The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-09-20

w. L. Johnson, telegraph operator
who is still pounding key at the
Lincoln Office of the Western Union
Telegraph company, while men with
nerve to ask for justice are on strike,
t+kes exception to The Wageworker
classifying him among the t%scabs''
Under date of September 16 Mr.
johnson writes The Wageworker as
follows:
in your last weeks issue of The
Wageworker you dub me as a 'scab,
that l was union telegrapher, etc.
I wish to correct this statement by
informing you that did not belong to
the telegraphers' union, as Mr.. Taylor,
secretary of the local union, will at
test. My version of 'scab' is one
who belongs to a union and refuses
to strike, or one who takes the place
OF striker In this respect I have
done neither. I have simply at
past ten years in this office l have
a family to support; have always done
50, and shall continue to do so through
the medium of the telegraph key
Mr.. Taylor and the striking operators
OF our Office hold no enmity toward
me for the stand / took, and you have
n rf q 1U ivfn ion,
from an unreliable source, or else
simply jumped at a conclusion.
"W. j. JOHNSON 9
Mr.. Johnson is not the first man
who has fallen back upon the pitiful
excuse of "a family to support to
justify himself in failing to stand by
braver men who were battling for
| justice. Adam was the first man to
| blame his wife for his own weakness,
and from Adam to Johnson men have
| been doing the same thing ever since.
Mr.. Johnson's definition of ''scab''
ray salve his own conscience, but
| union men who have backbone in
stead of a cotton string do not de-
| fire the word that way. Union or
non-union, w. L. johnson was guilty
CT giving aid and comfort to the
enemy of his fellow workers, and If
that is not ''scabbing" The Wage
| ,,1y hn dnEr io,,
cf the word. The plea that he has
family to support may sound good
| to those who are unacquainted with
the facts. The facts are that the
strikers succeeded in almost persuad-
ing Johnson to act square, and they
offered him the big end of the bene.
Then, too, johnson has the contract
for the Bijou theatre program, which
is good for $40 or $25 a week or
was until Johnson threw his fellow
workers down. It is not likely to be
worth SO much to MIN when the loyal
union men get busy on that score.
But support for his family" wasn't
oil that actuated Mr.. Johnson, if re-
ports are true. Let Mr. Johnson an
swer these questions through the col.
umns of The Wageworker.
| Is it not true, Mr.. Johnson, that
you were persuaded to remain at work
when your comrades quit by the Of
fer of double time and double pay?
Is it not true, Mr. Johnson, that
since the strike you have been work
ing practically two shifts day and
drawing practically double pay for
each shift?
And is it not true, Mr.. Johnson,
that your greed for money, rather
than desire to support your fam
ily." impelled you to give your strik-
ing comrades the double CROSSE"
And lastly, Mr.. Johnson, is it not
true that deep down in your own
heart you feel that you have been
guilty of doing what 'scabs'' do?
You are welcome to all the space
you may reasonably ask in The Wage
worker to answer these questions.
/ The strike of the telegraphers has
been 'broken" again. If you don't
believe it just pick up last Wednes-
day mornings daily and look at the
full and complete returns from the
Oklahoma election. On Tuesday Ok
the attention of the entire country
Upon it hinged the admission of a
new state, and a possible decision of
the future political complexion of the
country Millions of voters picked up
their Wednesday mornings papers