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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1910)
THE WAGEWORKER. By Wageworker Publishing Co. Will M. Maupin - - Editor W.'P. Hogard - - Manager Entered mm second-daM matter April 21, 1904, at the poatomce at Lincoln, Neb.t under the Act of ConireM ol March 3rd, 1679. WELL HARDLY, ROGER. , We are Informed by the grapevine route that the Honorable Roger Sulli van of Illinois has fixed up a demo cratic political slat,e whereon appears the name of Governor Judson Harmon of Ohio as presidential candidate. This -labor paper has studied up on the record of Governor Harmon, there fore Is not qualified to speak of his excellency's record oa matters of su preme Interest to the workers. But this paper does know something about Roger Sullivan and his record. And we are thereby reminded of the story of Old Dog Tray. Judson Harmon may be a staunch friend of organized labor. He may be a constitutional lawyer beyond com pare. He may be a statesman with out reproach and an executive without peer he may be all these things, yet if he ties up with Roger Sullivan he will have a hard time convincing a lot of us that he Isn't Just exactly the opposite. The presidential nominee who ties up with corporationlsts nf the Roger Sullivan and Joe Cannon stripe are going to get almighty little comfort out of the organized labor vote in future. A lot of us who are democrats will take a Lafollette or a Cummlngs before we will take the willing tool of Roger Sullivan or Char ley Murphy. A lot of us who are re publicans will take a Folk or a Cul berson before we will take another willing tool of the Aldriches and Can nons and Morgans. Party ties are Bitting lightly on the shoulders of men these days, and this is especially true of the men who eat their, bread In the sweat of their faces, to rejoice over. Perhaps we can no settle down to matters of business and proceed with our regular work. But we are glad It came up. Any time any considerable number of peo ple are Interested in bringing up some question for settlement at the polls, The Wageworker force will sign a petition for a referendum. We are stuck on the referendum. We like it. We've fought for it for a quarter of a century. We want to see It In force and effect as a state law. The pres ent system under which we operate as a state, and which we call "repre sentative government," is a ghastly joke. It is anything but represen tative of the people. The Wageworker is for direct legislation the initiative and referendum and It believes that every other progressive Institution, and every progressive, right-thinking man, ought to be for it. The Direct Legislation League ought to be the biggest organization in Nebraska. "Let the people rule!" That's a mighty good slogan. But the people will not rule as long hs corporations can buy Individuals. The masses are honest, but too many in dividuals are dishonest politically. . But now that we've settled the ex cise question for at least a year, let's accept the verdict and whoop her up for a bigger and better Lincoln. MR. 8HARPE NOT SATISFIED. President Sharpe of the Lincoln Traction Co. insists that The Wage- worker's apology was worse than the original offense referring specific ally to the little matter of uniforms for the motormen and conductors. For this The Wageworker is truly sorry. We want to be absolutely fair to President Sharpe and to the Lincoln Traction Co., witholding nothing of praise when praise Is deserved, and sparing nothing of censure when cen sure Is deserved. Frankly we believe that up to date the company is deserv ing of more censure than commend ation, but be that as It may. We ab solve President Sharpe, and otbr managers of the company, from any blame whatsoever If blame there be In the matter of those uniforms After oareful Investigation we find that the employees themselves decided on the kind of uniform, and were given liberty to get them . anywhere they pleased. That they were required to uniform themselves was perfectly pro per. President Sharpe very properly ordered that all motormen and con ductors should appear in uniform after a certain term of service, or else be laid off until such time as they did so appear. We believe all this Is conducive to better discipline as well as conducive to better service towards passengers. nut really. If President Sharpe wants to secure the best discipline, Ret the best service and the most loyal support from the motormen and conductors, let him recognize their right to organize, then recognize the organization and deal with it just os lie must deal with the representatives of the big Concerns from whlcfi he buys supplies, or with the representatives of the big financial concerns. Of course this recognition might make few old-time employees feel sore after they have tried to "play favorites" by kow-towing to certain straw bosses but they don't count for much real worth. Now that we have tried our level best to square ourselves on the unl form proposition, will President Sharpe kindly tell us, plainly and un equivocally, why it would not, in his belief, pay him and his company to recognize the Amalgamated Associat- ton of Street and Electric Railway i Employees. President Taft says he is opposed to boycotts and sympathetic strikes. On this we are in accord with Presi dent Taft, but for vastly different reasons. He opposes them because they raise hades with the employers. We oppose 'them because there is a better way to get along If the em ployers will meet the workers half way. My, if they keep on organizing new unions in Lincoln we'll have to build two or three more stories on the Lab or Temple. Six new locals since the Temple opened on December 1, 1909, is a pretty good record for this west ern town. There are three trades unionists in the Oklahoma City city council. There are none in Licoln. But the Oklahoma City union men believe in standing together at the polls as well as on the jobs. Maybe that will ex plain some things. The Indianapolis Union declares that Grand Chief Stone of the Locomotive Engineers has declared for the "open shop." We don't believe it, but we admit that such a declaration from Mr. Stone would not surprise us. What Nebraska needs about as bad ly, as anything else is a law regulat ing the employment bureaus. The workers . of Nebraska are annually bilked out of thousands of dollars by fake labor agencies. Some of these days a few of our republican prohibition friends will perhaps discover that the republican tariff is about as much of a hindrance to the American worKer as the use of intoxicants. Play square now! The workers who want to enjoy a Sunday ball game should be allowed the privilege so long as their doing so does not annoy anybody who does not want to be annoyed. Just as soon as President Sharpe gets his "pay as you enter" cars to working we trust he will devote some time to considering the use of "come when you want 'em" cars. What the solcialists of Milwaukee have done the trades unionists of any other large American city may do if they will work together as solidly as the Milwaukee socialists. "What does Liberty mean?" asks the Iron City Trades Journal. There are as many definitions of Liberty as there are men trying to define it Why should the railroads kick on raising wages? They'll more than make up for it by "re-classification of schedules" of freight rates. Come on now, you good temperance people, and help us wage earners make the Labor Temple a success. Actions speak louder than words. Trades unionists in some of the big cities might profit by studying be example of the Milwaukee socialists. For Pleasmre or Business- you can find here just the kind of clothes you want s Armstrong S If you want a nice business dress suit we can always show you a larger assortment and greater range of prices in good clothes than is shown by any other Lincoln Store. You can buy a suit here for $10.00 - $15.00 - $20.00 or $25.00 or $25.00 that is far ahead of anything you can get elsewhere in quality, style and all around goodness for the price. They are our Four Strong Lines The best clothes that can be made are here for you, priced from $27.00 to $40.00. Clothes of true economy. Clothing Go GOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS their agents, really do try to hamper the work of the State University be cause of the stand recently taken' by the Unl facujty, It will only be an other evidence of the "fatheadedness" of the men who pretend to manage the political affairs of the aforesaid brewers and distillers. The second Sunday in May is to be "Labor's Memorial Day." It should be observed in Lincoln. ( The next legislature should put a quietus on the "loan sharks." O, quit your beefing about It! "Nobody knows how dry I am." Let us have peace! Pittsburg, Pa., unionists have bought a Labor Temple. Pittsburg is rapid ly getting into Lincoln's class. THANK COODNE8SI ; Thank goodness this excise question is settled for another year maybe. It diln't go to suit all of us, but the mere fact that It has gone Is enough The elevator conductors of Lincoln have organized. They believe in the "mutual uplift." Isn't Brer Post due for another fit at the Ice bouse? If the brewers and distillers, and PAYS A DIVIDEND. The San Francisco Labor Clarion is owned by the Central Trades and La bor Council. Last week it announced .t dividend of $250, and the money was banded the council by R. I. Wis- ler, secretary of the council. We con gratulate Editor Will French, whose pen has made the Clarion famous, and Secretary French who has helped o boost. The Clarion is deserving of all the success that can come to it. EAST O BOOSTERS. Big Business Drifting Rapidly East of Thirteenth Street. Five or six years ago they , told us and some of us said so ourselves that O street east of Thirteenth street would never amount to anything as a business district. Now look at us! We've got about every line of legiti mate business on O street east of Thirteenth. We only lack one thins, a department store, and we'll have that Inside of a year. Drug stores, hardware stores, banks, hotels, clotn- ing stores, grocery stores, fruit stands, confectioneries, ice cream parlors, tailor shops, insurance companies, news stands, the Orpheum theatre, meat markets, restaurants, coal and lumber offices, marble works, cigar factory, and other business institu tions, all thriving. And The Wage worker Publishing Co. Don't overlook that. It's the latest addition to the iEast O Street Boosters, but it isn't the smallest by a long shot. Some of these days the Lincoln Traction Co. will be sending most of its South Lincoln cars around the cor ner of Sixteenth and O. We want em to right away but they're shy about it. A year or two from now the Traction Co. will be begging for the privilege. " You'd better keep your business eye on East O street it's a "comer" and coming fast. Just look at the hand some business blocks going up east of Seventeenth! Just look at the thriv ing business institutions east of Thir teenth and Thirteenth used to be the limit east, too. We have pinned The Wageworker's faith to east O! Don't forget the number 1705 East O. A WISE JUDGE. Lets Fall Words That Should Soik Deep Into Unionists. : Judge Alfred J. Murphy, of Detroit, Mich., in an address delivered recent ly, said: - ' - "Society has no respect for the in telligence of workingmen who take no Interest in the organization of la bor. In proportion to their weakness in the spirit of unionism' they lose the confidence and support of the public. It is the spirit of the times. It should not require argument to so convince wage earners. To maintain strong organizations in the true spir it of unionism Is the only way for labor to be prepared for a crisis." The truth In the above should sink deep in the hearts of all who toil. LABOR SHOULD AWAKE. Special Silk 4300 Yards of New Silks at Less than Manufac turer's Cost Recent fortunate purchases enable us to offer some very extraordinary Silk values at a big reduction in price. The collection comprises Pongees, Messa lines, Peau de Cygnes, Diagonals, Louisines, Taf fetas, etc., in both plain and novelty weaves. As a matter of convenience we have divided them into two huge lots. x Lot Number One Silks worth to $1.00 per yard, at - - - -v Lot Number Two Silks worth to $1 .50 per yard at - - - ----- - Organize and Get Balance of Power in Congress. We trade unionists of this country should be impressed by the fact that thirty-three delegates to the last Bri tish Trades Union Congress are mem bers of the British Parliament, and were elected by union labor votes. How does the American Federation of Labor representation )n Congress compare with this British record? It looks as if the Britishers are far wiser than the American trade union ists, though much slower in some re spects. We should be ashamed of ourselves to allow any other country on earth to beat us In this matter, but we have- no one except ourselves to blame. Wake up, boys! We can capture the balance of power in Con gress if we elect our friends to that body, and then we can get whatever legislation we need or desire. Let's go out after this balance of power. It will require time, but wei can afford to wait if patience will bring results. Iron City Trades Journal. 45c 69c A special feature of this sale is the offering of 1 5 pieces of Rogers & Thompson's "Mikado Silk," a regular $1 .50 value, at - - - - - - - U7C Wise shoppers will be on hand at the opening hour for the choice patterns See Window Display H. Herpolsheimer Co. THE DAYLIGHT STORE s t SHOOT THE LANDLORD! (FtS By Buying or Building a Home of your own. We will lend you the money for: a long term on easy qaymenU. , Your monthly savings will soon put your own roof over your head SECURITY SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION L. C. OBERLIES, Pres. 1106 O St. I. H. HATFIELD. Sec-Trei