WAGEWORKER
WILL M. MAUPIN, EDITOR
Published Weekly at 137 No. 14th
St., Lincolr, Neb. One Dollar a Year.
Entered as second-class matter April
21, 1904, at the postoffice at Lincoln,
Neb., under the Act of Congress ol
March 3rd, 1879.
ARE WE IN THE GAME?
Perhaps Lincoln will go upon the
commission basis this spring. And i
not, there will still be a mayor, a city
clerk and other city officials to elect.
Will the mechanics and laborers
follow the old policy of voting for law
yers and merchants and politicians?
Or will they get wise and elect
a few from their own ranks?
Commission or old style, why not put
up a few -good union men for some
of the cHy offices? We can attend a
union meeting and by simply reaching
out one hand touch a dozen men
amply qualified by education, by
knowledge of public affairs and by
cominonsense to handle any office in
Ihe city. The financial secretaries of
a half-dozen Lincoln unions are qual
ified for city treasurer. There isn't a
union in the city that couldn't put
up a half-dozen or more men qualified
to manage the city clerk's office.
There are a score or men carrying
union cards who would better the
average of Lincoln's mayors for the
past twenty years.
What's the matter with getting busy
right now? Ek.n't waste any time
talking about, an "Independent labor
ticket." Let the republican unionist;
get together and pick out their men
and then work for them at the pri
maries. Let the democratic union men
get together and pick out their men,
and then work for them at the pri
maries. We can't nominate them by adopt
ing ringing resolutions and then neg
Jecting the primaries. We've "reso
luted" until we've bulled the ink and
' paper markets, and while we have
been doing this the practical poli
ticians have been manipulating the
prlmarls.
It is all right to support "friends of
' labor" but what's the matter with,
supporting the real thing the laborer
himself?
Lel'B begin talking it up and
let us begin right now!
ment, is contrary to the moral code.
"Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy?"
Yes, we know Exodus 20:8.
And we also recall Colossians 2:14.
Also Romans 5:1. Incidentally we
might refer to Mark 2:27.
In this connection we might refer
to the old Puritanical law that forbade
bear baiting on Sunday, not because
it was cruelty to the bear but because
it gave pleasure to the men. We may
be wrong and we often are, we ad-,
tnit but ft strikes us that those who
oppose Sunday base ball on religious
grounds are actuated by much the
same spirit that actuated Cotton Ma
ther when he persecuted the witches,
that drove Roger Williams into Rhode
Island, and that made it a grave of
fense for a man to kiss his own wife
on the Lord's day.
We are inclined to oppose Sunday
base ball for industrial reasons. But
up to date, and after quite a consid
erable research, we are unable to
find any reason for opposing it on
purely religious grounds.
And right here and now we give
fair warning: If Sunday base ball is
not allowed, a lot of aristocratic
ladies and gentlemen are going to
liave.a seance in court for indulging
in the patrician game of golf on "the
first day of the week commonly called
Sunday." Up to date we have not.
'heard any considerable amount of
condemnation from the orthodox pul
pit of the fascinating sport of hammer
ing a vulcanised rubber ball all over
Ihe south side of town on Sunday,
although our ear hve been assaulted
by vociferous condemnation of swat
ting a leather-covered sphere all over
the M street park on the same day.
Jim VanCleavo is now fighting the
battles of the "rat" printers in the
government printing office. The "rat"
and the "scab" always have to depend
ujion some man like VanCleave to fight
their battles for them. The union man
has developed brains enough and in
dependence enough to fight his own
battles.
Merely for - information, when the
Epworth Assembly refuses to sell
tickets on Sunday does that mean that
the lecturers end singers and other
entertainers decline to accept pay for
their services on Sunday? We ir
quire to know, as our friend Togo
would put it.
Now if some ot the ministers would
work as hard for a Saturday half
holiday as they are working to prevent
the workers from enjoying Sunday as
they see fit, we might have less sup
port of the plan of legalizing Sunday
base ball.
SUNDAY BASE BALL.
The Wageworker doesn't care the
snap of a finger whether Sunday base
ball is allowed or not allowed. It
hasn't the least interest in the long
winded newspaper discussion between
eminent theologians and defenders of
"rell-gious liberty ." It Isn't a religious
question.
We've got a sufficiency of "Sunday
Christians" in this community, anl
not enough Monday-Tuesday-Wednes-day-Thursday-Friday-Saturday
Chris
tians. We've got a large number of
people who holler their heads off at
the very Idea of "desecrating the
Sabbath," but who never cheep at
the desecration of human liopes and
human ambition. We know Lincoln
people who throw conniption fits at
the very Idea of making Sunday a day
ot recreation, as well as a day of
rest and worship, yet never worry a
'bit about working female employes
nine or ten houis a day for six days
a week at starvation wages.
From the standpoint of right or
wrong The Wageworker can see no
objection to playing ball on Sunday
or any other day. That is, from the
" leliglous standpoint. -From the Indus
trial standpoint The Wageworker can
see reasons for opposing the legaliz
ing of Sunday ball. In the first place,
If would tend to break down the com
mon observance of the day as a day
of rest. Secondly, I-t would nullify
i very argument in favor of a Saturday
half-holiday. Thirdly, it might open
the way to a great many things that
all rlght-mluded men would oppose.
nut if the wage-earners want to
take these chances, all right. They
are the ones most concerned.
- The Wageworker, however. Is open
to conviction, for or against. The
editor, of this modest little labor paper
rather prides himself on having some
acquaintance with Holy Writ, bufas
yet he has been unable to find any
thing therein that convinces him that
Sunday base ball, or any other reason
able, temperate recreation or amuse
A thousand dollars for the develop
ment of sanitary conditions for the
loosters and hens, but not a dollar for
the development of the sanitary con
ditions under which men and women,
boys and girls, shall work.
Just compare present street railway
facilities in Lincoln with the facilities
had five or six years ago when the
company in which the State JournalY,
editors and managers held stock was
in supreme control.
Come on, boys; let's have a State
Federation of Labor. We'll have to
finance it ourselves. No money left
in the state treasury after financing
chicken shows, hog exhibitions and
steer gatherings.
Colonel Green might sell his Sundav
base ball ticket a on Saturday and
refuse to accept money at the gate.
That seems to salve the conscience
of some people.
Every time you buy a Lincoln-made
cigar you help employ more men at
good wages in the town where yon
live. Get right!
Wherever You Go You Ought to Be,
and Want to Be Well-Dressed
This Means that you Ought to have and Want to have an
ttong
puna
Suit
The Spring Styles are Ready Now
PRICES
mo to $40
Positively the Greatest Clothes Values
Obtainable Anywhere in v
Nebraska
Armstrong Clothing Company
GOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS
THE MUSICIANS.
Brief Bits of News About Reed, Brass
and String.
These are bir-y times for the musi
cians. The orchestra men are work
ing every night, and the indications
are that the bandmen will fare as
well next summer as usual.
The Musicians Union of San Fran
cisco has requested the approval of
the Central Lator Council of a pro
posed bHl for the registration of music
teachers in the state of California.
Newark Musicians Union No. 16
has adopted a resolution binding its
members to the purchase of only such
sheet music as bears the label of the
Allied Printing Trades Council.
Council Bluffs Musical Union pulled
off its annual grand ball last week, and
2,000 people enjoyed the festivities.
SOCIALISM AND THE CHURCH.
Are yon-reading the. series of art
icles on "Socialism and the Church"
now appearing in The Wageworker
and written by Kev. Charles Stelzle".
If you are not, and you are interested
in socialism, you are missing, some
thing. We are not agreed with Rev.
Mr. Stelzle on many points under dis
cussion, but we. are interested in his
side of the case. So should you be
M you want to inform yourself.
THEY DOr
Attractive "home "Industry" edi
tions were printed last week by the
Western Laborer of Omaha and The
Wageworker at Lincoln. Both paper3
are a credit to the . publishers and
clearly . show that merchants of the
two cities appreciate the efforts of
these papers.Council Bluffs limes.
Thirty-one Austrian soldiers, caught
Tuesday in . a snow and landslide
near Laf ranna, were rescued from a
tunnel near Coldozzano by a detach
ment of troops.
Demetrius the silversmith missed
out by not having a Judge Wright to
whom he could fly for relief and protection.
Marching
I I 1
n
Drop a dollar in the slot and help
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison fight
your battles. Don't be a piker.
It takes money to run a labor news-
papei a fact that seems to have
slipped the minds of some union men.
"Made in Lincoln" Exposition at the
Auditorium nexc week. It's a bi
thing push it along.
An habitual demand for the label
is far better thaii habitual adoption of
rinsing resolutions.
Gee, we're threatened with another
prohibition campaign in Lincoln this
spring.
Auditorium next week "Made in
Lincoln" Exposition. See It!
The month of March will be with us one of Marching
Forward, in a business sense. New lines added Old lines
strenthened.
; Our New Cloak and Suit Buyer
Mr. Rasmussen
comes to us with an enviable reputation, having been connect
ed with some of the prominent and progressive department
stores, both east and west. Mr. Rasmussen had had long ex
perience in buying and selling Women's and Children's "ready-to-wear" apparel and will
keep this department in the front rank in Lincoln.
Our Millinery Department, Under the Management of Mrs.
Phillips will be Stronger than Ever.
In Our Fast Growing Furniture Dept. we have added a new line of Stoves
and Ranges.
'".'-''"'
A New Wall Paper Department will be opened soon in the Basement.
Premium Ticketr
with
Every 25c Purchase
DAYLIGHT STOKE
THE
THE STORE THAT SATISFIES
New Line Men's
Union Label
Dress Shirts
N