The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-02-28
The Labor Skate"
And His Methods

Few men, outside the ranks of prac-
understand why or how 50 many men
inimical to the interests of labor are
elected to Office in districts where the
laborites practically hold the balance
OF power. The labor skate" is the
cause.-the Judas Iscariot in the Gar
comes friend only to destroy; the
hired spy of the enemy who worms
his way into the condolences of honest
men only to betray. This is how it
happens:
A democratic politician-in secret
an enemy to organized labor-living
in district normally democratic, in
which labor holds the balance of pow
er, needs that vote to win. His re-
publican opponent comes out strongly
and openly for the cause of labor and
bids fair to get the labor yote-and
election certificate. With the labor
vote eliminated the democrat can win,
so he sets about to induce labor
candidate to enter the field for the
purpose of corraling all of that vote.
Failing in this, he must of necessity
split that vote or lose. Right there
Is where the labor skate" gets his
chips And in these piping times OF
peace he is somewhat numerous.
Once in the game he stays as long
as he can find buyer. He has more
or less influence, which is always for
sale 10 the highest bidder; and makes
1t his business to show this influence
to best advantage to prospective Gus
tomers-that is, he makes it appear
many times greater than it really Is.
A bargain is struck and the labor
skate" becomes an asset OF the poll
tician-presumably; for 1t sometimes
happens that he will sell openly to
one side and secretly to the other.
But such double dealing is as nothing
compared to his offense against his
fellows.
After the ward-heeler, acting as
agent for the politician, has closed
the bargain, Instructions are given
and he is loaded up with secret prom
ises, that mean nothing, to be con-
veyed in secret to his union. If he
happens to hold high office therein
which is not infrequently the case
he has some influence and offers a
resolution of endorsement, giving his
personal pledge Ton the secret prom
ise) for the politician This coming
from (say) the president, has the de-
sired effect. The resolution is fero-
ciously adopted. labor's vote is di.
vided against itself-thereby nullifed
and the secret enemy is elected.
He goes to (say) the state senate.
He does not raise his voice-even to
vote-to prevent an injustice to labor,
nor to aid 1t in lettering conditions.
When the crucial test comes and he
Is pinned down by the friends OF Ia
Dor, he Is suddenly and urgently sum-
moned from the capitol on important
business. or perhaps a thirty-second
cousin conveniently dies. He re
grets his enforced CD absence" and
excuses himself on that pretext. His
the honest but cruelty deceived, and.
seemingly, the apologies are accepted,
for at the very next election the very
same labor skate" plays the very
same dirty trick for the very same
unprincipled politician. But the
pitcher that goes frequently to the
we'll is finally broken. He repeats
once TOO often. As In the case of the
crooked politician. discovery eventu-
ally overtakes him and he goes into
the air, like a soap-bubble from the
child's pipe, only to burst and disap-
pear.
On the surface the labor skate" is
Il member OF some union. Though he
seldom or never works, he wears good
clothes, always has plenty of money
which he spends freely, and in intel
ligence Is above the average Of his
craft. He knows how to treat the
boys; how to pat them on the back /;
how 10 be good fellow in bar.
room. The secrecy he practices is,
to the boys, indicative of his shrewd
ness, and his silence bespeaks the
wisdom of the sage. Should the ques
tion of the union going into politics
be Inadvertently brought into the con
versation, he Immediately envelopes
himself in an impenetrable atmo
sphere of mystery, calls his favored
friend to the other end of the bar
and whispers magic nothing in his
ear This side play adds to the mys
teriousness of it all, and the gestures
and mods and knowing winks but fur
ther impress the poor deluded souls