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vertisers and Boost ,
age wot Qgtt
s-
Established I go 3
and Still ' Growing
VOL. VI.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, JAUABY 8, 1910.
12 PAl3r
NO. 41
V
PRES. UAUPIU S SPEECH
AT THE CONVENTION
Following is the annual address of
President Will M. Maupln of the Ne
braska State Federation of Labor, de
livered at South Omaha, January 4:
Fellow Workers: It is with a
feeling of pride that I stand before
this convention this morning to de
liver my annual message as the presi
dent of the Nebraska State Federation
of IaboK I hope the" pride is pardon
able, for not only is this the first an
nual message ever delivered by a pres
ident of this organization, but it is de
livered by one who has had some
humble part in the making of this or
ganization. To many of you the brief
history of this organization is famil
iar. But lest some of you may not
be familiar with it I venture to give
a historical outline. The outline of ne
cessity must be brief, for the history
itself is brief.
For the last six or eight years I
have talked at odd times with my fel-lom-
unionists "about the necessity of
such an organization as this, and there
was a unanimity of opinion that was
surprising. In. view of the failure of all
efforts to get something started. Each
one seemed to be waiting for the
other to take -the initiative.
Early in Jaunary, 1909. I was hon
ored by cppalntment to the office of
deputy commissioner of labor by Gov
ernor fchailenberger. I immediately
began laying plans to secure a state
organization, but was delayed on ac
eount of the legislature being in ses
sion, which made it Imperative "that I
spend my waking hours in seeing to
It that an already half-starved and
wholly inadequate bureau or labor was
not utterly annihilated. Immediately
upon the adjournment of the legisla
ture I proceeded to carry out a long
cherished ambition, namely, the organ
ization of a Stato Federation of Labor.
I took it for granted that a Bureau of
Lator really ought to undertake some
thing in tile Interests of labor, and
with that idea In mind I leaned a call
for a delegate convention for the pur
pose of organization. I - expected to
meet with success in my efforts, but I
ronfess that I was agreeably aston
ished at the ro3j;one made to the call.
Klghty-throc delegates, representing
as maay local trades organizations, re
sponded, t-nd at Lincoln, on June 25,
1909, was organized this splendid
State Federation. Charge me with
egotism if you will if I have done
nothing more for labor of this state
than to be the cause of this splendid
and promising State Federation, at
least I have ' done something in the
way of service for the toilers who
have made the growth of this common
wealth possible.
The Lincoln convention was harmo
nious In the extreme.' The earnest
and willing delegates took up the
work in hand, and In short order a
Mve organization was perfected.
The chief work of the officials elect
ed by the Lincoln convention was to
set the organization's machinery in
working operation. .Without any well
known plan of action mapped out,
wholly, without financial resource, and
with nothing but enthusiasm and hope
to build upon, your officers buckled
down to work. The first burst of en
thusiasm over it was necessary to b
gin a kyetematlc campaign for affilia
tion. By reason of a policy which in
my individual opinion was detriment!
to the best Interests of organized la
txr, this State Federation is deprived
of the wipe counsel and financial sup
port of & great body of union men in
this state. 1 refer to tho International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The railroad brotherhoods, through
a policy of excluslveness' long pur
sued, also refused to affiliate with this
organization. And many local unions
which by every right and rule of self
interest should have affiliated, refused
or neglected to do so. Yet we meet
today with a Bplendid convention,
made up of representatives of live
unions. I apeak without fear of suc
cessful contradiction when I say that
the unions represented here at this
convention are the unions that are al
w'ays up and doing; never . asking
nomebody to do 'something for them,
iir.d always willing to make sacrifices
for the common good. If there be
those who have opposed affiliation be
cause their minds have conjured up
nightmares of partisan politics. I have
only this to say: Men who habitually
use their unionism to promote their
partisan ends are always quick to
charge others with the same motive,
anil h? who is always frightened lesthe
be misled should use his leisure time in
fitting himself so that he can detect
such schemes and thwart them, in
stead of - spending it in charging his
fellow workers with dishonest mo
tives. Since the organization of the Ne
braska State Federation of Labor the
organized industries of the state have
enjoyed peace and a fair measure of
prosperity. While wages have not
kept pace with with the increased cost
of living, yet because of union activity
we have at least managed to prevent
any widening of the difference
through a lowering of the wage scale.
Several new unions have been organ
ized since the Lincoln convention, and
eo far as your officers are informed
not one has surrendered Its charter.
But one strike has taken place with
in the ranks of the Federation. Ref
erence is made to the strike of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric Railway Employes of
Omaha against the Omaha & Council
Bluffs Street Railway Co. The com
pany, claiming it was financially un
able to pay old and faithful employes
an increased wage scale, paid out
thousands of dollars to imported
thieves, thugs, iorchcliinbers and pro
fessional strikebreakers whom it hired
to take the places of men asking
merely for justice and humane treat
ment. The money the Omaha & Coun
cil Bluffs Street Railway Co. paid out
to defeat the request of old and faith
ful employes would have paid the in
creased wage demanded for many
years to come, prevented great public
discomfort and relieved the community
of the presence of a horde of men who
are strangers to honor, unacquainted
with honesty and never on speaking
terms with common decency. It
should not be forgotten by the wage
earners of Omaha and her sister cities
that it took the combined Influence of
business men who had not a -dollar
of stock in the railway company to
defeat that just strike. It was but
one more proof that there is a body
of shortsighted business men in Ne
braska's metropolis who are endeav
oring to break down labor organiza
tions. They put up a hypocritical pre
tense of working for the good of the
free and Independent worker, but they
deceive none but those who are anx
ious to be deceived. The wage earn
ers of this community have the rem
edy in their own hands. Business men
who refuse to accord to organized' la
bor the common rights of humanity
are not deserving, nor should they
have, one dollar of patronage from
union men and women. Nd man known
to be to sympathy with such men
should receive a penny of union pa
tronage nor the vote of any self-respecting,
family-providing, country
loving, God-fearing union man.
The strike in question calls with
emphasis for concerted action that
will result in securing, through legis
lative enactment, a board of arbitra
tion and conciliation that will safe
guard the public's rights while making
it impossible for arrogant corpora
tions and insolvent capitalists to crush
the hopes and aspirations of the toil
ers. I can think of no greater work
for this organization to do than to un
dertake the task of securing a law
which will give the workers an equal
chance with the employers. In con
cluding this reference to the Omaha
strike I want to pay my tribute of re
spect to the brave men who refused to
be coerced, 'browbeaten or bribed;
who refused to violate their union ob
ligations, and who refused to surren
der their manhood. It was my pleas
ure and privilege to mingle with them
during that strike, and never have I
met a finer body of men. I learned
from them much of devotion to prin
ciple. Had they received, the proper
support, and had organized labor in
years gone by performed its duty at
the polls instead of being the play
thing of politlcul manipulators, the re
sults of that strike might have beeu
different.
it is with regret that I must report
that -luring the month of November
another contract for prison labor was
executed by the Board of Public Lands
and Buildings. This contract calls for
the manufacture of work shirts at the
penitentiary, and was executed while
I was absent from Lincoln, attending
the American Federation of Labor
convention at Toronto. The contract
as originally prepared ' and urged by
a majority of the board was outrag
eous in tho extreme. As the contract
now stands it is a great improvement
over the original draft, but it is bad
enough. The amended contract stipu
lates that before any of the goods
manufactured thereunder are shipped
out, the state shall have the privilege
of buying at first cost all it needs to
supply the state institutions. It is
further provided that none of the
goods manufactured thereunder may
be sold in the state of Nebraska.
These amendments were forced Into
the contract by Governor Shallenber-
ger, who is one of the five members of
th board.
., Until the. law is changed and prison-
contract labor prohibited by law, there
will always be this same trouble. The
chief argument advanced by those
who seek to profit from convict con
tract labor Is that the poor convicts
must have work or they will go crazy
We humbly suggest that a little of
the maudlin sympathy wasted upon
the criminal might well be spared, and
a little practical sympathy shown for
the honest worker who is struggling
against untoward conditions to sup
port his family and give his children
an education. A policy which en
courages criminality by making it al
most Imperative to commit a crime in
order to secure a steady job is not
calculated to build a better citizenship.
Nebraska stands at the head of the
educational column, and it is not too
much to hope of such a state that in
a short time it will, in its wisdom.
evolve some system whereby the con
victs may be kept employed without
putting the product of their labor into
competition an the open market with
the product of free and honest labor.
The present condition is in Itself a
crime, and the society responsible for
it should be indicted and tried and
sentenced. And the man or woman
who would teach a convict to- make
brooms or work shirts under the spe
cious plea of teaching the convict a
useful trade, ought to -be put into a
klndegarten for the purpose of learn
ing the first principles of industrial
ism. The one is a trade largely fol
lowed by invalids, cripples and old
men; the other is followed by under
paid women and girls working in
sweat shops and tenements. The con
vict who emerges from prison and at
tempts to follow either trade for a
livelihood, soon finds himself back in
prison. I would recommend tha this
convention go on record, with no un
certain sound, against the present
system of leasing convict labor, and
that it throw the weight of its influ
ence in favor of the abolition of the
infamous wrong to free labor.
I further recommend that this or
ganization demand, and back up the
demand in every possible way, that
the State Bureau of Labor be ade
quately provided for, to the eud that it
may be of some real service to the
wage earners of the state whose toll
represents such a large part of the
prosperity of the commonwealth.
I would recommend some course of
action whereby a greater revenue may
be raised, to the end that the legisla
tive committee may not be hampered
In its efforts to secure needed legisla
tion. One year from this date the legisl:
Hire will be in session, and we should
begin now to prepare the way for a
concerted demand for labor legisla
tion that will benefit the workers. We
ask nothing but justice for ourselves,
,and would work injustice on no man.
Heretofore we have worked at ran
dom in our legislative efforts. I would
urge union men everywhere to make
strong effort to secure representation
upon the legislative tickets, and wher
ever a union man is nominated for a
legislative office let us forget partisan
politics long enough to send union
men instead of partisans to the legis
lature. 'With a few live union men-on
the inside, and a strong legislative
committee on the outside, organized
labor will stand a reasonable show of
getting something in the way of leg
islative relief.
I urge this convention to make an
insistent demand upon the parent or
ganization, the American Federation
of Labor, for the appointment of a
permanent salaried organizer in this
district, to the end that the work of
organization, so long neglected, may
be prosecuted with vigor. .
I urge upon every organization affili
ated with the Nebraska State Federa
tion of Labor the necessity of an ac
tive organization propaganda, let us
organize in every section of the state;
let us strengthen our lines wherever
and whenever possible, and let us pre
sent a united front to those who keep
us apart, and by so doing make it
easier to exploit us. Let us learn wis
dom by experience, and forgetting per
sonal prejudices and animosities, lay
ing aside political partisanship and
religious differences, get togther for
the common good.
In conclusion, allow me to thank
the State Federation of Labor by the
honor it has conferred upon me. I
can wish nothing better for my suc
cessor than the same hearty support
that has been given me. May the Ne
braska State Federation of Labor
grow and flourish, and may it become
aj potent factor in the industrial and
sojjfal uplift.
. f BEAR IT IN MIND.
The Labor Temple is for All Who Toil
I for a Livlihood. -
jrii
he Labor Temple's doors, are al
ways open to men who toil for a live
lihood. It is not exclusive. The man
agers want you to become a stockhold
er but whether you are or not will
not make ; lIt of difference in your
welcome to the Temple.
Consider It your home and act
therein as- you would In your home
home. Be' careful of your language
therein as you are in your own home.
Don't scratch matches on the wal!.
Don't expectorate on the floor. Come
in and get acquainted with your fel
low workers. You will be as welcome
as the. flowers in spring.
Bill posters have signed a five year
agreement with the Pittsburg Bill
have received $2 more a week than
Posting Co., in which they claim to
asked for.
LOOKS LIKE PEACE.
Promising Signs of Getting Togther on
Part of. Electrical Workers.
General President Reid and Secre
tary Murphy arrived In town Wednes
day evening and' remained over several
days. Their mission is to arrange an
unloosing of the funds in the lo
cal banks in conformity with the A.
F. of L. convention decision last
mSth. The officers are meeting with
some technical difficulties but hope to
overcome them in a short time. Both
Reid and Murphy speak enthusiasti
cally of the outlook to establish peace
in the Brotherhood. They believe the
committee having the peace arrange
ments in charge are absolutely fair
and will see that justice is done, and
that is all that can be or is expected.
"It would do your heart good to see
the way the Brotherhood is growing
despite all our unfortunate differ
ences," said President Reid. "I be
lieve the organization will be one of
the greatest on this continent In a few
years. The outlook for peace In the
trade Is being hailed with satisfaction
by all our locals, and we sincerely be
lieve and hope that a unification will
come soon, as the labor movement, as
a whole, is confronted by many grave
problems and we must close our ranks
to meet them."
TEMPLE STOCKHOCDERS MEET.
Last Tuesday night the Stockholders
In the Lincoln .Labor Temple Associa
tion held their annual meting for the
purpose of electing directors. Each
union holding 100 shares of stock is
entitled to a director on the board in
addition there are six directors at
large elected by the stockholders. The
directors at large for the coming
year are Bingaman, Typographical;
Vaughan, Brick Layers; Mayer, Elec
trical Workers; De Lacy, Painters;
Parker, Cigarmakers; Maupin, Typo
graphical. The different stockholding
unions re-elected the same directors
with the exception of the Carpenters
who sent Isler vice Kates and the
painters who s'ent Hale vice De Lacy,
The directors re-elected the old offi
cers to serve for the ensuing year.
COFFEY IS HONORED.
F. M. Coffey of Lincoln Typographical
209, Honored by State Federation.
South Omaha, Jan. 5. The Nebraska
State Federation of Labor to-night
elected F. M. Coffey of Lincoln presi
dent. Mr. Coffey is a prominent mem
ber of the : Typographical Union at
Lincoln. Frank P. Hart was re-elected
secretary -treasurer.
The Wageworker will publish the
complete proceedings of the conven
tion next week. ......
Spotted.
"I just had a talk with Judge Ran
ter and he said he was a firm friend
of organized labor."
"What office does be intend running
for this time?"
CURT C01X1ENT ON
THE TIMELY TOPICS
One of the first things that the
unionists of Nebraska should do Is to
ascertain where Senators Brown and
Burkett stood when the matter of
confirming Judge Lurton was before
the senate. Recently President Taft
appointed Judge Lurton of Tennessee
to the supreme bench of the United
States, and the senate ratified the ap
pointment. Judge Lurton is notor
loulsy committed to the corporation
cause ,and it follows, as the . night
the day, that he is committed against
the cause of the organized toilers.
Time after time, in the trial ot dam
age suits before him, wherein injured
railway employes have sought to re
cover damages, Judge Lurton. has
shown his bias in favor of the cor
porations. Time and again he has
ruled directly against the decisions of
judges in neighboring circuits, and
has held in direct opposition to the
rulings of the high tribunal to which
he has just been elevated. The Nash
ville Tennesseean, published in Judge
Lurton's own home, says of him : "He
belongs to that school of jurists who
are looked upon as exponents of the
rights of property rather than of the
rights of men." That is a correct diag
nosis of Judge Lurton. His whole ju
dicial career is marked by evidences
that he can see property rightsv with
the naked eye, but Is unable to see
human rights with a michoscope. In
one particular case, the Hecla-Osceola
copper controversy, he made a deci
sion which, if he continues to hold
good, will compel him to decide
against the government and in favor
of the Standard Oil Co., in its appeal
from the United States circuit court
of appeals. Organized labor protested
unanimously against Judge Lurton's
appointment, but the backing If "trus
tees of providence," the men with the
money and the corporation property
to safeguard,' received more attention
than- the men who 'had nothing but
their manhood at stake, hat we want
to know, and what every wage earner
has a right to know, is this how did
Senators Burkett and Brown vote on
the confirmation of Judge Lurton?
Judge Carpenter is another one of
President Taft's recent judicial ap
pointees. And his reeord as a corpo
ration judge is even worse than that
of Judge Lurton. He has always been
quick to recognize property rights, and
equally slow to recognize personal
rights. He was backed for the ap
pointment by the big corporations who
have always found him willing and
ready to serve corporation interests
Some of these days the whole body
politic will learn, what trades unionists
long since learned, that the whole ap
pointive federal judiciary is a menace
to free Institutions, and a mockery on
a republican form of government.
O, Yes; the protective tariff is a
great blessing to the workingmen! The
men who shout loudest for a protec
tive tariff are the men who most have
the interests of the wage earners at
heart And the whole thing works out
so beautifully in favor of the wage
earner. Like the old woman kept ho
tel! The rich man who imports dia
monds pays a duty of 10 per cent. The
diamond dealer who imports $1,000
worth of diamonds leaves $100 duty
at the customs house and tacks that
much more on his selling price 10 per
cent. The dealer who Imports a thous
and shirts worth a dollar each leaves
$601.60 at the customs house and adds
60.16 per cent to his selling price. The
rich man who can buy -diaminds is
taxed 10 per cent for his luxury; the
poor man who has to buy a shirt is
taxed 60 per cent for that necessity.
The dealer who imports a $5,000
automobile leaves $2,500 at the cus
toms house. But when he Imports
$5,000 worth of yarns he must, leave
$6,960 at the customs house. The rich
man's auto Is taxed about 50 per cent.
The poor man's yarn or blanket Is
taxed 110 per cent. Gee, but they do
carry the good of the poor working
man almighty close to their hearts!
The garment working industry is no
toriously the most underpaid and the
worst "sweated" industry in the coun
try. But the tariff on clothing Is pro
hibitive. The importer who brings In
$5,000 worth of furs pays a duty of
$1,650. The man who Imports $5,000
worth of clothing pays a duty of $4,-
330 which . is added to the selling
lirice, and the American manufactur-
er takes advantage of it to Increase
the price to the consumer and at the
same time pays his employes a less
wage than is paid in any other skilled,
trade. The republican national plat
form declared for protection that
would equalize the difference In
wages at home and abroad. Yet the
tariff on clothing, yarns, blankets, etc.,
is more than the total labor and cost
of materials combined. And working
men who foot the bills are a difficult
lot to convince that they are not being
worked both ways from the middle by
a lot of scheming manufacturers.
Recently N. Z. Snell of Lincoln ad
dressel the Commercial Club, and dur
ing his remarks said:
"It would be as consistent for a.
Catholic to contribute funds to propa
gate the protestant faith, for a brewer
to furnish aid to the local option
league, or Senator Cummins and L
Follette to advocate the re-election
of Speaker Cannon as for a Nebras
kan, except in extraordinary cases to
take out life' Insurance at the present
time, in any one of the big eastern
companies." .
The more you study that remark the
better it sounds. Mr. Snell has nt-.
te-red a keynote that should ring In
every Lincoln citizen's ears. It is ap
plicable to a hundred other things
than insurance. The insurance, life. -fire,
and accident that may be pur
chased of Lincoln companies, Is just
as good and just as cheap as that .
which may be purchased of eastern
companies. If purchased from home
companies the money remains at
home and gets into the channels of
local trade. Every citizen gets a share
of it the, printer, the pressmen, the .
plumber, the carpenter, the bricklayer
and so all along the line. If sent
to an eastern company it is lost to
local business. Why should Lincoln
workers-con tribute -.to the- building of.
hughe office buildings in Hartford and
New York when by patronizing home
companies they will soon compel the
erection of such buildings right here
in Lincoln? But while Mr. Snell and
his associates in home insurance com
ptnies are making a plea for the pur
chase of home insurance, are they fol
lowing it up all along the line? Are
they buying all their printing in Lin
coln? Are they smoking only Lincoln
made cigars? Are they giving all their
patronage to Lincoln tailors? Come on.
gentlemen! Mr. Snell has given a.
new start to an idea that the union
men of this city have been working on
for these many years.
Now is the time to set in motion '
the . machinery to have a park bond
proposition submitted to the city at
the coming spring election. Lincoln
has adopted the Initiative and refer
endum, and if a sufficient number o?
voters petition to have a bond propo-.
sition submitted it is mandatory upon
the council to submit lit Lincoln
ought to have a park system worthy
of the name, and the only fway to get
it 13 to raise the money and pay for it.
And the way to raise the money Is to
vote bonds. This is the fair way, be
cause the generation to follow will
then pay its share. Many of the pres
ent generation will not. live long .
enough to benefit by a fine park sys
tem. Thos who benefit most should
pay. for it. The park commiisslott
ought to have at least $50,0000 right
now, and not less than $100,000 . a
year for the next ten years. The
workers of the city are the ones most
vitally Interested In the establish
ment of parks, and The Wageworker
suggests that they take the lead in
demanding a referendum on the bond
proposition. This is a matter that the ;
Central Labor Union could take up
with credit to Itself and advantage to
the men and women It represents.
There ought to he a live, active
Woman's Trade Union League in thi3
city. If the club women of Lincoln
really want to perform a service in
the interests of their working sisters
they will organize such a league. The
Wageworker makes this proposition to
the Lincoln Woman's Club: If you
will guarantee that a majority of the
club's hiembership will turn out and
listen to an address from the presi
dent of the International Woman's
Trade Union League, The Wagework
er will agree to have the president
make the address. If she fails to con
Continued on Pago 4.
