Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 52, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 14, 1913 Page: 2 of 4
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THE OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
k cl**n, conservative, Independent, non-
partisan newspaper for the home
Published every Saturday by the
LABOR UNIT PUBLISHING CO. (Inc.)
Stock owned exclusively by Union Men.
" Address all communications to
The Oklahoma Labor Unit
(so to it boyj
I'm behind y u
THEfiWONY DARJ
Touch
Subscriber! will confer a ureal favor If
they will promptly notify the buslnaaa
office "f any failure or IrreKularlty
in the delivery of their pnper^
Knti-red at the Oklahoma rlty. Okla-
homa. postnfflce as second 'J s"
under the act of March 8. i 7
SU BSCH1PTION
(payable In advance)
One year - - " ""
Bix montni
Regular1 contrart"and*"flui""ra)V for ad-
vertlalnK
application
State National Rank Illdff
Room 1023
\M1
: -"J
IAHU'COUNCIL
WILL THEY DO IT?
Hullil the Oklahoma state capitol «t
Oklahoma t'lty with convict labor?
}lullt) U8 much of It us the convicts are
competent to build?
Herald to the worlJ that the fourth
legislature of the State of Oklahoma,
by an amendment to the capitol bill,
made It possible to do that very thing.
Union men, all men of good sound
reasoning, doesn't it astonish you?
Doesn't it stifle you to be apprised of
the fact that In this advanced era of
modern civilization, men, yea men,
who were chosen as your servants to
represent the interests ot all the
people of this great commonwealth,
by their acts, have made is possible to
JUST loorc-
Af THOSJE
VIOLENT
tJNION
5TRI KCR-S
MPL0Y£
1
THUG
M *r>j
OBSERVER
It will be noted that The Labor
I'nit comments pretty freely in this
issue on the question of using con-
victs in the erection of the state-
house building. A suggestion in the
editorial that union labor refuse to
perform any work of any nature on
the building if convicts are employed
is something that the building trades
organizations of the state should con-
sider NOW. The capitol building, in
Observer's opinion, should either be
a monument to organized labor of the
state, the free workingmen, or it
should be a monument to scab and
convict labor. It is time to decide
now and herald the declaration
throughout the state. Let's make it
one or the other and accept no middle
ground.
the railroads. The writer watched
the antics of some of the railroad rep-
resentatives around the legislature
and he knows whereof he speaks.
CRiMlNAi.
DETECT I V£
Dii()Ui5£0 AS'SrRi K£*.S
THE MAN BEHIND THE FENCED
structlon, organized labor should never j SENATOR OWEN FOR NO. 34.
perform a single moment's labor on
the building. Never let it be said Campbell Russell's initiative peti
that organized labor assisted in build-j tion No .14, providing that ;t mu.iont>
lug n capitol for the state of Okla-1 of the voles cast upon ail) public ques-
who were being lion submitted to the people shall
^en- S determine the matter, was forwarded
lioma, where men
build the state capitol with men from i punished for crime had paid Hi i Owen at Wauh-
ally of that crime by working co-or-1 t.o Senator Robert 1.. Owen at
dlnately with organized labor. ington. I). for his signature. Sen-
And if convict labor is employed on ator Owen not only signed the petition
fourth legislature I but secured the signatures o: other
further provide, upon reconvening on representatives of Oklahoma in con-
June 23rd, for the erection upon the j gress
dome of a Uoddess of Liberty, signify- In returning the petition to btate
Ing justice to all mankind; to her, Senator Kussell. Senator Owen em-
riglit, a statute of a man in prison phatlcally toes on record favoring t.i-
garb; to th
book with v.— --
the fourth legislature inscribed ; inating the silent vote on propositions
a felon's cell?
The state capitol should In' so con-
structed that every honest, upright
« itizen could point to it with pride. | the building, let th
It. should be free from taint, from
graft and corruption, and to its occu-
pants frojn administration to admin-
istration, a thing of beauty ami a joy
forever—a monument to the state.
But this same fourth legislature,
whose unfriendly attitude toward labor
is known by every working man
throughout the state, was unable to
finish the session, after violating its
sacred pledges, both personal and par-
ty, without providing that the state
The Oklahoman and a few other
state papers are already trying to
hammer the amendment of Article 9,
Section 9, down the people's throats.
It is well that this amendment should
be given a great deal of study before
the power that now rests in the hands
of the people be turned over to three
men who make up the personnel of
the corporation commission. The sec-
tion has been voted upon several times
and has so far failed of enactment, and
the same old advocates that have al-
ways supported the amendment are
again before the people with a new
line of reasoning. It is claimed that
the people have changed their minds
regarding the proposition. Seeing i
believing. And we will believe that
the minds of the people have changed
when we are convinced by their votes.
Organized labor gets considerable
The mayor of Chicago was compli-
mented lately on a new ordinance for-
bidding chauffeurs to blow their horns
in the crowded parts of the city% This
rule of course throws upon the driver
of a car the whole onus of avoiding
contact with the foot passengers. .The
mayor says, so it is reported, that the
right of the pedestrian "is supreme.
This is a fact of American common
law which is often ignored by motor-
ing folk. Where is the foot passenger
who has not been put under a fusillade
of reproachful glances because he de-
layed the sweeping progress of a
motor car by perhaps a hair s breadth?
The automobile driver usually expects
the foot passenger to pause when the
car is half a block away and wait for
it to pass. He' rarely expects to be
himself the one to wait. The actual
practice of the law is illustrated in
the action of the policeman at the
street crossing. The supreme right
ot' the pedestrian there has its inning.
No harm in looking up the fellows
who are handling the Article 9, Sec-
tion 9, campaign, and finding out
whom they represent. Who furnishes
the money for headquarters and ex-
penses and salaries and railroad lare,
etc.? Xre they working in the inter-
est of the state or in the interest of
the railroads? No harm in investigat-
ing a little before the bait is swal-
lowed.
ago, and she must do what Colorado
did, purge her organization of all
things political before she can look i satisfaction out of the fact that after
of
atute ot a man in prison , pum n-«mj .
e left, a marble design of a . initiated measure, and his many sound battle cry.
the names of the members reasons Yor supporting the bill elim tell, betwe
. . . it. i <1... nilnnt rntu mi nrniinsit ions tliu mtna
for results by the use of a press
agent.
When the Oklahoma Development
Commission was organized the object
was supposed to be the industrial de-
velopment of the state, by the educat-
ing of and co-operation with the farm-
ers. Yet, painful as It may seem, the
speeches made at the first meeting
were confined to political questions.
Repeal Section 9 of Article 9, the
mine run law and the -.immigration
lause of the constitution was the
What connection, pray
een Section 9 of Article 9,
the mine run law, the immigration
thereon- in the front, two carved I to be passed by the people, will add I clause and the Industrial Develop
statues of workmen with dinner pails .strength to this merited legislation, j ment Commission?
in hand, their backs turned to th
et its tor question. He goes on record as being
willing to do whatever he can to see
that the initiated measure eliminating
Goddess of Liberty In the act of walk
apitol building be constructed by con-j Ing away, and oil the breasts o! ili> si
victB workmen let the inscription "l-ree
The argument has been set forth by ] l.abor be placed.
members of the legislature and oil) The mosquito is small,
ctalB of the state administration that i lure 'R severe, the chlgger is ins..
it would be economy to use convicts', nilicant, but very aggravating; the , ,
on the state house buildings. ! hedbug is a household horror; and the the silent "mb-ed upon
nut how about the law-abiding work- tlea and the ant and gnat abhorred ' e la ' ' ' i nubile
but of all things obnoxious to labor the j his trankness when discussing put lie
fourth legislature has capped the eli*i questions. There is none oi this v>ish\-
max j washy, dodge the issue, in his make-
up. The people of Oklahoma remem-
The ambition to 'hog"' all the work her how clean-cut and direct were his
and increase your pay check by over- answers to many perplexing questions
He says he can see no reason why | in the absence of proof that these
the uninterested citizen, who doesn't i laws were actually a stumbling block
have enough interest in a public ques-i jn the way of the development of the
tion to go to the polls and vote, should state, would it not have been better
have his vote counted against any | for the officers of the commission to
Senator Thomas F. McMechan assisted
in the legislature in gold-bricking labor
that he was also the victim of a nice,
little fleecing game to the amount of
$350.00 manipulated by one Thaddeus
E Robertson. The very shrewdest
are sometimes caught off their guard.
The distinguished senator is quoted
in the daily press as saying that he
would like to see Robertson in the
penitentiary because he had beaten
him out of $350.00 by false pretense.
Ouch! How it does sting when one
receives the gold brick in the solar
plexus! Our , modesty prevents
from saying where organized labor
would like to see Senator Tom.
ingmen who should have this employ-
ment ?
Is he to be deprived of this work
because he has respected the law and
lived an honorable upright life?
Would it be fair to the business men
of Oklahoma City to permit convicts
to perform the work on the capitol
and deprive them of receiving the
pro rata of business they get from the
well-paid mechanics, both skilled and
unskilled?
Would it be economy to have a con-
vict for governor?
No doubt, there are men in the pen-
itentiary who are smart enough, yet
on account of their crookedness are
in the penitentiary ; meu who are com-
petent to be governor.
Hut who among the lawyers, bank-
ers or business men would desire a
convict in the governor's chair?
Would it be economy to select from
the prisons of our state members of
the legislature, thereby saving the
state $6.00 per day?
But who among the business or pro-
fessional men of the state would not
protest most vehemently should labor
advocate such a thing?
It would deprive the class of men
that now make up the legislature of
the sacrifice and honor (?) of serving
the people, and of the $t .00 per day.
To suggest su h a plan would slur the
fair name of Oklahoma.
Yet the mere passage of a resolu-
tion permitting the use of convicts in
competition with free labor is just as
disgraceful and distasteful to labor as
it would be to place them in competi-
tion with office holders, office seekers
and politicians.
Missouri has appropriated three
million dollars for the erection of a
new state capitol building, and the
legislature is not only in favor of free
labor, but passed resolutions request-
ing that organized labor be employed
throughtout the construction of the
buildings so far as possible.
But why should we in Oklahoma feel
chagrined at anvthing a legislature „ " ...
might do. when the majority of the Since 1890 ,h<> on 43 e,as'prn
members thereof violate iheir party roads have Increased .19 per cent; dlvl-
platform as well as their personal dt,nds ,0 stockholders have increased
I IIA t A n il i .it ( ti ft* .11,, IY1 O n
attempt to develop the state's re-
sources first, and apply such a rem-
edy after ascertaining the facts. Like
a dying man grasping at a straw, the
Commission fell for the dope of the
calamity bow ler and took for granted | square
The argument is made that if
have a square corporation commission
the amendment of Article 9, Section
9, will be a benefit. And if we had
had a square legislature the women s
eight-hour bill and the workmen's com-
pensation law would have been sub-
mitted to the people at the same time
That little word "if" seems to bob up
often. Better safeguard even the
politician by allowing the
It is said that the members of the
corporation commission have always
opposed the amendment of Article 9.
Section 9, heretofore, and that now
they are for its amendment. Why
The refusal of the railroads of Okla-p
homa to grant a redaction in keeping
with that of ail other roads for trans-
porting the aged veterans to the
Gettysburg reunion, is entirely in
keeping with the spirit of railroading
in this state which has at all times
given the people the worst of it. The
railroads ar>' right now initiating a
measure asking the people to give
them more benefits, but their action in
refusing to meet the rates of other
roads will cost them thousands of
votes.—Pauls Valley Free Lance.
that these lliings were necessary to
accomplish their purpose.
We are inclined to believe that in-
stead of a press agent, a few level-
headed business men are needed.
people to retain control, especially of
It is said that one member of the
capitol commission is already explain-
ing his position of the convict propo-
sition. stating that he is against it.
but that if they are used it w ill be no
fault of his and he will be forced to
agree to it. Was this gentleman ap-
pointed with the express understand-
ing that he would "jump through the
hoop" whenever the whip was
cracked? There has been too much of
that sort of nonsense in Oklahoma
already.
Weatherford is offering IS cents per
pint for flies.
time which rightfully belongs to an propounded (in many instances by his(made up 0f that kind of stuff Vice
unemployed brother member, helps to political enemies! during his campaign
shorten the life span of many a work- for re-election to the I nited States
er, besides adding an additional bur senate. No one in his audiences could
den on your organization in the shape! misconstrue the meaning of his an-
of premature funeral benefits.
President Marshall had in him when
he so severely censured big business
a short time ago. Such men would
not play ward politics, and would soon
sw ers when he said he was unalter- j perfect an organization that would do
ably In favor of women's suffrage, the i s0 much good a press agent would
Labor Day falls on the first Monday parcels post and the rights of labor.1 not be needed.
Ill September tills year, which w ill be And at that very time every cross- j jn short, a live organization free
on the 2nd- The Trades Council has roads chamber of commerce was op- from political influences can get re-
already started preparations for a big1 posing a parcels post law. and a large, gHitS- aud after all, that is what is
celebration on that day, and every number of business and professional most needed.
union in the city, whether affiliated or men were then, and are now. opposed
not, should lend every encouragement to women's suffrage and the rights of
towards making the celebration a sue- labor. Yet Senator Owen remained
CPB8 as true as steel to the masses of the
— people, and was rewarded with one
The Illinois miners' union has adopt- of the grandest victories ever be-
ed resolutions against war, and de- stowed upon any man in the state.
clares for a general strike, if neces- The contrast is so great between
sary, to prevent w ar. There can be no Oklahoma s rt^iresentatives in Wash-
war without woPkingmen to furnish ington and the members of the fourth
the labor and the cannon fodder.
Any time that a merchant has trou-
ble in disposing of his stock of non-
labeled goods you can take it from us
that it will not be long until he has
a full line of label goods. Demand the
union label. One demand Is worth a
week on strike.
legislature that one is likely to believe
that we have all of our real statesmen
In Washington and all of our politi-
cians at home.
Central bodies cannot accomplish
the best results unless all local unions
are affiliated. Every international peared promptly as called
union should require that all local their answer. In the answer the
unions affiliate, both with city central charges were made stronger by the
Labor leaders of the Chicago Fed-
eration of Labor are standing pat. Fif-
teen of them cited to appear before
the bar of the State house of repre-
sentatives in Springfield and answet
the charge of circulating a resolution
attacking certain of the solons, ap-
and filed
and state bodies, and furthermore,
that they do so.
labor leaders, who also declared they
had no intention of apologizing for the
resolution.
The state of Arizona is being cred-
ited as having enacted the best child
labor law in the t'nited States. The
initiative, referendum and recall are
embodied in the constitution of that man may earn enough to support
progressive commonwealth. wife and family.
Much of the private immorality can
be abolished by restoring normal eco-
nomic conditions, so that every young
WHY A PRESS AGENT?
The Oklahoma City Times cotn-
9 per cent And yet the trainmen ments editorially in its issue of the
are not satisfied. 7th, about the wonderful progress of
Arkansas, due to the efforts of its
state-wide commercial organization.
pledges made upon their honor as
men?
Why should labor expect any consld-
eration of Its inherent rights from a ]n making purchases tell the merch nwuhnm* hps
legislature whose members, after vlo- ant that vou saw his ad. in the Labor j avers .
Unit, or'if it is not there ask him i "ad such an organization in existence
why? It costs you nothing and will
help us materially.
lating their pledges, refused labor the
humble request of submitting two of
its measures to the people that they
might pass judgment on the laus labor
was desirous of having enacted?
No doubt, if the members of the
legislature had their own sweet way.
the amendment would be carried out
in toto, but let us hope that the cap-
itol commission created by the legis-
lature is a great deal bigger than its
creator.
On the other hand, if the commis-
sion is in any way bound to carry out
THE WORKERS' DEMOCRACY.
Through the militant effort of the
trade unions, 24 states have enacted
laws requiring guards on dangerous
machinery and proper ventilation in
factories.
31 states have mine inspection laws
with authorized inspectors.
14 states have enacted laws regu-
lating the hours of labor to be worked
in and around the mines.
26 states have enacted laws regu-
lating the work of women and children
in and around the mines.
18 states have enacted special child
labor laws.
27 states enforce sanitary and suffi-
cient toilet rooms for the sexes in
industry.
30 provide factory inspectors to en-
force observance of health and safety
laws.
33 require fire escapes on factories ■
and public buildings.
44 have adopted an age limit for
working children.
36 states prohibit night work for
. I children.
42 states have fixed a maximum
number of hours as a working week |
for children.
33 states have boiler inspection laws, j
14 states officially inspect bakery j
shops.
46 states have enacted mechanics'!
lien laws which protect the wages of j
all workers.
39 have established bureaus of labor |
which serve as the clearing houses I
for industrial information, and are the i
centralized influence for better state
factory laws;.
26 states have automatic coupler j
Start Housekeeping
$13.50 Complete
CONSISTS OF
2-Inch
Post Bed
Brass Finish
Mattress
Spring
$13.50 Complete
$3.50 Down-$1.00 a Week
TikkfpFiipwtiipfCo.
complete house furnishers.
16 and 18 Main Street—Eait of Lee-Huckini Hotel — Oklahoma City
E. W. CLARKE
Books, Post Cards,
Stationery and Novelties
200A West Main Street and 41 North Robinson Street
Open every night until 9 o'clock.
Saturdays until 11 :oo p. m.
Unions holding elections should ad-
vise the Labor Unit immediately in aS_<,nt
order that their roster may be
changed.
tor over a vear no one ever hears
of its doings. The frtlc^ closes ^h aulomatic brake ,8W8 which have
this comment. "Oklahoma s organiza-1
tion seems to need a good press
First We Make The Cloth—Then The Garments
SUITS
been the means of saving thousands
lives on railroads.
We just pause to remark that it is
hardly needful of a press agent. On
the contrary, we would remind the
It is not the speeches made in union Times that there is a wonderful dif-
meetings that count. It is what you 'orence between an organization for
do in your everyday life. political purposes and one for th.. in-
itustrial development and commercial
Success upon the field of organized uplift of the state. Oklahoma s or-
the provision, or by its own volition labor depends upon the spirit put into j ganization is merely following the bad
<Joe6 employ convict labor in the con-1 the work.
BATTING AVERAGE LATELY
HAS BEEN ON THE BUM
The Oklahoma City News says C.ov.
Cruce qualified in the golf tournament
by making the necessary score. They
must have given him his base on balls,
for his batting average lately has been
example set by Colorado a few years on the bum—Pauls Valley Free Lance.
ALL
WOOL
MADE TO ORDER
in our own shop by experi-
enced TAILORS.
2XBZSD
EARLE BROWN, Mgr.
World® Largest Tailors OS Stores
17 NO. HARVEY
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Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 52, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 14, 1913, newspaper, June 14, 1913; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc157152/m1/2/?rotate=270: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.