WAGEWORKER
turn" is fixed by men whom the State
Journal helped to elect to the board of
railway commissioners of Nebraska?
WILL M. MAUPIN. EDITOR
Did the efforts of the men who built
the Citizens' line and brought the
Traction company to time put a plug
or two in some of the schemes being
engineered by the Traction company
stockholders who edit and manage'
the Lincoln Daily State Journal?
The Wageworker, humbly and re
spectfully, inquires to know, as Togo
would put it.
Published Weekly at 137 No. 14th
St., Lincoln, Neb. One Dollar a Year,
Entered aa second-class matter April
11, 1904, at the postofflce at Lincoln,
Neb., under the Act of congress oi
March 3rd, 18T9.'
WOULDN'T THIS JAR YOU?
Now let us have an end to insinua
tion and Innuendo. Lincoln has at lasc
achieved one ambition decent and
adequate street railway facilities. The
uen who have made this possible are
entitled to the largest possible returns
upon their investment. The Wags
worker. The law and the best practice of
modern municipalitea limit the earn
ings of these corporations to a reason
able return upon the money actually
invested In the properties. Who Is It
that Invites them to take out of the
public the "largest possible returns
upon their Investment?" It is the
organ of the labor unions of Lincoln,
owned and edited by the labor com
missioner of the state of Nebraska.
Lincoln Daily Journal.
Now, who is it that thus calls this
humble little labor paper to account
for Insisting that the men who have
given Lincoln a decent street railway
8stem be permitted the "largest pos
sible return upon their investment?"
Is it ttie newspaper published by a,
corporation that took a contract for
publishing the supreme 'court reports
for the state, and then surrepltltously
tjsed the plates paid for by the state
tc print reports and sell them in com
petition with the state who paid tho
cost, and in violation of every pro
vision of the code of moral ethics?
Is It the newspaper published by a
corporation that sought to amend the
printing law with a "joker" that would
permit it to re-establish a blank book
tiraft that would pour thousands of
dollars rnto Its treasury?
Is it the newspaper published by a
corporation whose stockholders se
cured Lincoln Traction company stock
at a few- cents on the dollar and never
"peeped" while that stock-was going
up to 200 or 300, and then began pos
ing as a guardian of the public when
enterprising men, tired of Traction
company extortion, began building a
competing system?
Is It the newspaper that is always
prating about how none of its editors
can hold political office, and then let
Us managing editor accept an appoint
ment to the post of naval academy vis
itor, or something like that, and take
a trip to Annapolis, the Jamestown
exposition, and other eastern, points
of Interest at government expense?
The Wageworker, being only an
humble little labor newspaper, and
not a self-conttltuted guardian of
public morals, really would like to
have some information on this point.
The fact that The Wageworker'a
editor is the deputy commissioner of
labor haB no bearing on the case.
It hits been decided that the Lincoln
Traction company and the Citizens'
Railway company shall be allowed to
earn dividends not exceeding a cer
tain per cent upon their investment,
rnd just what the investment is was
('ecided by the same" tribunal the
State Railway Commission. That
much is fixed and certain. And The
Wageworker reiterates that the men
who have given Lincoln decent and
adequate street railway facilities, :n
spite of the efforts and insinuations
end innuendoes of' the Lincoln Trac
( tion company stockholders who edit
the State Journal, be allowed the larg
est possible returns upon their invest
ment. "The largest possible returns"
can be no larger than specified by tho
State Railway Commission, whose
head is the especial protege of the
State Journal.
Anything wrong about that?
Lincoln people now get six tickets
for a quarter, have liberal transfer
privileges and ten-for-a-quarter tickets
for school children between certain
peclfied hours.
Xp other city in the United States
lias better rates.
It is certain that these rates will
net be decreased during the present
t'-nerntlon. Why, then, should a paper
like the State Journal throw fits be
cause a little labor paper said that
the men who made these things pos-
Fible should be allowed "the largest
losMble returns upon their Invesr
nient" when that "largest possible re-
EQUAL SUFFRAGE.
Because its editor is a union man
who has represented union men in the
convention of the American Federation
of Labor, The Wageworker is an ad
vocate of equal suffrage. One plank
in the American Federation of Labor's
"Declaration of Principles" declares
for equal suffrage. The men who talk
loudest about woman's place being m
the home are the men who have done
most to bring about industrial condi
tions that force women out of the
home and into the industrial field. It
matters not whether a majority of
women want to vote. If one woman
wants to vote, and it Is just and right
that she be allowed to vote, she ought
to be given tho right, even though
every other woman in the republic
took no interest in the subject.
There are five million women
breadwinners in the state women
who work for wages in stores, offices,
factories, mills, and even in mines.
Industrial conditions have compelled
them to do this. Why, then, should
any of these five million women be
denied some voice in the matter of
saying what conditions they should
work under?
"O, the women wouldn't go to the
polls," says opponent of equal suffrage.
Perhaps not, but In Nebraska's "off-
year" elections about 40 per cent of
the men fail to vote, and even in gen
eral elections, with all their heat and
enthusiasm, from 15 to 25 per cent
cf the men fail to vote.
'But if we let the women vote we'll
have prohibition," says another oppon
ent, but that' argument is not borne
out by the facts. In the seven states
that have prohibition laws the women
are not allowed to vote. In the four
states where women are given tho
ballot there are no state-wide prohibi
tion laws.
"The model wife," says another op
ponent of equal suffrage, "is the wife
vho is as much at home in the kitchen
as she is in the parlor." That is
quite true. And the model husband
is one who makes it possible for his
wife to be as much at home in the
parlor as she is in the kitchen.
This labor newspaper' favors equal
suffrage because it is only equal jus
tice that is demanded by present-day
industrial conditions. Organized labor
demands that women be put upon o.
wage equality with men when working
at the same trade under the same con
ditions and performing the same work.
That is why the American Federation
c-f Labor demands equality before tho
law suffrage laws as well as other
laws.
THE CHARACTERISTIC FALSE
HOOD. It is not surprising that the captains
of industry ore cynical about the abil
ity of the public to force good behavior
out of the corporations. Here is the
Lincoln Wageworker fawning on the
new street car company and virtually
assuring the people that a home-owned
company can do no harm. Its closing
paragraph is a classic. Lincoln Daily
Journal.
Well, the public the Lincoln public
did force the "captains of industry"
who managed the old Traction com
pany to "good behavior," despite the
efforts of the State Journal whose
editors held stock in the Lincoln Trac
tion company to defeat the efforts of
the public.
And the assertion that The Wage
worker is "fawning on the new street
car company" is a falsehood character
istic of the news-aper that- is always
quick to Impugn the motives of those
vho do not fall in with its plans for
self-aggrandizement. The Wageworker
just now entertains the best of feel
ings for the new street car company,
lut if the company ever starts off on
the track so long followed by the
Lincoln Traction company of which
the State Journal's editors were a
part and parcel The Wageworker will
take just as much pleasure in con
demning it as it now takes in com
mending it. And The Wageworker's
attitude is not now, nor is it likely
to be influenced by any corporation
holdings of its responsible editor.
- The Wageworker has not "virtually
assured"' the people that a home-owned
company "can do no harm." That is
a purely gratuitous assumption on the
part of the State Journal, always too
ready to attribute dishonesty to others
while snuggling up to supreme court
report contracts, blank book grafts
a-id Traction company stock that must
be protected. A home-owned company
can work great harm to the public.
A home-owned newspaper corporation
IT IS EASY TO BE WELL DRESSED AT SO SMALL
a cost that we wonder so many men are not better dressed. Right
now we are selling our finest Suits, Overcoats and Cravenettes at a
price less than the cost of materials alone. These are heavy and
medium weights The Best Makers' finest productions for
merly the prices were $40, $35, $30 and $27.50 now, in order to
close them all out we've named the astonishingly low JJ tl .40
price or . . . . . . . . ilHJ)
lor
choice
Buys any of the Fine Suits,
Overcoats and Cravenettes
that formerly sold at $25,
$22.50 and $20.00.
Buys any of our Winter
Suits, Overcoats, and
Cravenettes that formerly
sold at $18, $16.50 and $15
mm
Buys any of the Winter
Suits, Overcoats and Crav
enettes that formerly sold
at $12.50 and $10.00.
Armstrong Clothing ' o
GOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS
worked about $80,000 worth of .harm
to the taxpayers of Nebraska in one
little matter of surreptitiously selling
some books as surreptitiously printed
from plates that the taxpayers had
paid for.
A home-owned company can, if its
owners so desire, work great injury
to the public, and for that reason tin
taxpayers have provided a commission
whose duty it is to regulate such o?
these companies as have to do with
the management of public-service cor
porations. ,.
And, as a further measure of pre
caution, the taxpayers actually, fol
lowed the advice of the State Journal
and elected a majority of that very
toard. Is the State Journal so afraid
that its chosen regulators will neglect
their duty that it has to resort to
falsehood in its attempt to rebuke a
little labor paper? Or has falsehood
and misrepresentation become a
chronic habit with the State Journal
since it was pried loose from the Bur
lington railroad and its rich printing
contracts for the state and Lancaster
county?
Senator Knox voted to Increase the
salary ot the secretary of state.. Then
he was appointed secretary of state,
only to find himself ineligible by rea
son of having voted to raise the
salary.. Then congress reduced the
salary, and that makes Knox eligible.
As soon as he assumes office the
salary will he raised again. "'Ever
hear of a "labor agitator" getting that
much consideration from the law
makers? '
After they have guaranteed the de
positor why not guarantee a wage
sufficient to enable the average wage
earner to make a deposit after paying
living expenses?
If your union's annual ball was not
well advertised in The Wageworker
it was the fault of the ball commit
tee, not of The Wageworker.
"Mock heroics" and "cheap senti
mentality" seem to have had their
day in the executive office at the state
house.
Of course that new spring suit you
are going to buy will have the label
in it.
The new secretary of commerce and
s
s.
RASMUSEN
TORE NEW
Mr. Rasmusen, the new manager of the Cloak and Suit Department,
will arrive from New York this week.
Mrs. E. M. Philips, the new manager of the Millinery Department
arrived. Monday. .
NEW DEPARTURES
We will commence this week to manufacture to order, Ladies' Skirts,
Tailored Waists, Petticoats and Kimonas. The work will all- be done in
the Store and we well be able to guarantee satisfaction. . ;
Encouraged by the success of our furniture department, and in order
to make our House Furnishing Department more complete, we are add
ing a line of Stoves and Ranges in the hurniture Department.
In the basement we are going to put in a complete-line of Wall Paper.
Our Mail Order Department is increasing in favor with out-of-town
patrons.
FINAL CLEARANCE OF WINTEtt COATS
A lot of Ladies' Cloaks that were as high as $12.50, for quick clearance C A ft
are marked at, each . . ......4I.vFLr
We will now sell them at 20 per cent additional reduction. $20.00 Coats at $8.00, $25.00 Coats
at $(0.00, and equal reductions on entire line.
WILLOW
CLOTHES
BASKETS
75c and 65c valves
48c and 39c
THE DAYLIG HT STORE. '
The Store
That;
Satisfies
labor is a man who knows a great
deal about commerce as understood by
the trusts, but who is absolutely ignor
ant of the labor question as it applies
to the wage-earners. But as that is
v.hat the majority of wage-earners
voted for it is exactly what they are
entitled to.
The workingman who are most
vitally interested in the success of
the Nebraska State University are
opposed to tying that university to th
steel trust or any other trust.
The commission charter- must be
referred to the people.
No snap judgment on the charter,
if you please!
If you will not buy an article with
out the label the merchants will work
overtime' to stock up on articles that
do bear the label. It is up to you,
Mr. Union Man.
Shumway's execution has been fixed
for six separate dates, and he has
dodged five of them. Mrs. Martin
could not dodge the date set for her
execution.
The Lincoln Vdlpa- gPalnt Co.
Modern Decorators, Wall
Paper, MooMings, Etc SftfiTfi.
Acts rteae OT5
