The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 37, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 5, 1910 Page: 1 of 8
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The Individual or Parly thai Tampers with the Constitution Wilt Meet Certain Defeat at the Hands gf the People this FaU
THE OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
I DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE F. E. C U. OF A. OF OKLAHOMA
>
I
I11
l
■I
Endorsed by the
HOMA CTTY BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL
Endorsed by tb«
OKLAHOMA STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
Endorsed by the Oklahoma City
CENTRAL TRADES AND LABOR ASSEMBLY
NO. 37
OKLAHOMA (MTV, OKLAHOMA. SATURDAY, MAKCH
VOL. 2
SOLONS HEAR
BREVITY THE SOUL OF
FROM VOTERS
REPORTS SNOW
WORK STEADY
ORGANIZED TRADES DOING WELL
—FAR IN LEAD OF UN
ORGANIZED.
Reports from a number of the larger
towns in Oklahoma show that employ
inent has been as steady during the
winter months as could have heen ex-
pected. Union men are enjoying good
conditions In gome sections Ihe un-
organized workers, for the most part
unskilled laborers, are In poor shape,
with low wages and long hours. The
reports follow:
Ardmore—1). N. Ferguson: Nearly
all union men are working steadily,
and securing fair wages. The unorgan-
ized workers are in bad shape, but In
a measure have profited by the pro-
tection the unions wielded in uphold- j
ing wages to some extent.
Chickasha—A. W. Bennett: Organ-
ized labor is in good shape, and stead-1
ily employed. No strikes to report, j
Carpenters have raised wages from j
10 cents to 45 cents per hour. There
is really very little unorganized labor
in this section. Painters expect to
establish an increase of from 40 to
IS cents per hour on April 1st. We
have an active union label committee.
Enid.—A. W. Hair: Owing to th,>
persistent efforts of the unions, im-
proved conditions and higher wages
have been secured for the workers in
this section. Considering the weather
conditions, employment has been fairly
steady. We boom the union labels
wherever we can.
Lawton—W. M. l.ane: In nearly all
branches of industry *e tind the or-
ganized workers taking the lead in
securing improved conditions and bet-
ter wages. We expect to secure higher
wages this spring. During the winter
there was not much activity in some
industries owing to the severe season.
Some of the merchants here are put-
ting in full stock of union-made goods,
ihitchers, blacksmiths, laundry work-
ers, hotel and restaurant employes,
clerks and lathers are organizing.
Lehigh—C. E. Connally: Union men
aro enjoying good conditions-: and
steady employment. Special session
of legislature Is now in session. The
legislative committee of the State Fed-
eration of Labor is on the ground and
closely watching the interests of organ-
ized labor. „
McAlester. -D. S. O'Leary: Organ-
ized trades have fair conditions, al-
though employment is dull in most in-
dustries. Unorganized workers are in
poor shape, with low wages and ten-
hour day. Good demand for all union
labels. ... ,
Sapulpa.—W. H. Johnson: We have
the following industries organized:
Carpenters, machinists, boilermakers,
WORK STARTED ON
FEDERAL BUILDING
BUSINESS AGENT MOORE AND
POSTMASTER BROWN THROW
FIRST DIRT.
Work oil the new postoffice building
was started Monday at the corner of
Third and Robinson streets. Post-
master Brown and W. H. Moore, busi-
ness agent of the Building Tiades,
threw the first shovelfuls of dirt. The
new building is to be of stone and
brick, three stories in height, and will
cost $300,000. The contract calls for
completion in two years. "Everything
will be satisfactory as far as we are
t oncerned," declared Mr. Mooie, and
no hitch in the work now started is
expected."
carmen, painters, printers, hodcarriera
and building laborers, brick masons,
stone-masons, federal labor union and
musicians. All organised trades are
doing well and are far in the lead of
the unorganized workers as regards
conditions. The union men have good
wages and eight-hour day. Organized
labor is in demand. A mechanic with-
out a union card does not have much
chance here. We have the commission
' form of government; also have clause
in charter providing for the inspection
i of all sewers, gas and plumbing, the
right of recall, and limit of franchise
| to twenty-five years. Plumbers arc
i organizing.
Shawnee—M. 11. Akin: Employment
has been as steady as could be ex
pected during the w;inter months. Car-
penters have made demand for in-
crease of 45 cents per hour and will
receive it without trouble. Organized
labor is making steady progress. A
recent injuctlon case at Chickasha
was decided in favor of the union.
Tulsa.- Ira Brooks: The union men j
are far in advance of the unorganized |
and throughout their persistent efforts |
(Copyright. 1909)
uicRtcfpeNrto
ICE CHOP
ro* i 9IO
prices to
regain up.
ice""trust
have obtained increased wages and ,
shorter workday. The unions con-
stantly urge all members to purchase
union labeled goods.
CALL AND SEE THEM.
The Saratoga Billiard Parlor at 21
South Broadway has lately been pur-
chased by Messrs. H. €. Tate and B.
M. Sananes, and is under the manage-
ment of Mr. Sananes, an excellent
gentleman and good fellow. The latch-
string is always on the outside for
the organized lalbor boys and they, as
well as all others, will be accorded
the best of treatment. Mr. Tate, it
will be remembered, has been in the
employ of the Labor Unit for several
months as advertising solicitor and
we can conscientiously recommend
him as an honest and faithful expert
in his line. While Mr. Tate will not
devote any of Ills time to the new bus-
iness. the fact that he is a partner, is
an assurance of its success.
TAXES INCREASED 50 PER CENT
In speaking of the commission form
of government, W. E. Bryan, chief
clerk In the labor commissioner's of-
fice, said at the meeting of the Cen-
tral Labor Union last Sunday: "I
hope the people of Kansas City will
not make the same mistake we did In
Wichita; we elected our most promin-
ent citizens as commissioners, but
found we made a mistake by doing so.
They can't afford to spend their time,
at the snuall salary ipaid, and the re-
sult Is that the affairs of the city suf-
TELEGRAMS POURING IN FROM
ALL CORNERS OF THE STATE
..... j with a view to defeating what is
fer. My advice would be to elect I Claimed to be an attempt on the part
men who cau afford to devote their | of the railroads to get -
. ...V. .. ...Ill ,>. t I • li irli lh lAViullltlirH
men wno can anoru iu uw>u«= im m*- w * - resolution
time to the office, men who will put through the legislature looking to a
• i. i. .I,,,., i,u,kin,, utter the compromise on Section nine of Article
in their entire time looking; afte. the ^ ^ (.OI19tltlltl(H1 prcvent.
affairs of the ut>. and t ||ng domestic corporations from uniting
get the best results. Mr. Bryan also , w((|l foreign corporations, thereby
called attention to the fact that taxes tl||,|nB control of domestic corpora-
had been increased nearly fifty per tioiifci from the state, letters and tele-
cent in Wichita since the adoption of grams from every nook and corner of
the commission form of government, Oklahoma are being sent to senators
so those who are expecting a reduc- and representatives. These letters and
tton hi tax* a may find themselves sad telegrams, it is understood, condemn
f'vKWuWJSy
Th, ire Trust Promises to Make a Reputation as a Great Comedian.
The Union's Plea
FAVORS NEW
LABOR PARTY
Union Labor ia here to stay because
1 it is necessary—not for the working
1 people alone, but for the whole of
I humanity. There never has been a
i time when there was not some form
of labor unions—-there never will be.
But to the history of mail there has
not been a time when unions of labor
were so necessary to the welfare of
everyone as today. It is the obstacle
standing firmly in the way of organ-
ized greed. Remove it, and the time
will be short when real oppression
would be felt. Revolutions would fol-
low. Bread riots of the old country
would pale into insignificance com-
MATTER BEING DISCUSSED ALL
OVER THE UNITED STATES.
pared with the trouble we would have
in America.
Destroy the labor unions and in
less than three months wages would
b< reduced one-fourtli, and in six
months one-half. Merchants would
close their doors, those who do not
deal in tlio actual necessities of life.
Wealth would be concentrated in the
hands of a few and real slavery would
result—then revolutions, anarchy.
Perhaps some day the whole peo-
ple will appreciate organized labor at
in full worth, od speed tho day
when all of its members do so.—Ex-
change.
1; disappointed.— Kansas City (Kail.)
Record.
There is a man named Peter Gross-
cup. a United States judge at Cbica
go. who is a disgrace to the bench
and a disgrace to the judicial ermine.
H he is clean in any way, jiroven facts
I don't disclose it. He is an Ashland,
fOhio, product mentally wi ll equipped
I but morally close to the degenerate
class, his position and opportunity in
I life considered. He's a convicted
home wrecker, he's a petty railroad-
I pass grafter, he's a demagogue and
I at the same time a willing servant of
I all corporate interests as instanced by
i his reversal of Judge Landls' decision
j fining the Standard Oil company $29.-
I 000,000. Yet this incarnated moral
| perversion sits on a United States
j court bench to disgrace It and bring
j reproach and suspicion upon It. Me-
; dina (Ohio) Republican.
Value of Strikes
JUT SO; WE KNEW IT.
"The union labor leader is brachio-
cephalic. The Socialist is dolichoce-
phalic," said Professor R. F. Hoxie,
>f the University of Chicago at a re-
cent meeting of the Single Tax Club
of that city. Whereupon everybody
sat upright and gasped and some rub-
bed their eyes and others cried: "Say
it in English!" "Let's have that
again!" The professor stopped and
mopped his brow and smiled as tho'
he was 'pleased that it was out of liis
system. Then he proceeded to ex-
plain that he meant that a Socialist's
skull formation is that of an imprac-
tical idealist. "The business type of
union labor leaders invariably becomes
a true conservative," he added. "The
weight of responsibility does this.
Agreements between capitalists and
unions are long and minute docu-
ments. The conditions of his success
separate the successful leader from
his following. There never has been
an efficient leader who was not
charged with apostacy by tile mem-
bers of his union." There were some
present who did not agree with the
professor's bumpologles, but they
were glad to know that he wasn't
calling them names In some foreign
t >ngue.
The Central Federated Union of
New York has again gone on record
favor of ail independent labor |
party.
In adopting a resolution denouncing
the decision in the Danbury Hatters'j
case, an amendment was adopted call- i
ing on President Gompers to urge the ]
holding of a conference of all interna-!
tional presidents for the purpose of j
launching an independent labor party.!
Organized labor leaders ill Okla-
homa are also planning a coup on fac- j
tions favoring amendments to the con-
stitution that, if deemed necessary,;
will result in the launching of a labor j
ticket in the next state election.
J. Luther Langston, secretary-treas-1
urer of the State Federation of Labor,
was in Guthrie Sunday in conference j
with democrats who want organized
labor to compromise in its light
against the proposed railway amend-
ments to the constitution.
Present at the conference were C.
C. Zeiglcr, president of the State Fed-
eration of Labor; George McConnell
and Lee Payne, members of the legis-
lative committee of the State Federa-
tion of Labor, and other prominent or-
ganized labor men.
Both langston and Zeigler decline
to discuss what happened at the con- j
ference, but they refuse to deny that.
it was held.
It is understood from sources that
are 'believed to be reliable, however,
that prominent members of the Farm-
ers Union are ready to line up with
trades unions, pledging their support
to a labor ticket, in the event that it
is deemed advisable to put one in the
field, with a view to keeping that part
of the constitution relative to corpora-
tions intact.
Examine the average union man as j
closely as you please, and you will
find him a desirable citizen. You will |
not find his clothing secreting dyna-
mite or his heart harboring hatred ex-
cept toward injustice.
He is not constantly hair-triggered
for trouble. He does not keep his
senses sensitized for an excuse to
strike.
No one deplores the calling of a
strike more deeply than the earnest,
inttflligent union man, and he repre-
sents the average. He knows what
It means to himself and his own, to
his fellows and their families.
There are those who would give the
impression that the strike is an un-
mitigated crime. Strikes are based
on sound principles of politics and
philosophy. They are as necessary in
a democracy as political campaigns
cr discussions of philosophy,
"Strikes," said John Stuart Mill,
• and the trade societies which ren-
der strikes possible, are not a mis-
chievous. but on the contrary, a valu-
able part of the existing maenraery
; of society."
FAVORS IDEA
SAYS HE CAN SEE NEED OF
CHANGE AS WELL AS A WISE
MAN.
any effort or attempt on the part of
the legislature to permit any compro-
mise which will necessitate the chang-
ing iu any way of article nine of the
constitution.
Local unions are also passing resolu-
tions, the tenor of which are in line
with the following resolutions, adopted
by the carpenters' union of tills city
Monday evening:
"Whereas, realizing that their for-
mer attempt to annul article nine of
the stntc constitution has been fore
stalled, the railway interests, backed
by Wall street, are again trying to
initiate an amendment to said article,
under the guise of a compromise, at
the special session of the legislature;
and,
"Whereas, any amendment to article
nine that would be acceptable to the
corporations would not be iu the in-
terests of Oklahoma or her people, but
would render tile corporation commis-
sion powerless to Intercede ill the in-
terest of the shippers in the matter of
freight rates, and the general public in
the matter of passenger rates; and,
"Whereas, the fellow-servant provi-
sions of the constitution would be
practically annulled; therefore be It.
"Resolved, That we the officers and
members of Local 276, Carpenters and
Joiners of Oklahoma City, do now go
on record against any further tamper
ing with article nine, and do protest
against the legislature adopting any
compromise measures by resolution or
otherwise; and.
"Resolved further, That we earnestly
support the State Federation in this
light to the last ditch."
The resolutions were signed by J. S
Earlywine and Frank Davis, legisla-
tive commltte; B. S. Sheldon, secre
tary; Dan Beeler, president of the
local. A copy of the resolutions wen-
sent to Oklahoma county senators and
representatives.
00.000 ro
CEASE WORK
RIGHT YOU ARE.
Organized labor cannot afford to
stand for crime. It should use every
effort to purge itself of the criminal
element by aiding the authorities In
bringing evil-doers to the bar of jus-
tice. If the strikers arrested in Bal-
timore, charged with attempt to dyna-
mite railroad property, are guilty,
they should receive not only the full
extent of the law, but the loathing
contempt of every trade unionist.—
Worcester (Mass.) Labor News.
No one knows anything of ti.,- fierce nature oi the animal" that
No one who knows anything of the fierce nature ot the animals that
infest the constitution of Oklahoma can wonder at the senate s snivel
of goose flesh lest Arizona and New Mexico should set up a conr,
tional "zoological garden" of that description. . ,
Mr. Aldrich and the senate committee on territories are deter
mined if possible, to avoid the fate of those forty-two ,had little cni
tlren of Bethel, who mocked the Prophet Elisha, and were mangled b>
the she-bears that came out of the wood. i„
That is whv they insist that the territories shall not be set up in
business until after the teeth and claws of their constitutions shall
have been properly filed and manicured by the bald heads of the upper
house.
These beastly fundamental laws of Oklahoma go roaring through
the parks of corporate privilege. They are fed daily on the Meet n*
limbs of lobbyists, bosses and dummy directors, and their appetite is
said to be insatiable.
They are catalogued by faunal naturalists as follows:
Laws establishing the Initiative and Referendum—two noisome
beasts that feed on tainted franchises.
Laws establishing the right of the state to engage in .m> public
business that will pay the public.
Laws guaranteeing a trial by jury in contempt cas«*s.
Laws requiring the complete publicity of all corporation accounts
Laws prohibiting campaign contributions from corporations
Laws against watering stocks.
Laws that treat railroads as public highways.
And a lot or others—as fierce and freaky as these.
It is not surprising that the stand-patters of the senate should re-
fuse to patter up'the dark stair of unchartered statehood where a
bear is so liable to follow one.—Ixis Angeles Examiner
Writing to the Unit from Norman,
I Okla., W. H. Summers, secretary of
j Carpenters' Union No. 10(10, of that
' city, expresses his views ill regard to
a new alignment for the laboring men
of Oklahoma. His letter is as fol-
lows:
"Editor Labor Unit—1 am a reader
and well-wisher of your paper, and a
! union man, every inch of me. I am
i greatly Interested in the formation of
| a labor party. I think it is just what
'ought to happen. Just so long as we
divide our votes between the two old
parties just so long will labor fail to
get anywhere. But if we consolidate
upon laboring men and elect them to
the important offices then we can 1 M|DNIGHT FRIDAY MARKS TIME
begin to expect results Hut just so AT WHICH GREAT WALKOUT
long as you vote a republican ticket, OCCURS.
i me a democrat ticket, and the other
Philadelphia March .i.-A universal
date and support our own men for! strike of union workers and their
office then the old parties will begin ■ sympathizers, tobegin "rnld;ll^7a
. . . day, was proclaimed by trie l entrai
'£'£? S^rZrJsx! sr. wwaa
r^sr.wrbaftrAtns
szwirs.-x saw* sat,.
along comes some federal judge favorable to a ' f™L„ a!d
and declares It unconstitutional, and grams were roadI from the Chicago.and
then we are just like we were when San Francisco l-ederatlons of Labor,
„ utnrted all to do over again 1 with 250,000 and 175,000 members, re
am in favor of putting up a full labor i spectlvely, pledging their moral and
ticket and making a fight for It from \ llnanclal support.
top to bottom."
laws
do.
PARTY PAPER PASSING.
No one can read a stack of news-
paper exchanges every week and not
realize two things: The newspaper is
improving in character, and that the
party newspaper is passing. People
don't want to tie themselves to po-
litical parties and do not want parti-
san papers The thinking people are
Interested in electing holiest, capable
men to office, and the independent j
paper is gaining everywhere. K. C.
Pointers
IT DON'T PROHIBIT.
Prohibition is a failure iu Oklahoma.
We make this statement in spite of
the fact that we are opposed to alco-
holism. It Is our honest conviction
that there are more drunkards to the
square inch in this state than there
are in such wide open booze towns
as St. Ixitils or Milwaukee. The whis-
key and beer peddled out by bootleg-
gers would give delirium tremens to a
wooden Indian, burn holes through a
copper kettle; and make the bite of a
rattlesnake preferable to the cure.
* Some sections of our state show
hut few signs of civilization outside of
the dead soldiers scattered along the
highways and byways We doubt if
la fellow could travel one hundred yards
on any section line without finding at
least a dozen empty booze bottles. The
price paid for a pint of rot-gut. In this
state would buy a quart of champagne
! in the east. About every third fellow
j we meet smells like he had a distil
I lery concealed in his Interior. All
this in a sfate where only a few years
ago, in a fit of righteous Indignation,
we poured thousands of gallons ol beer
In the gutters. * * ' Prohibition
mav prohibit in some states, but ll
don't iu Oklahoma. If anybody should
ask ns for a definition of prohibition
we would say: "A state of assumed
dryness where the largest amount of
the worst kind of booze Is sold Jit the
' highest price."—Oklahoma Pioneer
UNIONS ASK CHECK
ON JUDGE'S TONGUE.
Host on, Feb. 28.—Angered by state-
ments made by Justice W. C. Walte,
of the superior court, that unionism,
iw checking apprenticeship in Massa-
etts was responsible for much of
law breaking of the state, the
Boston Central Labor Union has de-
manded of Governor Draper a curb
on the offending jurist's tongue. At
Its meeting the union passed a reso-
lution of protest which w-as today
transmitted to the state house
chus
the
RESULTS OF ELECTION.
j The auditors and tellers of District
! 21, II. M. VV. of A. have completed
jlhe count ol' the votes ill the second
i election and announce the naming of
ihe following officers:
Fdward Cunningham, vice presi
dent, Bridgeport, Texas.
Jack Winters, national board mem
. lier, Montana, Ark.
' James Mullen, district board mem
lier. Midland, Ark.
John Fitzpatrlck, C. .) Action and
' Alex Mount, auditors and tellers.
TRACING THE POSTAL DEFICIT, j CAN GET IT IF HE WANTS IT.
More than one hundred thousand ] Organized labor does not ask you
copies of Speaker Cannon's Kansas I to leave the dealer who suits you, but
City speech, in which lie denounced j to demand that if he desires to suit
tin Insurgents
which lie denounced to uemann inai n uk
are being sent out 1 you he order the label on his stock of
from Washington untie r the congres
sional franking privilege. And yet con-
gress affects to wonder at the annual
deficit In the postoffice department.—
Kansas City Star.
Look for the Green Button
goods that he shows you. He can get
I it on anything in the line of wearing
j apparel If he wants it. Any manufac-
j i urer can secure it by making his
I workshop fair.
Look for the Green Button
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Wilson, Ollie S. The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 37, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 5, 1910, newspaper, March 5, 1910; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc106869/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.