Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-11
0he D ailp SPY.
The Whigs and Zen Hour law.

The wings and Ten Hour Law.
On Monday, 9Th inst, G. w. Benchley. Of Wor-
cester, presented 10 the House Of Representatives,
the petition oil William Dunbar and 1870 o'hers, op,
e,atives ii the Oxford Mil, for the passage 81 a
Ten Hour Law. Mr. BenchIey moved that tbs PEE
tition be referred to a special committees but It was
temporarily laid onlhe table.
Such men IS William Dunbar and bis $50 co-work.
ers never receive much consideration from the men
who now compose the majority ofthe House Of Rep
resentalives, and we are afraid that the petition is
doomed to neglect, William Dunbar is only work
ing man, and his petition, which does not ask any
thing really unusual, is nevertheless Objectionable 10
his case, because, although it would increase the
comfort and elevate the character Of the operative,
it might detract little from the profits Of the EN-
ployer. :,
When the question, presented to a Cottonocrat,con-
cerns men versus money, money is certain to obtain
his suffrage. When the issue lies between the men.
tai moral, aud social elevation Of William Dunbar
and others, and six per cent, six per cent is sure
to carry the day in a house composed Of the crea.
lures Of such men as Abbott Lawrence. The wings
may consider respectfully, but have no reason
20 believe that they will. The operatives Of the
Oxford Mill pelitono have the hocrs Of labor iniac.
tories, &c., restricted 10 per diem Of ten hours
this unreasonable We do not think il is, Gen.
tlemen, Of the Legislature, do you set Ten hours
day ia The State House DO you work ten hours
day, gentlemen, Of the Custom House 7 Do you,
gentlemen bankers and superior public ofhcers2 You
know you don't; and yeI, each ofyou has pay equal
TO the yearly emoluments Of ten dozen factory
workers There is nothing extraordinary, then, in
William Dunbar and his friends desiring to work
only ten hours day, when men who are so much
better remunera,ed than they are, work only about
6 hours day.
Now, why do those operatives petition for a limi-
tatien OF their daily laburs If I'VE do nut know
why, it is easy for lis TO guess William Dunbar Is
probably young MIN passessed Of ambilion energy,
and the aspirations Of true man. He, atype Of
his class, wants time TO improve his mind, to cult.
waite his taste, perhaps for music, for poetry, for
mathematics, or some other intellectual or physical
science.
He does not wish to devote himse,sou and body
to making cotton cloth. He wishes to live like
man; and throwing a shuttle across loom from
earliest dawn till dark is not living like man. Il
Shakspere had been compelled to card wool for II
or IA hours day, every day except Sunday,he new
er would have been ShakspeIe. He would have
been only wool comber; and he would have died,
and been forgotten. like all the other wool combers
that ever preceded him in that business. Every
body cannot be Shakspere, and probably nobody
ever can, but STILL let give ever, body chance to
be somebody, if the limitation of the hours Of labor
will do it.
This ten hour movement originates with the elite
of The workiagmen, and is maintained by them
Skitiu operatives whose cunning 6agers and obser-
Want mines prodnce the most beautiful and most use
fu .brics ask the Legislature for time to rest their
busy fingers and 10 relax and Improve their active
minds. Such petition deserves the most prompt
attention aud the most perec, respect. Ii a petition
tina has the most intimate relation to the elevation Of
the working class. The most numerous and really i'm.
portant class - socieay; has reference to the n-
crease OF their domestic pleasures, and 10 The extern
son Of their opportunities for mental culture. No
true patfiot--no true man-would hesitate TO consd-
er and act afdrmatively such petition. Ii should
be considered and acted upon forthwith. But the
Wings, last year, defeated bill which accorded
with the prayer Of this petition, and il is not likely
that they will do anything to favor it now.
William Dunbar ard $50 others, OF Oxford, and
the tens of thousands of their class Massachusetts
who are ia favor OF ten hour law, should be up
and doing il they wish TO succeed in their petition.
If they desire that the Legislature should pass this
beni6cent law, they should tell them through their
petitions with emphasis that they will not dare 10
disregard.
BosTos ELEcTioN.-The vote for Mayor in