The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 28, 1909 Page: 1 of 8
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<?£T YOEff? "iD." COPY IN EARLY FOR THE SPECIAL LABOR DAY ISSUE
THE OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE F. E. C. U. OF A OF OKLAHOMA
X L
Endorsed by the
OKLAHOMA CITY BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL
Endorsed by the
OKLAHOMA STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
Endorsed by the Oklahoma City
CENTRAL TRADES AND LABOR ASSEMB '
]
VOL i>
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. SATURDAY, AUCi 1ST 2ii. 11109.
NO.
I r
Local Unions Must Affiliate
Such is the ruling of Executive
Committee of A. F. I.
Washington, i). C., July 10.—Here-
after all unions affiliated with the
American Federation must afflate
with the section to which it proper-
ly belongs, also with the Central La-
bor Council and the State Federation
of Labor or give us its charter.
Such l.i the ruling the Executive
Committee of the American Fodera
tion of Labor, carrying out the in-
structions given them by the Denver
convention of the Amejjcan Federa-
tion of Lafcor.
Since the above law was passed
last November by the national con-
vention of the A. F. of I,, a few unions
have refused to affiiate with their lo-
cal central bodies and State Federa-
tion. This has resulted in a number
of serious jurisdictional disputes. The
unions outsSde of the central body
have no way of meeting the represen-
tatives of other unions. The result has
been a general lack of understanding
and resulting friction.
Commenting -on the decision of the
Executive Committee of the A. F. of
L, Frank Morrison made the follow-
ing statement:
"In many instances the local unions
have the Idea that their representa-
tion ill the central bodleR and state
federations is entirely optional with
them, and a failure of a number of
locals to be represented is due to this
impression.
"At the Denver convention of the
American Federation of Labor a res-
olutiou was ^introduced offering an
amendment to the constitution of the
American Federation of Labor requir-
ing the executive officers of all na-
tional and international unions to no-
tify their local unions that they must
affiate with the state federations
and central bodies.
"At the last meeting of the execu-
tive council the instructions of the
convention upon this resolution were"
taken un<\er consideration and I was
directed to communicate with the of-
ficers of th ■ national and international
unions, in line with the recommenda-
tion of the convention."
BOARD OF EDUCATION
PREITRS TO EMPLOY
Give Him Another Chanc
Ten thousand scabs wanted by the
Oklahoma City Board of Education,
and particularly those who ar© not
resident of the state or city and who
send their money outside of the city
will be given the preference. Apply
for further information to the presi-
dent, or either of the following mem
mer*.
P. S.—The board wishes one or two
more good scab contractors, who will
alto apply to the officers of the board
or the building committee. Password
(By the Hev. Charles Stelzle.)
We know that ne doesn't deserve
it—we've all been there ourselves.
That's why we know Just how low-
down mean a thing it is that he's
done. Hut, strange to say. the exper-
ience doesn't seem to give us very
much sympathy for the other felow.
True, the meanness in ourselves may
not have shown itself in precisely the
same way that it cropped out in the
other chap: but it's the same brand of
meanness, having its origin in the
ranks of labor given so much promin-
ence—but Hobbs is labor's real friend.
Governor Charles N. Haskell is to
speak at Bartlesville on the.morning
of the 6th, Labor Day. and at Okla-
homa City at 7 in the evening." He'll
have to hustle—but Charlie's a hustler
p.nd will bo at both cities 011 Labor
Day. A man who has signed more la-
bor laws in the same length of time
than all the governors in the whole
world eould make a dozen labor
speeches in one day if necessary.
Win. Prahl, a brick layer and an all
around good union man, wants the
"brickies" to line up with the state
federation. He's like Charlie Found,
of Guthrie, he can't see the if-a son
why not.
is.. A. BoweriiUiU.-ex-president of tin*
state federation, is still in the labor
movement. Bowerman is one of those
fellows who says, "If I cannot rule,
I'll not try to ruin."
PRINTER' NOTES.
Wanted—Cheap ticket to Amorilla,
Texas—must be unlimited.—Lester
Dak >r.
The scale committee is drafting
a new scale to be presented next Jan-
uary.
.1. T. Van Huuten has resigned his
situation on the head cases at the
Oklahoman and has accepted a place
with tli0 T. J. job rooms.
FEDERATION NOTES.
Thomas Bayless, the popular organ-
izer for the Painters, Decorators and
I'aperhangers of America, has gone to
.Muskogee 10 visit and mingle with
the boys there for a day or two. Mr.
Bayless expects to be called to New
Orleans before long to settle some dif-
t't rences thar exist there between the
painters and the employers.
The hod carriers and building labor-
ers, about 75 Htrong, have lined up
with the American Federation of La-
bor and will soon be seen in the Build-
ing Trades Council, Central Trades
and Labor Council, and the state fed-
erf tion of labor. This is one of the
best locals of its kind in Oklahoma
and their aiUhatien w4«b ihe different
building trades means much added
>[length to the cause.
William Land, of .Mangum, is in
\lius organizing a Federal Labor Un-
ion. Land is the boy that the con-
tractors of Mangum tried to put out of
Miriness because he persisted in the
organization of a union there when
they protested. Land is a hustler, and
will organize sevefal other unions in
the western part of the state before
he quit.
After Labor Day it is intended that
i< concerted effort will be? made not
only to organize new locals in every
town and city in the state, but to
get thos'j already organized to affil-
iate with the state federation.
The iaborers at Lehigh have receiv-
ed an increase in wages. Charles L.
Daugherty, commissioner of labor, has
just returned from a three days' stay
at Lehigh and made arrangements Christi, Texas.
with the city council to pay $2.00 pei
day for common labor, instead of $1.40 J. li. Wrench lias withdrawn his
and $I.G0, and $3.50 instead of $2.SO card and is "thumping the keyboard"
for teams. This is a great victory fot i:i Indiana.
the day laborers and shows that Mr.
Daugherty is a friend of the man who
vorks.
Reports from Enid show that the
movement there is in fine shape.
Chickasha will have every local
Hi in number—affiliated with the state
federation before the next annual con
v en tion.
Lawton is getting in ftlic shape, and
will be in good condition from a la-
1 or standpoint before the netx con-
v ention.
El Reno is getting busy and .1. S.
Campbel and Guy Spenny are doing
their best to make their city tlie best
in labor matters.
Shawnee has taken on neM life
and from reports will be in shape to
take care of the next convention. They
want it. S3 does Muskogee.
Clint Tullis, of the Shawnee Typos.
and a delegate to the Tulsa conven-
tion. has not grown an inch since the
convention—he's four feet, two inches
high—a midget.
On Labor Day Mont R. Powell is
to tell El Reno laboring men what it
is to be a union man. Mont will at
least entertain his audience and im-
press it witli his sincerity. Mon'r an
entertaining speaker.
S. F. Murphy, that old war liorsc of
tin.' labor movement, is to speak at
Woodward 011 Labor Day. Murphy
will make good and Woodward will bt
pleased to have been honored with
such a speaker. He's a real union
1m.11.
Robt. W. Hobbs, that long, tal edi-
tor of the Oklahoma Daily News, who
was one of the principal speakers at
the Tulsa convention, is to deliver an
address on Labor Day at Oklahoma
City. Not often is a man outside of the
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
SCAB" will admit you to all their 18ame st™uk ol eussedness which
meetings. Headquarters, India Tem- 1^" through the human
pie. I race.
_ 1 .lust how often and how much we
should forgive is a question which has
+ + puzzled many a philosopher, and a
+ good many more self-appointed judg
S. M. ARMOUR,
E. M. DUNCAN,
J. S. HARBOUR,
W. H. HAMPTON,
(REV.) T. H. HARPER,
E. 1. LEACH,
W. A. LYBRAND.
S. J. MERRILL,
GEORGE STEARLY,
W. R. SWARTOUT
If the Board of Education had used
1 a little common horse se;.se and not so
much prejudice, the work on the new-
high school building would now be in
i progress by the better class of me-
! ehanics and those who live in Okla-
homa City, spend their money here
! and contribute to the general pros-
1 pcrlty of the community.
Suppose Campbell and O'Keffe can-
not find enough half-way competent
. meohnntes to handle the job? What
<lo you suppose they will do? Why,
they will just import a bunch of
i strikebreakers and thugs if necessary
| to do the work, and let citizens of this | mining, or railway business have a.I-1 Kitted by all, no matter what their
shall be compelled to face when all
things will be made plain that's a
matter between ourselves and God-
what 1 want to thnik about for my-
self and what every one of us should
think about is the question as to how
much we are ready, in view or our
own shortcomings, to forgive iu others.
One day Peter—big-hearted, stumbl-
ing, impetuous disciple that he was—
asked Jesus how often he should for
give sin in others, and, as If to mak.-
the number large, he attempted to
answer his own question by asking
further: "Seven tinn's?"
"No. not seven times," replied Jesus,
"but seventy times seven," meaning, of
course, that there should be no limit
to the number of times that forgive
ness should be granted.
Now, here's the point—if Christ who
much more should we who are full of
sin be ready to pardon our fellow
sinners.
Next time that you are tempted to
pitch into soine other man for a pe
en liar sin or shortcoming, ask your
self if It isn't true that you are down
on that sin because it has shown its
head so often in your own life, and If
you've conquered it, be glad— and
help the other man to conquer it.
Give him another chance—remember-
ing that if you had been thrown down
and out for good and all when you fell
short, you'd be a long way from your
ideal, which seems so near. It may not
bo much of an ideal. No doubt you
should have aimed higher, because
it didn't cost you much of a struggle
to reach it. but who knows how hard
the other sinner has fought to win out.
and how through tears and heart-ache
lie actually conquered where you, put
to the same test, would have miser-
ably failed.
es. There are plenty of men who
would enjoy serving in the capacity
of the Lord's hig executioners—they
hate the sinner so much! Hut the
Lord doesn't hate the sinner—He hates
sin. These would-be executioner* have
gotten the thing twisted round. As
matter of fact, we are punished not
so much for our sin as by our sin.
Few of us need to wait until the here-
after to get's what "coming to us."—
we're getting it rifcht along, in good
big doses. Perhaps the devil thinks
that he'll miss out 011 gitting some of
us in the end, so he's giving us here
and now some of the punishment that
we deserve. According to the rules
but if necessary, they will import ar.; of the game, most of us deserve all
much labor as they need and plentj that we are getting and a whole lot
of good skilled mechanics right here more, and its altogether likely that
to do the work. Why? Because the! in the gr -at tribunal we'll find that no
home labor wants to put the price on guilty man will escape- excepting a
i s labor just the same as a merchant the Judge deals with us in mercy,
nam os the price for what the mechanic But we won't discuss the em barr as
blW8- ] sing question what; we, ourselves.
Business men should organize; they
need organization; and we are not op-
posed to legitimate organization, but
THE BISBEE TRAGEDY.
city, and competent mechanics too, go
to thunder, because the other fellow
is willing to work for what they—
1 Campbell and O'Keffe see fit to hand
i them. Who suffers? The business
men, of course, for these strikebreak-
I ers and scabs send their money out
of the city to be spent, whereas If the
! board of education had used just a
little pinch of sense, the money would
have been given to home labor, to
j real citizens of Oklahoma City. Mr.
Business Man. if you had known that
this money you voted for education
so foany btisiness mPTf dMiVwailt us to tragedy enacted in the Review blaine the church-as being re*pon«t
organize. Why? Just common, every- w'"cp, yesterday, is one of the most hie and hold it up to scorn,
day prejudice. Some one higher up—| deplorable Incidents iu the history of But it is unfortunate that the unfair
the big fish in the manufacturing, ^r'zona and one that is deeply re- man, men liking in principle, do too
often uphold labor to scorn unjustly
And what labor protects against, most
seriously, is the attempt to judge the
labor movement by any ether stand-
ard than that used in judging all oth-
er human institutions.
V. Van Tilburg has left the ciyt and
is now operating a Merg. in Corpus
J. M. Wallls formerly employed on
the Oklahoman has branched out in
the real estate business.
Marion Tyler says h lias the b3Sl
"organized labor" ball team in the city
but so for his challange for a game
Labor Day has not been accepted.
Joseph Rogers is the new chairman
at the Times office.
A. F. Sykes for several weeks em-
ployed in the Oklahoman ad room, hap,
returned to Louisiana.
vised th ni to oppose labor orginlza- ^ffllstions may be or in what rol • they
tion. And some of them do it. Who Iillv i,la>'lnK ln life's greatest drama
benefits you most, Mr. Business Man \ ^ "bout warning and while eugog?d
—your customers or the nianufaotiir- af- their regular vocations the lives of
e.' or railway magnate? Wlio con- two were suddenly taken by
sum.}.! most, Mr. Business Man—one I shot8 "red from a pistol held in the
contractor or fifty of his mechanics? 'ian,'s of a maniac.
Which mechanic is the more valuable The members of the printers' union
as a customer—th • two dollar man or while censured In some quarters, can-
the filer dollar man? ] not justly be held responsible for the
Who "gets the grapes" out of tills awful work of this mad man. True
high-school building—the working j there was a strike on, and true again,
men or some one else? ' Asa Hoy had been the principle ob-
;iust think this matter over, and j ject of contention; but this circunt-
j was going to be sent out of town to j then decido one thing and that is this I stance simply furnished a pretext
I be spent, would not you ha?e hesitated J —is our board of education working I shattered the frail thread supporting
to vote for the high school bonds? O, to the advantage of Oklahoma City's reason, and the shots were fired.
1 they say the reason Campbell & | business men or some one else. This
! O Keffe got the job was that they board jo f education is incompetent,
were home contractors. But do they (and should be repudiated by the busi
hire home labor? Yes, just a little j ness men of Oklahoma City.
week, we would not for a moment
SENSATIONAL CHARGES SUBSTANTIATED
It would be just as fair equally as
reasonable to hold the church, the
religion of Jeans Christ, and the Great
Redeemer responsible for the oft-re-
peated bloody work of the religious
fanatic, as to hold union labor respon-
sible for the tragedy of Friday morn
log in Bisbee. No set of men in th"
AU REVOIR, PRINTER MEN.
The delegates to the International
Typographical union convention will
close their work today and leave for
their homes. St. Joseph has been glad
to have them here and it regrets that
its visitors are so soon to leave.
The sessions of this convention
have brought to light to every man not
a member of the craft who has attend
ed one of them. First, it lias been a
convention of strong, able men. Not
a single state in the union can pro-
duce a legislature composed of such
uniformly strong, high grade men as
compose the body just now closing its
deliberations. If more legislatures
were of as high grade as this conven-
l tion, the country would have better
Hungarian Claims He Was Ported to
Work Schoenville Steel Plant.
COVE^NMENT PROBF. ON.
Intimated That Suits Will Be File:'
Against Officials of the Company.
overtime money, and when he replied
affirmatively, he was taken to the
kitchen of the commissary of the car
plant and told the work there. Fried-
man said he refused.
the
W. Markwell is now foreman at
Peerless Press.
After doing so, he stated, .is was
roughly handled by the workmen
| guards, who took him before company
officials, who said they would compel
Pittsburg, Aug. 28—The first tcsti- ; him to work in the kitchen. This
mony offered in the federal govern- j they succeeded in doing.
ment investigation into the charges | Tomorrow the investigation will be
of peonage against officials of the | continued.
Pressed Steel Car company in Schoen- j United States District Attorney
world more keenly regret this incident! laws.
than do the union printers, of not only J In procedur
Bisbee, but the entire country. Con-
ducting campaigns for a betterment
of its members, covering years of per-
sistency and the expenditure of mlt.
lions In money, never never in the
history of the Typographical union
has a tragedy been accredited to the
organization, numbering thousands
and thousands of men, working in
every town and city of importance in I justly, offer to pit
the United States. And it would be against the constituent
convention has
proved itself composed of able parliu
mentarians. li has been most digni-
fied and orderly—more so than He-
ave rage commercial body or state leg-
islature. The delegates are not only
fine, able-looking men, but their work
on the floor proves that the ability
goes with the good looks. Indeed
President Lynch might, and not un
members
President
(I. R. Holden cf the Peerless Press
Is away 011 his vacation.
State Labor Commissioner Daugli
erty was down from the eapitol Tues-
day.
Messers Rhea and Woodland are
new members in the city, coming here
from Ardmore vitli the Union Advo-
cate.
Some new arrivals:—E. W. Cowen,
R. W. Redding, E. Breikman, Fred
Harr, W. L. Garner, Chas. Heflin,
Marion Brown. V. S. Purdy, H. Men-
denhall, H. Nesbitt, K. R. Johnson, R.
M. Hampton. G. W. McDfll, F. E.
Thomas, W. F. Trotter.
Carter—What makes it so hot in
the Oklahoman ad room?
Zeller—Joe King has thprickley'
heat.
ville, where 3,fi00 employes are 011
strike, in which it is alleged force
was used to compel imported laborers
to work, developed late today.
Alexander Fiiedman, a Hungarian
of New York, was the witness who
made the sensational charges of the
day. He said he was brought here
fifteen days ago with 100 other men
from New York.
He said the workmen were given to
understand there was no strik" at the
works of the Pressed Steel Car com-
pany. lie said he was in the plant
•several cays before lie learn ;d cf th
strike.
Guarded by Strong Men.
Jordan refused to comment on today's
disclosures, but it is now said by
those in a position to know, that suit
011 peonage charges will more than
likely be filed against minor offi-
cials of the ear plant within the next
ten days.
Organized labor Is not surprised at
anything capital will resort to in or-
jcier to gain its ends. Just anything,
I' ven slavery, if necessary, to defeat
| labor organization. It's a repetition
lot the Homestead murders perpetrat-
, '-d by Andrew Carnegie, who is now
losing the "coin" stoler. from honest
labor by force to erect "Carnegie
coarse injustice ut this time to stig- Ritter of the American Newspaper
matize a body of intelligent, peace-! Publishers' association, with every ay-
loving men by besmearing them with surance of winning tin* beauty j>riz<
blood drawn by the hand of a drink-1 The convention ends with St. Jo-
crazed man who happened to hold a seph's respect for the craft it repre-
membershlp card in the organization, | sents highly increased. These men
and was one of a small party of print ' ave proved themselves fjine, abb-
ers who happened to have trouble with | ypes of American citizenship, and St.
their employer. j Joseph gives them all a hearty hand-
The Silver Belt does not wish to be shak • of farewell and good wishes
considered as making an argument in 1 with sincere regret that every one of
extenuation. It wishes to be under-! them cannot stay and become
stood as believing In the absolute in-1 inanent resident of this city.
a per-
nocense of the printers' union as it
pertains to this case; and is contend-
ing purely for right and justice—The
Silver Belt, Globe, Ariz.
The Labor Advocate is in thorough
accord with the sentiments expressed
i i the alrove editorial in the Daily Sil-
ver Belt of Globe, Ariz. But it is too
Friedman alleged that the car cum- j braries" through America and Europe, often that the unfair man makes
pany picked out the strongest look-
ing Imported workmen and made
guards of them. He testified that
these guards handled the men !n a
rough manner.
Friedman stated that he was asked
if he did not want to make some
as monuments fo his-Carnegie's—1 0f a subterfuge to bring about scorn
m'morv- and misrepresentation of the union
Will laboring peopia soon learn to movement. As a matter of fact, if
organize and protect their own inter- some man or woman should become
rsts? Or wili they continue to wor- crazed over religion, run every body
ship false heroes as they have done j out of church and take possession, (as
In the past? We'll wait rind see. [was done in El Heno, Oklo., the past
if you cannot stay now 'come again
and come soon."—St. Joseph Gazette.
The Hodcarriers have formed a new
organization to affiiate with the Build-
ing Trades Council. Tills is a wise
mov • on the part of the boys as the
protection and affiliation will be the
A. F. of L. will greatly strengthen
their organization.
Labor Day committee work is pro-
gressing iiii great shape—ami most
all arrangements are complete for the
largest and grandest parade over held
if the west.
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The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 28, 1909, newspaper, August 28, 1909; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc106843/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.