The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, August 05, 1910, Image 1
THE WAGEWeEEERb V VOLUME 7 UNCOLN, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, (U" NUMBER 0 S CURT CURRENT COMMENTS ! THE SAME CONTAINING A FEW MATTERS OF MORE OR LESS Texas has county option and the largest number of saloons to the popu lation of any state in the Union. Ne braska has the best high license-local option law of any state in the union. and the fewest saloons in proportion to the population ofany state. I men tion these two eases merely for the edification of some of my good friends who seem inbued with the idea that unless we get county option in Ne braska the state is going to go to the deinnition bow-wows in short order. Broadly speaking I am in favor of en larging the unit, but I am not worry ing about it the least bit. I doubt if it would have any better effect than the now only partial enforcement of the Slocumb'law. Certainly I am. not in favor of making county option a political fetich. I look upon Tom Johnson of Cleve land as .one of the militant reformers of the day. Johnson says that after he had worked on a reform for years, and just as he had about gotten the peopie worked up to the point of in augurating his reform, along came a prohibition outfit beating their tom toms ami sounding their hewgags and away went the people. That is as clear an illustration as J. II. Ilarley made in the Lancaster county demo crat ie. convention when he likened all this fuss and stew over county option to a trained bird dog deserting the covey and chasing away after a rabbit. A lot of my prohibition friends love to call me to account now and then and chide ine for not being an out-and-out prohibitionist. "Why." they ex--laim. "the liquor traffic is the cause of the poverty and misery that exists in such large degree among the work ers." The trouble with the average prohibitionist is that he doesn't know his facta. - The - student of . sociology,, ' knows that instead of drunkness being the prime cause of poverty, poverty is the prime cause of drunkness. If yon do not believe it, let me point you to the fact that where hours of labor are long, where wages are small and where the outlook is dark, drunk ness reigns supreme. On the other hand let me point out the fact that in those communities where the hours of labor are short, where the wages are on a high level, and where the worker has opportunity for advancement, tem perance is the rule. There are things that are making for temperance these times the shorter work day and the rigid rule of the large employers against over-indulgence, or even occasional use. Your prohibitionist orator may talk until he is blind in a community of men driven from bed to work and from work to bed hopeless, aimless, despairing and he will not make much headway. But let that community be changed to a com munity of workers who have some leis ure time for recreation, who have a living wage and opportunities for social and industrial uplift, and immediately the conditions change and sobriety takes the place of drunkenness. The first argument advanced against the shorter work day was that it would give the workers enlarged opportunities for dissipation, would result in further and longer crowding of the saloons. A lot of good churchmen advanced that argument. But experience proved that they were mistaken for the shorter work day made for temperance as well as for many other desirable things. The King of France he had 10.(H)0 men. He inarched them up the hill. Then he marched them down again. And when they were up they were up, And when they were down they were down. And when they were only half-way up They were neither up nor down. Which reminds me -of the action of our learned city legislative body. A few weeks ago the councilmen were so full of civic beautifying spirit that they wouldn't allow the First National Bank to swing a sign across the street and last Monday the honorable body backed down. It wasn't going to let the Rock Island enlarge its yardage facilities and then it did. The more you think about it the more you will realize that our present city council, while an im provement upon most of these of the past is yet considerable of a joke. UNBIASED OPINIONS ABOUT INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC The victory won by Ilavelock in the Traction company case is all right for Ilavelock. but it is going to cost Lin coln dearly. Mayor Love, before going to Montreal on a trip at the city's ex pense, recommended the abrogation of the-- occupation tax, saying that the Traction Co., is up against it. Com missioner Winnett asserts that while Ilavelock is entitled to the same rate of fare as College View, the fact re mains that the rate will make it im-. possible for the Traction Co., to pay a reasonable dividend, therefore it will naturally result in a readjustment of fares. That simply means that the next move of the Traction Co., will be to get rid of the six-for-a-quartr fare. And the state railway commission, by the Winnett order, has practically paved the way for that very thing. If I had plenty of money I would invest it in street railway tickets. On January 1, 1910, the statements of the state and national banks of Ne braska showed deposits of $180,000,000. Ninety days later the assessors reported only $29,000,000 deposited in the banks. This means that there was $151,000,000 worth of lying done by the bank de-" positors of the state liars who pre jured themselves in order to escape a few dollars of taxation for defraying the expenses of the state that protects them in their lives and property. But the workingman who has nothing but the furniture in his little cottage, or an humble little home he gets the taxing hooks thrown into him for fair. Then the automobiles. The minute an auto passes from dealer to user it loses just 95 per cent of its value so far as tax payments are concerned. But it's dif ferent with the little jag of furniture that the wage earner acculumates. That doesn't lose anything in the eyes of the tax gatherers. Some of these days we'll get some sense on this tax ques tion, and when we do we will adopt the land value tax. That will make every body pay their just share. Our present taxing laws manufact ures liars, levies the burdens upon those least able to pay them, and re leases in large measure -those who should pay the most. Antiquated, un fair and dishonest, our revenue laws should be made honest, scientific and just. I wish Councilman Schroeder, chair man of the water committee, was half dead with thirst and compelled to slake it from a hose connected with the "water main" that serves about thirty families living in the neighborhood of Thirty-third and Q streets. Douglas county doesn't like , the "daylight saloon law," and it doesn't like Governor Shallenberger's "insist ence that Omaha be decent. The trouble with Omaha is that it is allow ing a lot of booze fighters to make it appear that Omaha is dependent en tirely upon booze for its prosperity. The decent people of Omaha should rise up and make the booze propagan dists shut up. Chief of Police Donahue is now com pelled to show cause why he should not be removed for failure to properly discharge his duties. While he is mak ing this showing he should be asked to make another. Chief Donahue is a well-to-do man these days. He is cur rently reported to be worth something like $250,000. But granting for the sake of argument that he is worth only half that amount where did he get it? Chief Donahue, do you own any stock in the Omaha & . Council Bluffs Street Railway Co? If so, where and how did you get it? WThat profitable investments have you made on a salary of $2,000 a year for twelve or thirteen years that made you worth $125,000? Did you ever , know' Guerdon W. Wattles in Waterloo, Iowa? Where did you get it. Chief Dona hue? The grocers and butchers are'closing up their stores every Thursday after noon, and they and their clerks are en joying a mid-week half-holiday. If the dealers in food can do this, why not the dealers in dry goods and cloth ing? Why not everybody take a half- holiday on Thursday from the middle of June till the first of September every year?; Business would go on just the same, merchants would make just as much money, workers would turn out just as much output, and everybody would be happier and better. Will sojne one please tell us what has become of the triple-jointed committee that was appointed to frame up that new city charter? Wre are afraid it has succumbed to the heat or to the weight of its own self-importance. . Chester H. Aldrich, republican aspir ant for governor, announces that he is in favor of compulsory arbitration of labor disputes. The. republican wage earner who votes for a man who favors compulsory arbitration ought to take treatment for paresis. Wouldn't the wage earners be in a pretty fix under compulsory arbitra tion? The same influences that now pack the courts would also control the arbitration boards. Compulsatory arbi tration will not do ! But compulsory investigation .and publication of the findings, each party to the dispute hav-' ing equal representation would be acceptable. A socialist friend defined "social ism" for me the other day. He said it meant "the collective ownership of all the means of production and distri bution. ' ' That sounds good, but it will take something more than that to con vert the world to socialism,. What about human initiative? Can there be collective ownership in that? And without human initiative what would be the result? The socialist movement is a grand thing, for it is causing the workers to think. And when men be come thinkers they cease being slaves. . Out at Beaver City a young fellow named Ross Edwards won a bet of a dollar by remaining an hour in an unventilated room, while the thermo meter on the outside registered 102 in the shade. Edwards was in a faint ing condition at the end 'of the hour and had to be resuscitated with cold water and ice packs. I greatly fear the Beaver City foolkiller is sadly neg lecting his duties, ; ' There have been many cases of ex aggerated ego since Harry Thaw's at torney made that definition famous, but I hold that the best example of it within the confines of Nebraska is that of William R. Patrick of Sarpy county. It does not require a discerning eye to see that a lot of fellows in Nebraska mistake "personal liberty" for un bridled license. BILLY MAJOR. The Office "Boy's Little Observations f I hev noticed several employers who speil about business worries a whole lot ridin' down t' work in ottermobiles. Th' jour workin' in dis offus is alius a shoutin' about personal liberty, but he fergits that th' boss ain't expected t' pay him f'r the soberin' up time. I'll hev an easier time takin' care of my immortal soul if a lot uv people will help me t' take care o' my mortal body. Th' other night at th' Labor Temple I heard, a feller shoutin' about bein' . so square he wore holes in th' mattress, but th' next day I caught him sneakin' his laundy to a chink shop. Th' week I wus sick th' boss came out t' see me an' fetched me my week's wages. I guess it's -up t' me t' think a bit about th' boss's business when I'm loaf in' uv an evenin'. A lot uv people who are worried t' death about th' brutal treatment uv hosses don't never lose no sleep over t th' abuse o' women an' kids. Th' figgein' sharps tell us that preachers average $1.86 a day. If I had t' take my choice I'd be a base ball pitcher. . - , Th' feller that backcaps his employer is just stealin' th' amount o' money in his pay envelope. If my edicashun has been neglected it is because I've had to hustle like hell for bread an' butter. Th' feller that's alius waitin' f'r somethin' t' turn up is usually com plainin' about bein' turned down. Me clothes ain't much f'r looks, but ma didn't buy 'em with money" she earned over th' wash tub. I hev an' idea th' foreman kills a lot o' time tryin' t' find something: f'r me t' do. 1 HITTING THE POLITICAL PIPE I I A FF.W STRAY BITS OF GOSSIP A FEW STRAY BITS OF GOSSIP I HAVE TO DO WITH RUNNING Senator Elmer J. Burkett is a candi date for re-election, therefore it is only meet and proper that he should answer a few questions that are of interest to the organized workers. The organized workers of Nebraska are well aware of the fact that Senator Burkett used his influence to secure , the lucrative ap pointment of collector of revenue for the most radical opponent of unionism engaged in the newspaper business in . Nebraska. Senator Burkett did this in the face of strenuous protest and with a full knowledge of all the facts. But other things have happened since then, and Senator Burkett should not at tempt to dodge when directly' ques tioned. Recently an effort was made to ex empt trades unions from prosecution under the Sherman anti-trust act. , The house of representatives voted to ex empt them, but the senate revolted and finally forced the house to recede. The only prosecutions under the Sherman anti-trust act have been of trades un ions. - SENATOR BURKETT, HOW DID YOU V-OTE ON THAT QUESTION ?. Senator Burkett, dare you make at list of the labor bills, voted on in the senate during the last session, showing at the same time your vote on each one of them ? . A few weeks ago you made a speech in Lincoln in -which you referred to "my judge," meaning Judge Munger of this city. - Are you satisfied in your own mind that the injunction issued by "my judge" in the ease of the strik ing Havelock boilermakers was based on justice and right? . DON'T TRY TO DODGE THIS QUESTION, SENATOR BURKETT ! This little newspaper don't give a rap how you stand on the question of county option, Senator Burkett. You can dodge -and trim on that as you have A on numerous other . questions but you can not dodge your record on the labor . question, - Political parties are necessary, but partisanship is to be deplored. The man who is wedded to party can not be as good a citizen as he should be. And if there are - places of trust and authority that should be wholly free from partisan politics, the bench and the public schools are to be. thus enum erated. With all due respect to other candidates for the position of state superintendent of public instruction, The Wageworker has no hesitation in stating its belief that J. W. Crabtree, candidate for the republican nomina tion, is the best fitted man for the place. Mr. Crabtree is a republican, but he , is not a partisan. . It was because he refused to make the Peru Normal a cog in the republican machine that he was officially scalped by a bitterly partisan board of education. He is admittedly in the foremost ranks of the educators of the country v He has a thorough knowledge of the needs of the public school system, and he has advanced ideas on, certain matters that square with the ideas of the wage earn ers of the country. The editor of this little paper rejoices in a personal ac quaintance of many years with Mr. Crabtree. He knows something of Mr. Crabtree 's work as an educator, and a lot about Mr. Crabtree 's position on certain questions that are of interest to the organized workers of the coun try. And because of what he knows about Mr. Crabtree the editor of The Wageworker hopes to see him secure the republican nomination. If he suc ceeds in this it will be the great plea sure of the The Wageworker, to con tribute its little mite towards the elec tion of this good man. . Upon his campaign card Chester II. Aldrich, who is seeking the republican nomination for governor, announces that he is in favor of ' ' compulsory arbi tration of the disputes between -labor and capital." This, of course, infers a permanent arbitration board. And it naturally follows that the same malign influences that control the courts will seize control of the compulsory arbi trationboards. Organized . labor does not need to be warned against the dan gers of compulsory arbitration as ad vocated by Mr.. Aldrich. It would be all right to provide for arbitration upon the request of either party to a dis pute, allowing the interested parties to select between them the board of ar CONCERNING MATTERS THAT I CONCERNING MATTERS THAT THE CITY, COUNTY AND STATE I bitration, and then provide for full pub lication of the findings, leaving the set tlement of the points at issue to public opinion. But a compulsory arbitration board let organized labor beware of the Greeks bearing gifts! The candidates ." nominated at the primaries on the 16th of this month should be preparing to answer a series of questions that 'will be propounded by the Nebraska Federation of Labor. These questions are designed to put candidates on record on questions that are of vital interest to the wage earners of the state, and they relate to matters . that the voters have every right to be in formed upon. The candidate who dod ges will be pilloried. . O, but the Lancaster legislative cam paign is going to be dull and uninter esting Joe Burns is not in the race. , Burton A. George is a candidate for the legislature that is, he is asking for the republican nomination. For information concerning Mr. George the wage earners of the county are res pectfully referred to the officers of the Lincoln Printing Pressmen and Assist ants ' Union. ; - . For the information of candidates we stop the press long enough to say that the print shops that could legitimately use the label of the Allied Printing Trades two years ago can not all use it now. Several candidates have al ready learned this fact to their finan cial regret. . ' . ' , William R. Patrick has withdrawn as a candidate for the gubernatorial nom- v ination. His letter of withdrawal is a splendid rule by which may be mea sured to some extent the collosal egot ism of the man. Every time Patrick . sits dowji. , to. . his typewriting , machine to indite a letter he mutilates the cap "I'.' key beyond all recognition. A greater warrior than Napoleon or Cesar, a greater statesman than Wehster or Jefferson, a greater lawyer than Mar shall or Choate, the wonder is that William R. Patrick should be the only one who knows it. How happy the average man would be if he could be as sure of any one thing as Patrick is of everything. , , Richard L. Metcalfe, candidate for the democratic senatorial nomination, is an honorary member of Lincoln Typographical Union No." 209. He be lieves in the universal eight-hour day. He favors industrial insurance, rigid enforcement of the alien contract laws and the exemption of labor unions from prosecution under the Sherman anti trust law. He believes in tariff re form to the end that labor be not bur dened in order ,to feed fat the greedy trusts. He favors that cardinal prin ciple of trades unionism, the initiative and referendum. He favors the elec tion of United States senators by direct vote. He believes that an association of individuals may legally do what any single individual may legally do, and is unalterably opposed to government by injunction as practiced these days in labor disputes. A vote for Metcalfe is a vote for a tried and true friend of the wage earning class. The Chester H. Aldrich who is ask ing for the , republican gubernatorial nomination on a county option plat form is the same Chester H. Aldrich who defeated county option while a senator in the legislative session of 1907. Apropos of nothing in particular, the United States census reveals the inter esting fact that wages in prohibition Kansas are lower than in any other state in the middle western group. - "How easy it would be," murmured an Omaha man the other day, "to put a pistol to Tom Dennison's head and blow out Chief Donahue's brains." Mr. Hitchcock, who aspires to be United States senator, was a member of the Douglas delegation to the Grand ' Island convention. The Douglas dele gation unanimously . denounced the . "daylight saloon" law and refused to endorse the administration of Gover nor ShaUenberger. What's the answer? V V