The pilot. [volume] (Baltimore [Md.]) 1840-1840, 1840-04-13
THE TEN HOUR SYSTEM.

Ifu,s were to credit the ciculaT, issued on Ii"
first Aau of Aprit, (and those must be April fool
indeed, who are caught by such tricE) IN
President intends to put his policy IN coh'fuS
with the large manufacturers, who, ohueI ''ie
pressure of the times, have been compelled oy h's
measures, to reduce wages.-And what mas 'e
done? He has issued circula declaring 'ha'
laborers employed under the amMe1ta'e autnol + =
lv of himself and the heads OF Departments Shali
he required to work only he number OF nouns
nrescribed BY the ten hour system. L MS Is
great boon indeed This is mercy with ven
geanee The President has adopted system Oh
measures. which was advocated by MS par'i%dls
and opposed by his opponents, upon the 9rounu
that il would compel a reduction OF wages; "hu
when the consequences foretold by his ffteh@S
and resisted by his opponents, come upon US
when the laborer stands idle, and the widow and
the orphan perish in want, the President comes
forward on the first day of April, as II to derloe
and IN mock the sufferings of the people, and or
.ders that those who are employed under the I'M
mediate authority of himself and the Depart
ments, shall work but ten hc"rs!
And we would ask the laboring man, who has,
not the privilege to be under the immediate ant
tborifu', ofthe President how he is benefited by
this order THE first of April? Does itenable the
merchant to purchase cargo, that ne may en-
plov one more drayman Does it enable the car
penter to put up single house, that he may en-
nlov a SINGLE additional laborer Does II enable
the Miller to purchase a single grain Of wheat
or the farmer 10 plough a single furrow! Does
it employ one single laborer or give morsel OF
bread or stitch of raiment to the poor and needy!
No, it does none ofthese things,-but we VIII Tell
our readers what it does do 1t shows the eStl- !
nation in which the President holds the laborlng
classes-It shows that he will sink to the lowest
subterfuges, and adopt any expedlent, 10 excite
popalar preiudice.-Who does not know that
even the clerks are considered and treated as
s'hirelings' such was the term applied by Mr.
Kendall TO the Clerks, of his Department 1t
shows that whilst he would arouse the worst pas
sions: envy. jealousy and hatred, in the bosoms OF
the )aboripg poor against those who are no lon
ger able 10 give them employment and wages
he would humble the proud spirit OF the freeman
in the dependant "hirelings" who are under his
own immediate g@AUTHORITY-yes AU-
THORITY, that is the word, by giving them
to know that so long as they obey his mandate,
and vote to retain him in office, they may receive
full wages, on 'the ten hour systems" while those
who dare refuse to do his will-those who dare
% be freemen, must starve.-This circular says
hist is, under the circumstances in which II
was issued, an insult to the free laboring men oil
his Union, who dare be freemen, in spite OF his
and it is degradation to the hireings
who hug their chains and eat the bread of Deepen
dence, rather than defy the despot and live the
life of freemen-But he may train his serviie
corps of "hirelings," he may suspend the puolic
works and send them to work their ten hours a,
the polls.-They will be metby freemen who VIII
there rescue their country from his oppression