WAGEWORKER
By Maupin & Hogard
WILL M. MAVPIN .... Editor
W. P. HOGARD . . . Manager
Published Weeklv at 137 No. 11th
St, Llneolr. Neb. One Dollar a Year.
Entered as second-class matter April
21, 1904, at the postofflce at Lincoln,
Neb., under the Act of Congress of
March 3rd. 1S79.
'
TO LABOR UNIONS.
Will you assist us by ap
pointing some one in your
union to furnish us With news?
The Wageworker wants to pub
lish the news of your local, and
in order to do so must have
your assistance. It is our aim
to give our readers all the la
bor news that is to be had and
we wish to do it properly, so
that you will be satisfied. By
helping us in this way, you not
only make this paper more val
uable and complete, but your
knowledge of what Is going on
In the labor movement is bet
ter and the good feeling among
the various crafts Is more
strongly cemented. When this
fellowship idea Is instilled thor
oughly among us there Is less
likelihood of a break in the
ranks and it is certainly need
ed at the present time.
1910.
Today murks the birth of a new
year and here's hoping and praying
that It will b-i the best year In human
history. May Its close mark a nearer
approach to universal happiness, u
nearer end to human misery, and a
higher plane to human living. May it
be the best and brightest year in the
history of the trades union movement,
showlog a splendid growth In brother
hood and a splendid decrease In self
ishness. May It witness a universal
revival of love, of helpfulness, of sym
pathy and of fraternity. May 1910 be
nn epoch In history because it has
marked a long step forward towards
the goal of universal peace, universal
friendships and universal prosperity.
Organized labor can do much toward
muking 1910 the banner year. By its
influence It can help to bring about
the disarmament of nations, the recon-
clliatlon of warring industrial factions
und the general uplift of the tollers,
By octlng uultedly it can throttle self
ish legislation and forward legislation
In the interests of the whole people
It can shear arrogant wealth of its
power to oppress, and lift the weak
and helpless to better and brighter
things. It can lessen the distance be
tween those ' who tiave more than
they need and those who have less
than they need. It can protect the
weak against the strong, and stay the
strong arm that would use Its strength
to oppress. It can do more than any
other agency to correct abuses that ex
ist on every hand if only It will drop
personalities, . obliterate prejudices,
abandon partisanship and bury ani
mosities. It is too much to expect
that all this ran lie done in a single
year, or a single decade, but progress
along these lines can be made, and
here's hoping that 1910 will show
greater progress than any year in the
past, and set a pace for the future.
To all those who toll, eating their
bread in the sweat of their faces. The
Wageworker extends the siucerest
withe for a Happy and Prosperous
New Year.
prising. And if organized labor would
refuse to spend any part of that two
million dollars with unfriendly inter
ests there would be a speedy weeding
out of that class of business men if
such a class really exists in Lincoln.
The best weapon in the armory of
organized labor is its purchasing
power. If it will use that weapon
rightfully it can soon be master of
the industrial situation.
ORGANIZED LABOR AND PROHIBI
TION.
A lot of men, and some newspapers,
having an ulterior motive, continue to
throw shudders of fear lest the State
Federation convention split on the
rock of prohibition. There is not the
east danger. If there is any one so
foolish as to Introduce an anti-prohi
bition resolution in the convention he
will ba made wise in short order. And
if there Is any one so foolish as to try
to commit the State Federation of
Labor in favor of prohibition, he is
due for a bump that will be enlighten
ing if painful. Whenever it becomes
proper 'for the Nebraska State Feder
ation of Labor to commit itself on the
question of baptism, or foreordi nation.
or theosophy, then it will be proper
for It to commit itself upon the ques
tion of prohibition. In the "economic
demands" of the Nebraska State Fed
eration of Labor the fourteenth para
graph reads:
"All just and proper restrictions of
the liquor traffic."
That goes far enough, and not too
far. It leaves this moral and economic
question to the judgment of the rank
and file. Those who believe in prohi
bition can insist that prohibition is the
proper thing, and those who believe
in restrictive legislation can uphold
that. Further than this it is not the
province of such an organization as
the State Federation of Labor to go.
Merely in order to prevent disrup
tion, and to advance the hest inter
ests of organized labor, to say nothing
of the welfare of both sides to this
prohibition controversy, The Wage-
worker advises both the prohibition
ists and the anti-prohibitionists to keep
their hands off. The signs are that
whichever side tries to use the Feder
ation will have its fingers badly
burned.
The appointment of a man like
Judge Lurton to the supreme bench
of the nation is just what might have
been expected of such a staunch friend
of organized labor as we all know
President William . H. Taft to be
Judge Lurton is a corporatiouist in
every fibre of his being, utterly out
of touch with the army of industry,
and wholly committed to the interests
that prey. We are geting just what
a majority of us voted for.
it you are a stockholder in the Lin
coin Iibor Temple you have every
reason to be proud of the fact. The
kind words spoken by the Temple As
sociation's guests Wednesday evening
were enough to make us all swell up
with pride and satisfaction.
Lincoln plugged along all of Crist
mas day without a single patrolman
on duty and Chief Malone, who was
the sole police official on duty, admits
he was awfully lonesome during the
day. If that isn't a record for a city
of 65,000 people we never heard of p.
record.
The Wageworker will endorse the
idea of a public commission to investi
gate the traction situation, provided
the commission is made up of people
who have to patronize the street cars
and not of people who can ride in
their own autos.
ORGANIZED LABOR'S STRENGTH.
Very recently organized labor in
Lincoln has given evidence of what It
can do when It is aroused. We re
gret that the showing was made along
other than constructive lines, for we
lelleve that organized labor's purpose
is to build up and not to tear down
down. But now and then comes a
tlmo when in order to impress upon
the minds of name of the solidarity of
organized labor a io1iey of resprisnl
must be adopted. In the case in mind
It did not take long to Bhow that or
ganized labor is quick to resent what
tt considers an Insult. - If it will be
only as quick to show appreciation of
friendship the time will soon come
when it will wield a far greater influ
ence than it does now.
The membership of organized labor
in Lincoln and Havelock earns and
spends in these two towns upwards of
$2,000,000 a year. If organized labor
would place that patronage with mer
chants who make evident their friend
ship for organization as well as for
organization's dollars, the beneficial
results both to organized labor and to
the friendly merchants would bo sur-'
A lot of people make the mistaike of
thinking that temperance merely
means refraining from the iise of in
toxicating liquor. Some of the most
Intemperate people -we know of have
never tasted liquor.
Now if a good time to resolve that
the money earned in Lincoln will be
spent in Lincoln, and as far as possi
ble for goods made in Lincoln.
The high school site proposition
shows signs of becoming a merry lit-'
tie fight among real estate dealers for
advantage.
We jest sort o' feel it in our bones.
that Mr. Post is about to throw an
other fit in the front yard of organ
ized labor.
If during 1910 we shall profit by the
mistakes of 1909, then the year just
cpeniu? will prove to be a good one.
Our Overcoat
tock
Here's hoping that 1910 will deliver
tc Uncle Joe Cannon the package he
so richly deserves.
And the Wageworker starts oft on
the new year feeling mighty fine,
thank you.
.The eminent publicists who are en
gaged in drawing up a city charter
should bear in mind two facts. First,
contains a great variety of good
things. We've got the dress coat
that vou want for evening- or dav
w z '
wear; we ve got the big warm
great coats for stormy weather;
ior sieignrides, tor automobiling,
tney re nerem an styles and prices
We've got the suits you want too;
no. matter for what purpose you desire them,
they're here ready for you, and there are no
other clothes to equal them anywhere else.
They are all wool fabrics always, and if you
want the best to be had for your money J
without question this is the place to come, i
Suits and Overcoats
$10
.00 to $40.
00
All Holiday Four-in-Hand Neckwear, now at Half Price
All Holiday Suspenders that are left, . Just One-Half
All High Neck Sweaters will be sold for Half Price
Fur and Fur Lined Gloves and Mittens,. 20 oo Discount
Ofiifyoiiirai
Good Clothes Merchants
3C
they must provide that the charter be
submitted to a referendum, and, sec
ond, they must not undertake the
Utopian idea of having a non-salaried
commission made up a men finan
cially able to serve without pay.
If you can not speak a good word
for the man or firm that hands out
your pay envelope, for goodness' sake
have the manhood to quit the job be
fore you start to "knocking."
"Resolved, that if it is. made any
where by union men and women, I
will insist upon having it, and will re
fuse to accept anything "just as
good.' "
We feel so at peace with all the
world that we even go to the length
of wishing Charles W. Post and the
ex-stenographcr a happy new year.
Consistent and insistent demands
for the union label is by far the bet
ter way to boycot the unfair products.
W haven't yet entirely lost faith
in Dr. Cook, but we willingly admi:.
that we are oppressed with doubts.
Here's hoping for the best, even if
we get the worst of It.
January 1, 1910 and hell is paved
with good intentions.
ble purpose.
Unionism, like charity, begins at
home.
It is better to lift up than to Jae
dragged down.
Carrying a card is not proof con
clusive of a union man.
He laughs best who seizes every
opportunity to laugh at all.
Unionism does not mean carrying
a working card in your pocket.
The fellow who is always looking
for the worst of it never has to strain
his eyesight. .
The man who waits for New Year's
day to reform seldom gets anywhere
with his reformations.
Mr. Rockefeller is able to buy por
terhouse steaks and can not eat thenx.
We are able to eat them and can not
buy them. What we are looking for
is an adjustment of balances.
then he bought a 'scab' suit and over
coat, and they proved to be as thin as
his claims to unionism. He froze to
death on his way home."
Cautious.
"I'd ask Smithers to have a drink
with us if it wasn't for one thing."
"What's that?"
"I'm afraid he hasn't sworn off."
Safety.
"Mother, may I go out and skate?"
"Yes, my darling daughter,.
Wrap up real warm but do not go
Upon the frozen .water."
"Quit your meanness!'
UNION MADE DOPE.
Ground Out by a Card Man in the
Wageworker's Sanctum.
Cards.
The only way we can account for the
professional strikebreaker is that God
made rattlesnakes for come inscruta-
Spotted.
"I just had a talk with Judge Ran
ter and he said he was a firm friend
of organized labor."
"What office does he intend running
for this time?"
Suicide.
"I hear that Willoby is dead."
"Yes; and I believe it was suicide."
"What makes you think so?"
"Well, Willoby was always telling
what a good union man he was, and
Trouble at Home.
"What's the matter, Jlmperly?"
"O, trouble at home. My wife is
out on a sympathetic strike."
"How's that?"
"She won't get a meal until I. write
and ask her mother to make us a
visit." s
Unkind.
"I think Wimbledon is a regular
muckraker."
"What makes you think so?"
"The other night I -was telling a
bunch of the boys what a good union
man I am, and Wimbledon asked me ,
to show the label on my clothing."
"Well, you did it, didn't you?"
"Confound him, I couldn't. I got
my suit at Ketchem and Cheatem's
because they told me it was Just as
good as a union made suit and thirty
jine cents cheaper."
JOHN BURNS' SUGGESTION.
John Burns, the British labour leader,'
suggests mat working nours snouid oe
internationally adjusted, inasmuch as
me laDor ot every nation is in direct
competition with that of every other'
nation. t-
Lyric Theat
Matinees Wed. and Sat. :2:30
An elaborate production of
THE MANIAC"
The Screaming Comedy by
THE LYRIC STOCK COMPANY
Evening 8:30; J5c, 25c and 35c Matinee I5c and 25c
GREGORY, The Tailor
Knows how to dress you up and has
the finest line of fall and winter goods
in the city. : : : : : : : :
Pressing a Specialty
Your Business Solicited