The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-05

battery. When ! got out could not
get my money any more than 1 could
at first, and, as I was broke, had to
walk TO Santa Rosa over the mountains
and there sacrifice a usurious amount
10 get part Of the paper in cash.
Then I ran against the system in
Massachusetts while organizer for the
pattern makers and for the American
federation Of labor. The Old Colony
railroad there was using the dodge
very successfully"
Gets Bill Passed
It is q matter Of record that Sweeney
appeared before the Massachusetts leg
islature. was granted the privilege Of
the floor and secured the passage of a
bill compelling the employers TO drop
this method OF payment altogether.
IN Anaconda, Mont, Sweeney again
encountered the evil. together with the
company stores which flourish through
out California. Again he appeared be-
fore & legislature, and again was vic
uOrious. Montana and Massachusetts
now have the best laws in the country
upon that point
It is astounding 10 me that Gray
brothers would attempt 10 employ this
company pay check system in a city as
strong in union labor organizations as
Is San Francisco" Sweeney continued
We have advocated a statute govern
ing this for many years and the murder
OF this young girl surely will result in
such a measure
Something ras required TO awaken
the public TO action, but the young
girls life is too high a price to pay for
il. Had the bill introduced two years
ago in our legislature been passed this
murder would never have taken place,
for the cause would have been removed.
Hard to Organize
1t is hard to organize a floating pop
ulation of unskilled laborers. and 1 al
ways have heen in favor OF getting the
skilled labor TO organize strongly, gain
their rights and then aid the unskilled
through the legislature. Unskilled Ia
bOrers should be made wards of the
state, not allowed to be at the mercy
Of the men for whom they are com
PEELED TO work in order 10 keep from
starving"
There is no question" said Andrew
Gallagher, that the company nav
check system used by Gray Brothers
and others is a gold brick game pure
and simple. Organized labor has
fought this thing bitterly for many
years, for it is slavery. Too much can
not be said or done in an effort to put
stop TO this iniquitous system and to
stop II at once. We have fought the
thing with all our power, but it re-
ouired the murder of Carolina Brasch
10 bring IL forcibly 10 the attention OF
the public.
Is ShyIock Game
IF San Franciscans knew the suf-
fering that has come TO men and
women as result OF the pay check
practice they would not permit it to
continue a day longer. II is a Shylock
game o fthe worst order and has moth
ing 70 recommend itself TO even the
most rsbid anti labor unionists. I will
cooperate cheerfully. as 1 know the
council I represent will also, in doing
ali L can 10 cure this evil Workmen
are entitled TO their pay within three
days. at the most, after their period OF
work is over. Ny organization demands
that employers pay them within as
hours Of payday and would as quickly
strike. were the wages withheld from
them as they are from men who work
for these heartless contractors. as they
would at an attempted reduction in
wages.
"Unhappily these unfortunate men
and women working for Gray Brothers
can not aid themselves.
"One poor girl has lost her life be-
cause OF this system; let us take heed
OF the lesson learned and prevent a
recurrence Of the tragedy"
Talks on Freedom"
The Rev. William RAIDER denounced
Bray Brothers system of payment in
strong sermon yesterday upon Free
DOM" and declared that unorganized
labor was not free. He remarked that
the preogative of liberty and the ex-
amples of Independence were lost upon
skilled and unorganized labor would
live under much better conditions than
at present
Cunningham, the murderer, rested
quietly in his cell all day yesterday,
but il is easy TO see that the position
in which he has placed himself is be-
coming plain to him, for he is begin
ming to show, though he maintains the
old attitude OF nonchaiance, lines of
worry and thought. His eyes are
bIoodshot and infiamed, and his whole
manner detected
no; / can not say that I regret hav-
ing given myself up the murderer
said yesterday in answer TO question.
You know I never would have done
so had not the wrong man been put IN
Jail with so much evidence against
him. I confessed to save him. and ]
am not sorry that did So"
Not Only Victim
Cunningham's remarks yesterday
showed that O'Malley's visit to GRAY
Brothers Office with Novak's check
had some influence upon his actions
and may have aided in determining
him TO shoot Miss Brasch. The muir
derer saw that something was wrong
with Novalrs check, and stated yester-
day that he became certain he wasn't
the only man being al treated by the
contractors.
One Of the. peculiar traits of the