La
out union men should remember
when these are gone there win be no
union made "La Azoras" to be had
unless the Lilies company squares it
self. Watch for the labeL
THE BARBERS,
Barthelman Shop Deprived of Shop
Card for Unfair Actions.
Last Monday Secretary Swinker of
the Barbers Union removed the shop
card from the Barthelman shop at li?
South Twelfth street. W. It Barthel
man. the proprietor, was asked to
I either discharge a naMain InrW
or notify him he mmtt to
union shop conditions. Barthelmaa
muttered something about not caring
j for the card, and Secretary Swinker
immediately demanded it. Barthel
man has had a ""grouch" against the
i union ever since last Labor Day. rfaim
' inw that it wax trains In rW uz na
Labor Day when it was the first day
of the state fair. He also complained
about the hours and general condi
tions. The shop is now manned by
non-unionists and by an ex-member.
Harvey Smith, who "scabbed" when
the card was removed. Frank Erlen
born and H. J. Rossi ter packed their
tools and accompanied the shop card
when it was taken out.
Unionists are asked to take notice
that the C B. Ellis shop, for some
weeks advertised in the "fair list- as
located at Haveloek. is really located
in the Lincoln hotel.
The barbers very promptly came
through with their share of the ex
pense money for the union labor re
vival and exhibition.
. The Barthelman shop which went
wrong. this week was formerly tse
"Grand Central- on South Eleventh
street, and ' recently moved to II?
South Twelfth. '
THE MUSICIANS.
Annual Convention of the Federation
In Session at St- Louis.
The annual convention of the Ameri
can Federation of Musicians cs in ses
sion in St. Louis this week, convening
last Monday. The Hotel Jefferson is
headquarters. At noon Monday the
delegates and visitors marched from
the hotel to Aschenbroedel hall,
marching fifteen abreast and led by
the largest band that ever headed a
parade in St. Louis. A great deal of
difficult and important business is
being threshed out. among other, im
portant matters being that of compe
tion from enlisted musicians m the
United States army and navy and "con
tract" musicians imported from
abroad. Cincinnati will probably win
out in the contest for the 1 con
vention. Although the Modern Woodmen re
fused to employ a Lincoln band for the
parade last week, and did employ a
number of outside bands, the fact re
mains that the band winning the prize
in the contest was the only anion band
in the parade. When Green's Omaha
band, made up of union musicians
went by it was not difficult to tell the
"difference.
THE BARTENDERS.
Up Against a Hard Proposition These
Bright May Days.
The union bartenders of Lincoln
have been up against the real thing for
several days, and some of them are
bound to be np against it for some
time to come. , The -daylight saloon
is going to very materially reduce the
number of bartenders needed, and the
reduction of the number of saloons
from forty to twenty-five will lay off
several others. On the whole the
union is facing a hard proposition.
The Omaha union is receiving addi
tions to its membership at every meet
ing and hopes to get back to its old
place in a few months.
New York bartenders will hold a
state meeting in Schnectady in Octo
ber. The San Francisco Labor Council win
shortly inaugurate a vigorous cam
paign for the furtherance of the union
label. .
