Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 9, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 8, 1908 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 22 x 15 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
•* jx ,
" ' ' ' " ' ' " "
A Clean
Conservative
Independent
Non-Partisan
Newspaper for
the Homes
OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
"ALL IN ONE; ONE IN ALL"
THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION: LIFE. LIBERTY. THE ENJOYMENT OF THE GAINS OF OUR OWN INDUSTRY
Our Police-
Honest £
Legitima!
Busines
Method &
Every D
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE OKLAHOMA STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
O
r
VOL. I.
OKLAHOMA CITY. OKLAHOMA. SATURDAY. AUGUST 8. 1908.
NO. 9.
• M. TULL
LOSES $155.00
IY REFUSING THE CONTRACT
OF AN UNFAIR
FIRM
MPLOYS FAIR LABOR
ND WINS THE HEARTS OF 5,780
UNION MEN BECAUSE HE BE-
LIEVES IN EQUAL CONDI-
TIONS.
TtLEGRAIMIERS STRIKE
"WHEN WILL THE TELEGRAPH-
ERS STRIKE AGAIN?"
Read Carefully the Reply to This Ques-
tion Frequently Asked by Commer-
cial Telegraphers and Others.
ORGANIZED LABOR AND INJUNCTION ISSUE PEN GOV.
"The way of the unfair firm is in-
>ed hard." and a friend of organized
bor shows his hand.
"Colonel F. M. Tun." who Is building
ie "House of Folly," a new vaude-
lle theater on West Grand avenue,
licited Lids for the electrical work
:i the building from a number of firms
the city. The bid • of Arnold &
retherbee was $155 lower than thnt
! the Dunbar Electrical company,
ho were the lowest bidders except
mold & Wetherbee. Colonel TuH
as on the point of accepting the bid
f Arnold & Wetherbee, when he
During the past few months a great
many commercial telegraphers and
others have asked. "When will the
Telegraphers strike again?" The an-
swer to this is, "When they are forced
to do so, in order to support demands
properly made to their employers, and
not before." Hefore we talk strike, we
should talk of the demands, or re-
quests, if you please, that we may find
j it necessary of make to our employers.
A strike is not a subject for light
I consideration. It is the labor union's
' court of last resort. To attempt to se-
| cure better conditions does not mean
to strike, nor will there be a strike
j of the Commercial Telegraphers' Un-
I ion of America, except as a last resort
after a secret vote by the members
directly interested; and not then un-
less your president finds no othpr re-
course available.
This does not imply that our organi-
zation has ceased to be a fighting body,
or that our purpose has been changed
J. T. HIGHLY.
Police Judge of C. lahoma City.
The man who by judging both sides, has exemplified the workings of
union lal> r_
•ained that they were an unfair
rm. He gave Arnold & Wetherbee
lie glat-.-y stare and passed the plum
3 th«j ih.nbar Electrical company,
ot became If 'Mr. Tul1.) is a mem-
;• of nr.:ani//'il i?bor, for he is not,
ut because he be.ieves in living
• ages, equitable hours and fair con-
itions, and because he thinks more
f humantanian principles than he
oes of a few paltry dollars.
If there is anything in the world
hat does good to the heart of a
nion man it is to make life miser-
ble for the enemy as the enemy
/ould make it for the union man if he
ould. But while they are striving
ith every breath to defeat the enemy
hey do net by an\ means forget their
rleoda, ftjMI the friends that DO
'HINGS are the men we fight for
nd give our support.
Colonel Tull lost $155 because he
elieved in fair conditions for his fel-
owmen—he has won the hearts ol
,780 union men of Ok'ahoma City,
nd he did it without the suspicion
hat his actions would be advertised.
Such r en this are worthy the
upport of organized labor, and they
;ct it.
one iota. It is merely a plain state-
ment of the fact that our business is
not to foster strikes but to secure
higher wages, shorter hours and im-
proved working conditions for Com-
mercial Telegraphers, with the other
purposes set forth in the preamble of
our Constitution.
! The question is not "When are we
go'ng to strike." but "When will we
b° readv tp start negotiations for bet-
ter conditions?" Now is the time to
think this over.
| With a return of business to a nor-
mal condition, we should be prepared
to present our claims, taking advant-
age of the flow of the tide. If we do
this, the ebb will find us "high and
' dry." We can not only regain our lost
' ground, but make rapid strides to bet-
terment. \Vre can, if we will make the
C. T. U. A. a good investment to the
employee and a good thing for the em-
ployer as well.
The first step in this direction is to
reorganize our forces, line up our fel-
low telegraphers, prepare to work in
unison with a good representation of
msmbers and in a business-like way.
It is not too early to begin today.
S. J. KONENKAMP,
Presid?nt.
THE ESSENCE OF LABOR'S CONTENTION ON THE INJUNC-
JUNCTION ABUSE
Published by Authority of the Executive Board of the A. F. of L.
The crass ignorance of corporation lawyers and a hostile press
is so rampant on the position and attitude of Labor upon the abuse
of the injunction process that we deem it a public service as plainly
and concisely as possible to submit Labor's attitude and contention.
It will be seen that Labor neither questions the integrity of nor
desires to "shackle" the courts; that it stands for and insists upon
absolute equality before the law-—nothing more, nothing less. We
believe we have the right to demand that the press, however hostile,
shall not wilfully misrepresent or misinterpret Labor's position. We
ask a careful consideration of Labor's contention upon this all-im-
portant question of our time, and we challenge a discussion of the
points here submitted. Labor insists that:
The writ of injunction was intended to be exercised lor the pro-
tection of property rights only. ,
He who seeks its aid must come into court with clean hands.
There must be no other adequate remedy at law.
It must never be used to curtail personal rights.
It must not be used ever in an effort to punish crime.
It must not be used as a means to set aside trial by jury.
Injunctions as issued against workmen are never used or issued
against any other citizens of our country.
It is an attempt to deprive citizens of our country, when these
citizens are workmen, of the right of trial by jury.
It is an effort to fasten an offense on them when they are inno-
cent of any unlawful or illegal act.
It is an indirect assertion of a property right in men when these
men are workmen engaged in a lawful effort to protect or advance
their natural rights asd interests.
Injunctions as issued in trade disputes are to make outlaws o<
men when they are not even charged with doing things in violation
of any law of state or nation.
We protest against the discrimination of the courts against the
laboring men of our country, which deprives them of their constitu-
tional guarantee of equality before the law.
The injunctions which the courts issue against Labor are sup-
posed by them to be good enough law today, when there exists a
dispute between workmen and their employers; but it is'not good
law—in fact, is not law at all—tomorrow or next day, when no such
dispute exists.
The issuance of injunctions in labor disputes is not based upon
law, but as a species of judicial legislation, judicial usurpation, in
the interests of the money power against workmen innocent of an
unlawful or criminal act. The doing of the lawful acts enjoined by
the courts renders the workmen guilty of contempt of court, and
punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both.
Labor protests against the issuance of injunctions in disputes
between workmen and employers, when no such injunctions would
be issued when no such dispute exists. Such injunctions have no
warrant in law and are the result of judicial usurpation and judicial
legislation rather than of Congressional legislation.
In all things in which workmen are enjoined by the process of
an injunction during labor disputes, if those acts are criminal or un-
lawful, there is now ample law and remedy covering them. Prom
the logic of this there is no escape.
No act is a crime unless there is a law designating it and spec-
ifying it to. be a crime.
No act is unlawful unless there be a law on the statute books
designating and specifying it to be unlawful; hence it follows that:
No act is criminal or unlawful unless there is a law prohibiting
its commission ; and it further follows that:
An injunction never was intended to apply and never should be
applied, and. in fact, never is applied, in cases other than disputes
which arise between workmen and their employers.
It is-agreed by all—friends and opponents alike, that the in-
junction process, beneficent in its inception and general practice,
(Continued on Page 8)
MISS DUNN LEADS—LABOR DAY
COMMITTEE OUTLINES WORK
OF SUBCOMMITTEES-
GROUNDS NOT CHOSEN
.j..;..;.
STANDING OF I ABOR DAY
QUEEN CONTESTANTS.
Miss Eva Dunn
Miss Bessie Moberley
Miss Lillie Walter .
.1,144
581
577
HASKELL
BACKPEDALS
BACKS UP ON UNION LABEL
CLAUSE REGARDING TEXT
BOOKS
WAIVES LABtL CLAUSE
❖ •> * •> ❖ ❖ •> •> •> •> •> ❖ •> •> •> •:«
The great Labor Day Queen contest
is now in full progress with three of
the prettiest girls in town in the race
and the Typographical Union's nomi-
nee in the lead.
The vote as shown above shows Miss
Dunn, who is the nominee of the Ty-
pographical Union No. 283 of Oklaho-
ma City, to lack but a few votes of
equalling the total vote cast up to the
present for both Miss Mobley, nominee
of the Garment Workers and en-
dorsed by the Gas-Fltters, and Miss
Walter, the nominee of the Painters.
Wearing Out the Seat of His Pants
Backsliding—Pressure of the Syn-
dicate Men Too Strong for the
Smooth-handed Governor
After telling organized labor, with a
clear eye, that, he was "with them,"
Governor Haskell has turned his back
and is now facing the book trusts and
lias thrown down union labor with a
vengeance. Anybody who knows the
measures necessary for book publish-
ers to take in order to procure the
union label of the Typographical union
will condemn Governor Haskell for
this action, and it will take lots of the
governor's smooth talk to convince
organized labor that he is their friend,
"The public be damned! I'm not
•unning this road for the benefit of Hodcarriers of San Juan. Porto
he public. I'm running it for my own Rico, have formed a union. Railroad
jenefit."—Cornelius Vanderbilt of the workers and street car employes also
slew York .entral Railway. i have unions under way
—
TO THE MERCHANTS
A SOUVENIR LABOR DAY EDITION of the Oklahoma Labor Unit will
be issued September 5, 1908, to our regular subscribers and several thousand
copies delivered to participants in the Labor Day Celebration.
The Official Labor Day Program of the Central Council will be con-
tracted to the highest bidder, who will solicit for its pages as agent of the
Central Council, thereby giving the merchants choice of two advertising
mediums.
The effectivenes of this Souvenir Edition as an advertising medium can-
not be overestimated. Call 'phone 978 and we will send one of our advertising
men to see you.
LABOR UNIT PUBLISHING COMPANY.
J. S. ERLEWINE ELECTED
In reducing the amount of matter in
our convention write-up last week the
paragraph relating to the election of
J. S. Erlewine was unintentionally cut
out. It read as follows:
"In the place of G. E. Warren. J. S.
Erlewine of Oklahoma City Carpen-
ters' local No. 276, was elected as the
third member of the Legislative Com-
mittee. Mr. Erlewine has many quali-
fications for this position that justifies
the forecast that he will do some ef-
fective work on this committee for or-
ganized labor of Oklahoma."
The absence of this paragraph was
very unfortunate indeed, for aside
from the wise choice the fact that Mr.
Erlewine is from Oklahoma City, and
not from Enid, as the daily papers
stated, is evidence that the State Fed-
Re-elected member of the Legislative , eration recognizes the importance of
Committee of the Oklahoma State the labor movement in the metropolis
Federation of Labor. ' of the state.
PETE HENRYETTY
"Little Pete."
JAMES A. MARKWELL.
"Honest Jim."
Democratic nominee for representative at large from Oklahoma County.
The winner.
It is said that the Typos have been
receiving money from typographical
locals throughout the state which will
be voted within the next week or two,
which will throw the toal vote of Miss
Dunn into five figures and the first
one will be a five.
The Painters have something up
their sleeves in the way of a "Flush
Fund" but are not saying much, ex-
pecting to spring a surprise, while the
silence of the Garment Workers and
the (las-fitters are making both the
Typographical Union and the Painters
uneasy. The Printers want to put on
their new uniforms and parade with a
band and take up a collection but the
Labor Day Committee will probably
bar such a demonstration, as the chair-
man is a painter.
The regular meeting of the Labor
Day committee, held on Tuesday night
August 4th, was taken up mostly by
outlining the work of the different
committees and the reports of the
grounds committee and amusement
committee.
The meeting was called to order at
8:15 p. m. by Chairman Walter. All
credentials received at the two former
meetings and at the present meeting
were read and uassed upon and the
delegates seated, the only new dele-
gate be'ug brother R. V. Annentraut
of the (Jas-fltters. H. J. Miller of the
Harbers and L. C. Huey of the Cigar-
makers were seated temporarily with-
(Cont-nued on Pag** 2i
or, in fact, has ever been their real
friend.
The following dispatch from Guthrie
is self-explanatory:
Guthrie, Okla., Aug. 6—(Mail spe-
cial)—Governor Haskell this afternoon
ended the anxiety of the representa-
tives of book publishing houses, who
were awarded contracts by the state
text book commission several days
ago. The thorn that struck in the
bookmen's side was the declaration of
the governor that the contracts must
contain a provision insuring the use
of union labor. Some of the men hold-
ing contracts were distraut, as it is
impossible to produce many German,
Latin and French books through or-
ganized labor. Those who held such
agreements were fully prepared to
consider the contracts worthless, but
the governor consented to a walvure of
the union labor clause for one year, af-
ter which it will finally be decided on
by the commission.
The commission concluded its work
this afternoon, transacting routine
business during the early morning ses-
sion. It will be convened only at the
call of the governor, its chairman.
STOPS UNFAIR ADVERTISEMENTS.
A Virginia court has decided that
"no employer or contractor has any
legal right to advertise for workiug-
men during a strike and attracting
them to a city by misrepresentation
of facts."
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 9, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 8, 1908, newspaper, August 8, 1908; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc106669/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.