The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-08-18
The TREN OF LABOR.
4 REAL UNION OF THE ME-
CHANIC AND ACRIcULT-
URAL WORKER.
Nebraska State Labor Congress Takes q
Mighty Leap Forward-The New Pre-
amble and Constitution Breathe Forth
the Spirit of Liberty and Human Rights.
lBY ALFRED FAwKNER,1

lBY ALFRED FAwKNER,l
The Nebraska state labor congress,
which met in Lincoln on Sunday last,
composed as it was of trades unions
afRliating with the American fedora
ton of labor and local assemblies of
the knights of labor, marks distinct
epoch in the progress of industrial re-
forms and the emancipation from
wage slavery of the white man. For
the first time in the history of our
country members of both of these
great national organizations frater-
nized on common platform of human
rights and took vigorous leap for
ward along the pathway toward a
universal brotherhood.
Hitherto the great bug-bear of
trades unions has been that while
uniting every other day in the year
they would divide into about two
equal parts on election day and their
employers, through their ward heelers
and politicians, would cast the deciding
votes as to who should plumber for the
ensuing term. Under such proceed
ings it rattered very little to capital
which of the two old parties won, as
neither ticket could contain the name
OF man for any Office who was not
eminently satisfactory to the employ
ing class. The action of the congress
in adopting q preamble to its consti-
tuition far more liberal and in adj
vance of the platform Of the peoples
party makes bit of history of which
Nebraskans may well be proud
The salient points of the work of
the congress may be summarized
briefly as q distinct move toward
united political action of all denomi-
ns tions of orgarize labor; coalition
with the farmers alliance, and the
projection of a campaign Of education
OF political economy inside labor or
CARNATIONS, which cannot fail but be
fruitful for immediate good; and the
recognition by organized labor that
the conditions which make paupers
out of toilers and millionaires out Of
idlers have been created by legislation
and that the only remedy is to legis-
late them away. BY adopting the
truths of the new political dispense
ton and inviting to it's fold the differ
emit local bodies of the farmers ALI
ance, the brainy and representative
toilers and skilled mechanics of Ne
braska did on Sunday last construct a
state parliament of labor which over
shadows in Importance, responsibility
and dignity our state legislature or
any other elective body of men.
The public profession of principles
of live issues not only brought organ
lied labor face to face with indepen-
dent political action but placed itself
in the foremost rank of earnest re-
formers The timid ghosts of dead po-
litical measures had but handful Of
representatives, and after once admit
ting the truth of proposition the
wcrd ''inexpedient" was strangled in
its inception. It was a brave and a
bold thing to do, but moral courage
was present and triumphant.
The basic proposition that the land
belongs in usufruct to all the people
YVES enthusiastically received and de-
clared. Private ownership in land
was denounced as crime against man
kind and the manipulation of land by
private ownership was declared to be
the mother Of all other monopolies,
which is true in fact and incontrovert-
IDLE in argument The principle is
unassailable in morals and in politics,
and any editor or pot-house politician
who may attempt to deny the business
of it can easily be made the laughing
stock of the community by the
humblest member Of labor organiza-
ton.
The demand that government shall
issue full legal tender money direct to
the people without the intervention of
banks is recognized to be superior
method to the confidence game which
our present system entails. So with
the demand for governmental owner
ship of railroads, ETC., and municipal
ownership of waterworks, street car
transportation and gas and electric
light plants. Public opinion generally
is rapidly coming to the conclusion
that these reforms are necessary
for communal success. It may
be socialism, or communism, or
anarchy, but these terms have ceased
to bear reproach, and on the con-
trary beget respect and profound con-
sideration. They are all live issues,
while what is left Of the two old
parties are juggling with dried dust
from the dead past to throw in the
eyes of thoughtful men and to attract
party support. Representative men
of organized labor by consolidating
civic and rural toilers into one grand
central booy have made Nebraska the
banner state Of reform. She steps
from her group Of sister states and
points the way through harmony and
unity of labor to full prosperity and
more Christian civilization. She
beckons to the east and appeals to the
west. And all the while we will strive
to diffuse universal education of these
nO1itical truths and tho vital rnooc.;+~