IHE WAGEWORKER.
Entered as second-class matter April 21.' 1904, at
th posto&ceat Lincoln. Neb., under the Act of
Coocress of Match 3rd, 1879.
THE NEED OF UNIONISM.
WitHaut Organization the Workers'
Case Is Hopeless.
Many years ago, before the era of
concentration, when master and man
were on familiar speaking terms,
there was some semblance of justice
in the dealings between the individual
and the employer. Even then, through
the greed of human nature, there were
those employers who never gave any
man what be did not force them to
yield. In the time of which we speak
there was no female or child competi
tion In the trades. The factory sys
tem was yet in its infancy. Then
came the high, tide of immigration,
which was brought about by a desire
for cheaper labor and the allurements
held out by the steamship companies.
The colleges were busy teaching the
exploitation of labor, and a generation
of vipers in the shape of graduates
was turned loose to theorize how to
keep down expense of production and
economize in cost of raw material.
Flesh and blood were counted of less
consideration then in the dealings be
tween the individual and the cost of a
finished product.
Then the immigrant, through painful
experience, got wise. The American
workmen had formed trade unions for
their protection, and many of the new
comers had known of them in Europe,
although they were crude as compared
with the present conservative status.
These trade unions were only formed
as a means of self preservation, and if
they were not in existence today the
lot of all workers would be hopeless.
The European gradually refused to be
further made use of. with the excep
tion of the most illiterate races, who
flocked to the coal regions and to the
New England textile mills.
The manufacturers next turned to
female labor, which they used as a
club or lever to reduce male wages.
As the factories grew under a benefi
cent protection the standard of age
was lessened until the familiar sight
of the child carrying the dinner pail
was reversed and the parent then did
the lugging.
From this condition the trade union
ists are striving to deliver the nation.
You who never aligned yourself on the
side of what you know in your heart
is the only remedy at hand should
give earnest thought as to whether
you are getting the best there is in life
for a worker. We would ask you in
a serious, unimpassioned manner when
you are informed that you are free
and Independent how much that counts
for. Go single handed to a corpor
ation or a large employer of labor
or even an individual and demand
what you may think is just If there
is another free and independent in
reach will you get justice?
solicitous in protecting the rights of
property than in protecting the rights
of the individual. said Mr. Hadley.
"I have never recognized any depart
ment of our government as immune
from criticism, and certainly the exec
utive department has not been.
"I do not see why the judiciary
should not have the correctness of its
reasoning subjected to criticism. This
should be done for the protection of
just judges as against unjust judges,
whose decisions are not based upon
good reasoning or good faith with pub
lic morals. We have been too tender,
too solicitious, in our criticism of the
judiciary, but the judge should not be
criticised while a case is under advise
ment "Legislation and court made law
both are only the expression of the
people of the time, and a decision
which may be just at one time may
be quite impossible at a later date."
v t
T
$ DUTY OF UNIONISTS. J)
t
One of the most important du-
ties devolving upon men and
4 women who join a trade union
is too frequently neglected at-
tendance at their union meet- 4.
ings. This is a serious matter.
more so than appears at first
$ glance.
Only by intelligent support can fr
4. an organization assume a po-
sition its due. This is not given
4, when to a minroity is intrusted
the plenary power of acting and
4, speaking for alL
Union meetings need the at-
4 tendance of the rank and file.
The business considered is se-
rious. . It deals with the welfare
of the home and the most vital
relations of the employee and 41
the employer. Collective bar- J
gaining should represent a real
5 majority. Attend all union
meetings. 41
CRITICISM OF COURTS.
Governor Hadley of Missouri Declares
It Perfectly Proper.
Governor Hadley in his address be
fore the American Federation of Labor
convention at St Louis declared it
perfectly proper to criticise a court
after a decision had been rendered.
Judges Jn general have leoii more
Gompers Welcomes Negroes.
President Gompers. denying the state
ment that he was onDosed to nejrroes
in trade unions, said: "There are about j
S.000,000 negroes, and I not only havej
not the power to put the negroes outj
of the labor movement, but I would
not even if I did have the power. Why
should I do such a thing? I would
have nothing to gain, but the move
ment would have much to lose. Un
der our policies and principles we seek
to build up the labor movement in
stead of injuring it and we want all
the negroes we can possibly get who
will join hands with organized labor.
German Labor Legislation.
"Germany has passed labor legisla
tion. said Dr. Albert Sudekum, a
member of the German reichstag,
"prohibiting women working from 8
in the evening to 6 in the morning:
providing a ten hour day limit and an
hour for lunch: giving women but
eight hours' labor a day before a na
tional holiday. Recent laws insure
against sickness, accidents in facto
ries, old age and inability. Next will
come insurance for every widow and
orphan in the empire.
Elevator Men Win.
Elevator constructors in the employ
of the Otis Elevator company in all its
principal plants throughout the coun
try, numbering upward of 3,000 men.
who have been on strike have effected
a yettlemeut with the company. The
iiMvuauies will receive $3.20 a day and
win work forty-four hours a week
He'pors will receive $3.40 a day. The
union is given the fullest recognition
in every city where factories of the
company are located.
LMCOLBI
C MM KITCHEN
Makers of Fine Candies
MAKE all our own Candies
under the most sanitary con
ditions and in absolute compli
ance with the pure food laws of
state and nation. Our Fancy Cand
ies packed in handsome and un
ique boxes, have no superior, either
in quality or in looks.
Christaias Sweets
We are prepared to furnish ev
erything in the line of, Christmas
Candies and Confections. Every
thing fresh, for we make our cand
ies every day.
The Finest Ice Cream Cafe
in the West
We are prepared to supply you
with the VERY BEST in our lines,
and solicit a share of you Christ
mas trade.
Lincoln Candy Kitchen
1545-1547 0 STREET
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