The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 17, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 30, 1911 Page: 4 of 8
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—
OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
A clean, conservative. independent,
non-partlHHii n«?wK|.a|«r for
the home
Publifihed every Sat unlay by the
tAOOR UNIT PUBLISHING CO.. (Inc.)
601 2 3 State National Bank Bldg.
Phone Walnut 3114-J.
H. M. CASLER
Editor and Manager.
<Addies all communications to The
Oklahoma Labor Unit.)
THE OBSERVER
(By Ollle s Wilson.)
"The Militia of Christ."
What is It?
Dumfino.
Methinks, however, that instead of
| thin question, which was asked in a
communication* Intended for pub-1
niile « f rertain political paper last week, puz
Mention Hh- u'd i e written
the paj'er, Od should inv
rompanuMl oy the nana* and a
the writer, not necessarily for publication
but for the editor'# information and an
• truurant*j of g<K>d faith.
Hubncriborn will confer u great favor
If the> w'U promptly notify the hu*lne*H
off lie of my failure or irregularity In the
delivery of their paper.
Entered at the Oklahoma City. Okla-
homa, poetofllce a* second class mall,
under the act of March 3, 1879.
iu HSCMUPTION (payable In advance )
One year $1.00
tUx months 60
Three montha 26
Regular contract and flat rates for
vertlalng on application.
id-
t lie
puzzle is to the mind of the one man
who wrote the article (and he doesn*
live in Tulsa, either), as how best to
discredit, dishonor and stigmatize a
few men In the labor movement in
Oklahoma who will not walk up and
eat out of his hand every time he has
j a case of belly-ache.
The writer's name was mentioned
in the article in this certain political
1 paper, which comes out occasionally,
therefore I feel that It is my right to
I use a few inches of space in The
Labor Unit in defense.
An old saying is to tin* effect that
'The truth hurts no man, but a lie
•loes."
In the first place, 1 do not belong
to any secret organization within the
labor movement, 1 do not belong to
any religious denomination therefore
could not be a fanatic along religious
lines. Nor do 1 believe the labor
movement in the state of Oklahoma,
it is to snort—pretty hard to cure or jn oklahoma City, is controlled by
u well-developed case of wind colic. m) re,|(floug orKaniEatlon. nor have
The stomach In considered * man's'1. politically or religiously, been duped
boiler, but some people use it as a by any such organization
dump. In a nutshell, the article referred to,
was written for the sole purpose of
iWSM IU
kj T R ADEsi j-1 arfIjC0UNCIL ^
Whoever heard of any individual or
currying favor with a fanatical ele-
any organization duping big. brainy.
genial Tom Clark of Tulsa? A real ment In tin labor movement, in an
joke on the face of it. In the eyes of effort that the "holier-than-thou"
any union man who knows Tom. writer might reserve for himself u
seat on the topmost pinnacle, to the
A subscriber sends in this query , ,
"Was Madeline Force d to marry when exclusion of a,I others who mi*I t
the Colonel Ast er?" Call the the office, disagree with his juinping-Jack poll
dear subscriber, and get your reward, cies and theories, regardless of the
We have the axe behind the door. length of time the} have been in the
, labor (not political) movement, and
If some one will give the "Tulsa of the good things they may have
Comrade" a crown so large that it helped to accomplish.
would htde the ears of an ass, he \ in a word the writer of the tirade is
would probably be satisfied. Union la either a liar or a damphool, and I be-
bor hasn't gone Into the crowning lleve that either assertion will apply,
business yet, however. « • •
' It has always been my impression
At WaycrosB, Qa., the wages of ma tt,at w{tb half the muscular effort ex
chinlitB, boilermakers and black j„ the cotton patch that some
smiths have been increased 214 cents people waste in working their jaw-
an hour. Sheet metal workers, copper bones overtime, in an attempt to dis
smiths and molders have received in credit others, the world In general,
crease of 2 cents an hour. ami [he labor movement In particular,
would he much better off und more
The fellow who thinks he can fool m00(i would be accomplished. And
union labor by Implication, and by when a political party attempts to gain
blackmailing methods, had better at } control of the labor movement, as
tacb to his head a ten-liorse power seiling as a pretext that a religious
poultice and see if he cannot draw i\ denomination now controls its poll-
few brains into that resounding hoi cries and destines, it Is high time for
iow. i the men whose hearts are solely in
S the movement for better conditions.
When the "Tulsa comrade" tires of an(j who have no time to preach eltli
stirring up dissatisfaction in the la er religion or politics from the housi-
bor movement, when he ceases his to,)8i to r|se up on their hind legs and
periodical joke column in the "Onco smite these traducers, bfelly-achers and
Ina-While," he can probably turn to scandal mongers hip and thigh. I, for
his cyclopedia of misinformation and ; one am going to express my senti-
calmly diagnose the disease of tlit- ments in the future, and a spade w ill
body politic and steer It clear of the be called a spade, insofar as 1 am able
funeral director.
THE FEDERATION ON FREE SPEECH
S. long us the officiate of the State Fed-
eration of l.uii- r unci their Volet: and pen
in l>ehalf of the pi-litical parties which
have pn*luced an<l maintained the depior
able < < mllit< im under which labor 1* htruK
Hling;
S<. I« nn aa they boosted a (>uc«, will
ing to 4 .ill out the mill tit to nhoot down
the workers, or a Torn IliKhly, who car-
ries a unh n card to get the v<>t«s of
*\orkinKiiH'ti whom he aiterward.s insults
So Iouk aa the) Hhouted for the < andi
• laten v !.< sc < :tni|>ai|;ti expenses were paid
l > their enemies. the « apliallsts. the
.Vlllitiu of « hrint," hh it ib called by a
TuI.-h comrade, and which dominated tin
hartU-n\iile convention, had no w« nl to
ay against. the officials "f that organisa-
tion participatinK in politlca in any man
ner they chose.
Hut now it is different. The moat bril-
liant and influential officer of that or
Kanigatioii. Hecretar> I Luther Langaton,
has openlj expressed himself in favor of
a party wlticli believes In the workers get
ting the full amount they produce, ami |
acquiring full control of their own employ-
ment so that the> may fix their own hours J
and conditions of labor, and abolish un- '
employment and imverty.
The Militia of Christ," deeming this ,
ANTAUONIHTK' to the interest of labor,
concluded that his mouth must be closed,
and so itiissed a resolution permitting him
to speak onl> when the Executive hoard,
controlled by this 'Militia of Christ," shall I
give him a permit.
It Is to snort!
What great thing for the emancipation
or the benefit of labor Is thi* Militia of
Christ'' aiming to do that they should
dominate the councils of organised labor?
They Mood for Lee rruce, ami Mayor'
ilrant, and Tom Hlghley. What have
these nun d<ue for organised labor that
they should have been supported'.'
Thest "Militiamen of Christ" are oppos-
ed to workingmen getting all they earn.
The\ are opposed to workingmen run-
ning the government, or owning the In-
dustries, or voting any ticket except one
supported and financed by their enemies.
This action of the State Federation was
warml\ commended editorially by the
l>ally Oklahoman, and if the I.oh Angeles
Times had known of it, it would undoubt-
edly have given it a still warmer endorse-
ment.
For did not Samuel (Jumpers, President
of the Federation of Labor, speak ojunly
and above hoard, and in defiance of this
Militia of Christ, in favor of the elec-
tion of the entire Socialist ticket in that
city?
Should not Samuel iSompers' mouth be
closed? oklahoma Pioneer.
"The longest way 'round Is the
quickest way in" seems to be the idea
of the writer of the above editorial
which appeared in the Oklahotnu Pio-
neer of last week, but the labor union
1st a of Oklahoma will not be fooled by
a far-fetched tirade in order to cause
a split in the State Federation, and
make it appear that some individual
has been romped upon because of his
political affiliations.
The sole idea of the editorial, in its
attack upon the Federation, is because
of the law passed at the last conven-
tion prohibiting its salaried officers
from devoting their time to the in-
terest of office seekers or political
parties.
Oh! you lover of labor! How shock-
ing!
Isn't it entirely too bad that the
labor unions do not consult some polit-
ical party before It does anything for
its own benefit?
Isn't it disgraceful to think that
labor doesn't permit the Socialist
party and the Pioneer to run its own
affairs?
The Unit believes the State Federa-
tion of Labor has a perfect right to
pass such laws as it sees fit, and that
too, without your permission, Mi.
Pioneer, and Mr. Socialist party.
The law passed at the Bartlesville
convention applied to the salaried offi-
cers of the Federation and the legisla-
tive committee and not a single one
has let up a squawk save your own
"brilliant and influential officer," J.
Luther Langston.
And it might be well to suggest that
It has been a long and well establish-
ed custom that whenever a position
did not suit the employe he had the
Electric Power Saves
Money in Ventilating
Schools
For supplying fresh air to school buildings, theaters,
public halls and stores, central station electric power
performs valuable work at small cost.
Frederocl J. Sperry, Superintendent of Public Schools
at Mankato, Minnesota, made thorough tests of the
cost of ventilation in the Mankato High School.
A 5-horsepower motor driving fans saved the school board
$ 1.06 a day, and increased the ventilating efficiency 11
per cent.
The cost of ventilating with steam power [in connection
with the heating plant] was not less than $ 1.46 per day;
the cost of central station current was only 40 cents per chy.
"This means," said Superintendent Sperry, "that at less than
one third the coal cost of running the engine we are getting
a very much better service."
Superintendent Sperry will be glad to give any school board
the detailed result of his investigation.
I he subject of ventilation is important. We will send a
representative to discuss the subject at your request.
Telephone P. B. X. 14.
Oklahoma
Gas & Electric Company
,. * . . . . . ii.,„ , am not suu ine employe ue u u no
0 dl^r?'„ WhV.® 1 \V . H g I liberty to resign, and by way of in
.lose, did 1 have, it would not alter m> k«>„ob, nr the Pin
When Samuel (tampers arrived in policy as planned one iota. The time ^eJr the Balaried officers of the Fed
San Diego a member of the reception |s lu,re, in my opinion, that a man. Its Imntaves ind servants
committee took his suit case und asked to be a good union man. or an honest the Fed^ation and whenever
him if II,ore was any dynamite in it. unlon doe8 not necessarily have nf .h^Vedera Ion be
Whereupon Mr. Gompers replied: t0 be s„UBed In any particular sacred .^1 ^CfsfledwUh The aws tht
"Thorn IVnull't unv in It tha li.ut Hmo ...u .... i— u_ ♦ . COme CllSSailSIied Wim me inai
as dqes the Kirby's, Post's, Otis', et
al., but the Federation will continue
to grow, It will continue to shorten
the hours of those who toil; it will
continue to improve sanitation in
workshops; it will continue to do good
for all humanity. So continue your
fer-fetched tirades and let labor know I
exactly where you stand.
The Pioneer claims to be the work-
ingman's paper?
"It is to snort."
OH! POSH!
The Brewery Workers' Union at
Peterboro, Ontario, has been success-
ful in securing an increase in the
wage scale of $1.00 a week. It ha&
also succeeded in reducing the work
ing hours.
AN UNWARRANTED ATTACK. I
"There wasn't any in it tlie last time
1 looked in, but you know 1 Just left
Los Angeles, and there's no telling
what might be in It now."
tub or be branded between the eyes
with the branding iron of any partic-
ular political aggregation.
• • •
My advice to the "Tulsa (?) Com-
rade" as a member of*the labor move-
ment, while not interested in The
Labor Unit financially, or even a mem-
ber of the State Federation Executive
board, would be to coir.ki out openly,
and with specific charts over his
own signature, show to the labor or-
ganizations of this state in what way
the State Executive Hoard is domi-
nated by this so-called organization;
and in what way The Oklahoma Labor
j Unit has been used to the detriment
..... . of the labor movement, by boosting
A>tor and the young woman whom 8Ul)Bervient la,.keyg to thJg or all*
the millions of the old Indian trade. other organlratlon 8ecretly organized,
purchased for him, one would be led to Th,n agJln a|s0 gUow t0 [he ,*bor or.
believe that he really amounted to ganilaUomi ot thlg gtate what lr a
something, and he does He is more | re„ i(,ug Qr „ , , organiza^lon
dangerous to the mora being of the C14UC„S at th ,at ,Jartl*gviUe con^m.
country than is leprosy to the physical Uo ;,tt,mptad to galn control of the
and he should be shunned more re ,abor move'mPnl and muke lt a ta„
llgiously than is the latter. (0 own particular pet kite. If
such tactics are being used, I, for one
Mont Powell? l)o you know him?
His record in Oklahoma City and the
the state, as a union man, is an open
book. If any peculiar sect has ever
had Its foot on his neck It hasn't
been noticeable. Powell says what
he thinks on any proposition, and his
enemies can't make a monkey out of
him by simply saying in print that
he's being duped by some clique.
Judging by the amount of space de
voted to the marriage of the libertine
It is well to keep in mind this fact:
No man has a corner on wisdom.
govern them they have a perfect right
to quit.
The section in the laws that has
caused so much pent-up enthusiasm
to be turned loose upon a long suffer-
ing public, by a very few individuals,
is as follows
13. N« salaried officer < f the Fed-
eration <>f Labor shall become actively
engaged In any |M)litical campaign for
any political party, by public speeches,
letters of endorsement or otherwise, with-
out the consent <>f the executive board.
an<1 upon violation of this by-law. it shall
be the duty «>f the executive board to
remove such salaried officer as prescrib-
ed by the Constitution of the Federation
of Labor.
Union labor of Oklahoma believes
that no officer of the Federation has
the right to boost any individual into
political office, nor further the interest
of any political party, without the con-
sent of the body that placed that in-
dividual into that position of trust.
The Federation of Labor believed
it had the right to say what party and
what candidates, if any, it wanted to
support; and it so decreed.
The Federation of Labor will, in all
would like to know, and 1 am satis j probability, continue to enac^ laws, |
tied there are
„ . . . . . . — ..re thousands of others in and transact business in a manner
There is no royal road to learning, oklahoma, who desire the truth. H that **1H not meet the approval of the
said a solon of old. The ;ironoun 1 the integrity of the Federation and Pioneer, but that's the Federation's
is obsolete, and he who uses it with the clean<ut poIlcleg advocated by business.
emphasis should have a ca™. An) )abor oklahoma are to be main I Mr. Workingman, since when was
time a mart bobs up with a bit of gush ta|ne(]f then it js a necessity that the1 the Pioneer appointed the guardian of
that smathers with "I-am the-great l pestiferous coyotes, that are eilher re the State Federation of Labor?
am air, Just put him down in your i|giou9 fanaI|c8 or political cranks, Had you noticed that it has always
been the policy of the Pioneer to try
and cause strife and dissentlon In the
ranks of labor?
note book as a double-dyed, musty old be sa. .,..r]v ,n lh.
welnerwurst. Keep an eye on the fel ; U"°" tar<il> 'n ',he KaIIlf
low who punctuates every sentence. ... ...
writtn or s^joken, with that almost ob ; is high time to suggest that the
Bolete infinitesimal pronoun UV ' ao\l1>edal be 5'I>Plied to several wheezy
calliopes, and to get away from the
The Labor Unit under the editorial tileory that every fellow who does not
management of Ollie 8. Wilson, as ^ree with you is an ignorant clown,
well as under the present editor, has ^'8° il might be well to understand
always been solely for the best inter your grievances in the labor
ests of labor in Oklahoma City and movement cannot be very successfully
the state of Oklahoma We have not ( Crashed out in a political caucus or
catered to any particular political
party, nor to any so-called sect or
circle, as some dopesters would have
the public believe. While the paper
has not, at times, been up to the stand-
ard in variety of news, that even we
would desire, it has always been as
large, as well printed, and as well
edited as the patronage deserved or
would justify. For that reason the
paper has never had to advance the
made to be understood in an under-
cover article in a political newspaper.
It isn't always fair to presume that
the guy who stands pat with you and
helps make the light when you are
right, is a crook or a grafter, or a
lackey to some other, when he thinks
you are wrong and fights some
Don't you believe that it is time for
the labor movement of Oklahoma to
place its stamp of disapproval upon j
a strictly partisan organ that attempts
to dictate the policy of organized
labor?
Beware, union men, of that politi-
cal party or partisan publication that
tries to start a row in your ranks, for
they expect to reap the benefits of
such unscrupulous attacks.
The Federation of Labor has not,
in the least, attempted to curtail free (
speech, but has simply denied any sal-1
arled officer the right to use the in- ]
fluence or prestige he has attained by
damphool f2? SfflT
. * The members of the Federation elect
"Laboring men of Oklahoma, be-
money before it could be printed, and i ware of the 'wolf in sheep's clothing
It does not owe any man a dollar that for he is abroad in the land He never
it cannot pay when the bill is pre- gives his real reason for 'knifing' any
sented. The labor movement in Okla- *
horn a City has never questioned our
policy, and when it does, the manage-
ment is more than willing to rectify
any error that lt might have made
unwittingly. A self-appointed political
guardian of the labor forces will not
alter the onward course of the Unit
in what it deems to be fair, just and
right to labor.
body, for if he did his object would be, jations goi
defeated, but he resorts to slander, | Federation
blackmail, innuendo, deception and
lying to gain his ends." Well said.
"Tulsa Comrade," and I have always
observed that in each instance where
he resorts to the above tactics, he
hasn't the nerve to sign his blackmail
ing BcreedB.
(May Be Continued.)
and pay men to work in the interest j
of the labor movement; and, they
will in the future, as they have done
in the past, pass such rules and regu-
lations governing the officers of the
as seems necessary. And |
by the time the Pioneer outgrows its j
swaddling clothes it may learn that j
labor is not so easily duped as It now
seems to imagine.
The Pioneer may continue its attack
upon the Federation of Labor as does
the National Manufacturers' Associa-
tion, as does the Citizen's Alliance,!
There appeared in last week's issue
of the Oklahoma Pioneer a political
paper, an article headed "The Militia
of Christ," purporting to come from
a "Tulsa Comrade," in which the edi-
tor of the Labor Unit was attacked
and accused of being a member of the
so-called "Militia of Christ," a secret
organization to control the labor
movement in Oklahoma (as stated by
the Tulsa Comrade).
We are firmly convinced of th6 fact
that the man's name, who wrote the
article In question, does not appear at
the head of the editorial column of
the paper in which it appeared, neith-
er did the article come from a "Tulsa
Comrade." The "Tulsa Comrade"
makes assertions which he cannot
prove, and if he thought there was
any truth in the statements he makes,
he would came out in the open and
let the union men of the city and
state know who he is by signing his
name.
This 'Tulsa Comrade" says the
above named secret organization
dominated the Bartlesville convention,
when as a matter of fact level-headed
men—men who did not want to fasten
the State Federation of Labor to the
tail of his political party, dominated
the convention, and the vote on every
proposition in which politics was in-
jected will conclusively show.
The editor of the Labor Unit has
tried to make the paper a strictly
union labor paper. Neither the edi-
tor nor the stockholders have used
the paper to boost any clique or
lackeys, but have ayways stood for
honest men as officers of the Federa-
tion, and will continue to do so in the
future. However, we did not know un-
til last week that the Unit wielded so
much influence in the labor movement
in the state. We do not know the
politics of the members of the Execu-
tive Board of the Federation, save
one. As to their religious affiliations
we know absolutely nothing.
DRS. DEAN & DEAN
Dentists
513-514 State Nat'l Bunk Bldg.
Office Phone 4100. Oklahoma City.Okla.
Union. Printing Offices
ENTITLED TO THE USE OF THIS LABEL.
g TRADES Mffl COUNCILS
Fair List Allied Printing Trades Council
•5(99)
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(65)
Dally Oklahoman, 502 North Broadway.
Daily Times, 117-119 West Second.
Times-Journal Printing Co., (Job Printing) 218-220 W. Grand.
Western Newspaper Union, (Publishers) Cor. 2nd & Harvey.
Warden Printing Co., (Job Printing) 16-18 North Lee.
The Daily News, (Newspaper) 508 West Grand.
Oklahoman Job Office, (Job Printing) 16 South Robinson.
Manley Office Supply Co., (Job Printing) 20-22 So. Robinson.
Daily Pointer, ("Newspaper) 218 West Grand.
Bridgers Printing Co., (Job Printing) Basement Majestic Bldg.
Wand & Son, (Printing, Rubber Stamps, Etc.) 304% W Main.
Burnette Printing Co., (Job Printing) 10 N. Brdwy., BasemenL
Phelps Printing Co., (Job Printing) 111% W. Main.
Dunn & Sons, (Job Printing) Room 15, W. N. U. Bldg.
Baer Printing Co., (Job Printing) 200% W. Main.
Francis Typesetting Co.. (Linotype) Basement Majestic Bldg.
Farm Journal, (Newspaper) 218 W. Second.
The Peerless Press, (Job Printing) 218 W. Second
Engraving & Printing Co., (Job Printing) 1-3 W. Main
Union Printing Co., (Job Printing) 108% W. Grand
Oklahoma Daily Live Stock News, Packingtown
Pythian Times, 236 South Broadway.
McLean Printing Co., (Job Printing) Indiana Bldg
Jo Moore Ptg. House, 118 W. Second.
Western Bank Note Co., (Job Printing) 120 W. Main.
Woodcock & Hisel (Job Printing) 1127 W. Eleventh 8t
Thomas Print Shop, (Job Printing) 127% W. Grand.
Hommas & Wilson, (Job Printing) 212% W. First
The Smith Typeshop, (Linotype) W. N. U. Bldg
Walker Printing Co (Job Printing) South Robinson.
Markwell Printing Co., (Job Printing) 129% W. Main.
Printers'Publishing Co., (Publishers) Basement Majestic Bldg.
Smythe Ptg. Co., (Job Printers) 123 W. First St
Pioneer Pub. Co.. Indiana Bldg., First & Robinson.
•Offices having Linotype machines.
SOfflces having Monotype machines.
♦
Painless McArthur, Dentist
Hoars 8:30 to 6
Sunday 10 to 12
133,Vg W. Main Orer Boastn Broi. Store
Marshall-Harper Co.
Successors to J. H. Marshall Co.
Funeral Directors and Embalroers
Private Ambulance
1010 N. Broadway
Phones: Walnut 900
Walnut 123
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Casler, Howard M. The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 17, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 30, 1911, newspaper, September 30, 1911; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc107024/m1/4/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.