The wageworker., 1910-04-22
HOW ABOUT THE PRIMARIES?

HOW AoOOt tu6 FNi"AVtcS9
The Nebraska legislatures have
always been noted-or notorious-by
reason of the fact that they have
never contained any representatives
Of that class of toilers working in
on railroads. class numbering up
wards Of 10000 members. Time and
again union voters have gaily walked
to the polls, whipped into line by the
party lash, and voted for party candi-
dates notoriously opposed to organiz-
alton. They have voted for corpor-
alton tools, for jack-leg lawyers, brok-
en- down doctors, decrepit politicians
and ward heelers. but because of their
own negligence they have never. or
seldom. had an opportunity to vote
for man of their own class.
Under the present primary law the
wage earners of the state have their
opportunity. The next legislature
ought to contain a dozen or more
active. earnest. loyal and straightfor-
ward trades unionists among its men,
bers-and 1t will have If trades union
voters do their duty.
How shall we go about it?
The answer is easy-get busy now
and capture the primaries.
Let the republican unionists get to.
nd or,A
union men as legislative candidates.
Let the democratic unionists get to-
gether and do the same thing.
There are many unionists in the
socialists ranks. Let them do the
same thing.
Work to get two or three good union
candidates on each ticket in those
counties having good union vote.
Here in Lancaster. for instance, we
elect Ave representatives and two
senators. Suppose the republicans
nominate two union men, for the
house. the democrats an equal number
and the socilists one; and republi-
can and democratic union man
nominated for the senate. Then let
every union voter plump his ticket for
the seven union men, regardless of
politics. In that way we are bound to
land one or more. If the unionists of
Douglas do the same thing. we'll have
live union delegation in the next
legislature.
A United States senator to elect?
o. "bushwa!" Also "Durham!"
Don't let the party bosses pull the
wool over your eyes again. The wage
earners Of Nebraska are-or ought to
be-vastly more interested in getting
some needed labor legislation in this
state than they are in the United
States senatorship. The man who
pleads with you to vote 'er straight
because we have a senator to elect is
thinking a whole lot more of the polit-
ical plnms than he is of the welfare
OF the wage earners. The union ranks
OF Lancaster county can offer some
legislative timber that can not be sur-
passed. They are just as broad-mind-
ed. just as intelligent, just as capable,
as any of the lawyers. farmers, doc
tors merchants or political sharps
heretofore elected to represent the
county. Scarcely a trade union In
Lincoln or Havelock that could not
furnish seven mighty good legislative
candidates.
The trades unionists of Lancaster
county hold the balance of political
power. If they will get together
work together and vote together, they
can compel the managers of the old
political parties to jump sideways
AS 1t is, by reason of our fool parti
sanship and our criminal negligence
we are the ones who have been doing
the sideways jump act. Well gel
just what we deserve, and no more
And we'll deserve the worst of it unit
we muster up enough energy and com
mon sense to go out and get justice.
Don't wait until a week or two be
fore the primaries before startin,
something. Now is the time to be
gin.