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
