Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-03
MIR. ShellabRrger and MIR. Miller
ON the Eight Hour Movement.

NAr. ShellabRrger and NAr. NAlher
om the Eight Hour Movement.
Mr.. SHELLABARGER-Hon s. SHELLA-
pARGER--whO Is candidate for reelection
TO Congress-ha written letter to john
d. PEEK, Secretary Of Trades Assembly Of
Columbus, Ohio. 1t bears date Springfield,
September "a, and is published In the
Columbus No, ming Journal Of Tuesday,
October 2. In these words the Journal
calls attention to it:
Workingmenl read the letter of Mr..
Shellabarger In another column. Contrast
It with the letter of Thomas Miller, and ask
yourselves which of these men is worthiest
of yoursufrages." srrs
Thus solicited we could not refrain from
reading the letter and making the contrast,
and we here submit to the reader our con-
clusions.
Mr.. SHELLABARGER says:
"Congress has no power to regulate the
matter as to what shall be days work
within the States generally; but for such
legislation the people will have to look to
the Legislatures of their several States"
Not one. word does Mr.. SHELLABARdER
use to indicate that he is in favor Of the re-
spective State Legislatures enacting q law
making Eight Hours legal days work.
He is particular to tell the Workingmen
that outside of the District of Columbia,
and outside OF the ground "purchased by
the consent Of the Legislature Of the State
- in which the same shall be for
the erection Of forts, magazines,
arsenals, dock yards and other need
( ful buildings" Congress has no Consti-
tutional right to undertake to prescribe
what shall constitute legal days work.
All at once Mr.. SHELLABARdER' has become
exceedingly solicitous for the observance
of the Constitution. The interests Of
"White Workingmen" are now involved
class of men Mr.. SHELLABARGER's organ
says it has '.less concern" for than for Ne
groes--and he therefore puts himself to the
trouble of looking through the Constitu-
tion to ascertain how little can be done for
them. He found no difficulty in voting for
Civil Rights bill, wherein the Negroes are
TO be benefited, and which Is manitestly
so unconstitutional that he is now advo-
eating the adoption of a Constitutional
amendment that shall make it Constitu-
tional. Why could he not say that he
sympathized with the Eight Hour Move
ment, and that If the Constitution does not
authorize Congress to enact law making
Eight Hours legalday's work throughout
the whole country, he would introduce and
urge the adoption of an amendment to the
Constitution that would authorize Congress
to do so?
Mr.. SHELLABARGER does, however, say:
81 am in favor of an act of Congress
making Eight Hours legal days work in
all places where Congress has any power
to pass law upon the subject"
This sentence unqualified would be well
enough. Fearful that he was conceding too
much to the Workingman, he coupled with
it 'but." 'But," says he, 81 think the act
ought to leave it in the power of all p4ties
to make freely their own contracts as to
how long they would work each day, and
what they should get for it." This is the
sort of LAW he is willing to vote for to
operate wherever Congress has Constitu-
tional right to legislate. We put the ques-
ton to all Workingmen How much
would sach an Eight Hour law benefit you?
But Mr.. SHELLABARGER is not quite sure
that he would even vote for such law; for
he says:
"These are my present convictions, SUBJECT
l..
nIents totich nldy not haze occurred TO me for
I acknowledge hare not much familiarity loith
the arguments 1ohich bear upon this important
question"
Oh, this extraordinary legislator-this
statesman, who processes to comprehend the
science of Government-who claims to
know what should be done with the South
who last session seemed to consider that
his duty to his constituents consisted in
speaking and voting tor the benefit of the
Black man-confesses that he has mot
much familiarity with the arguments which
bear upon the Eight Hour Movement
He has not, evidently, taken counsel with
the representatives Of the New England
Manufacturing interest, or he would not
say that he holds his "present convictions
subject to be corrected by the considera-
tions and arguments which may not have
occurred to" him. '72
THOMAS MILLER's letter was brief and to |
the point. He wrote:
81 have to say, that my sympdthies are in
harmony aoith The Eight Hour Movement Of the
lG6oTiug men Of the country and had a
seat in Congress, soOuld cheerfully giUe nly
influence and cote for such measures as ,oould
establish By ldu Eight Hours as legal days
toork, IN ALL PLACES where by law Congress |
could properly do So" i5e,,
There are no qualifying "buts, and |
"ands" and 'ifs" coupled with this SEN
tence. Not only would Mr.. MILLER give
his ''vote" In favor of ''such measures" but
he would use whatever of ''infuence" he
could bring to bear to carry them through.
With this explanation of Mr.. SHELLA-
position and Mr.. MILLER's posi-
tion, with reference to the Eight Hour
Movement before them, we think Working
men will find no difficulty in deciding
which is the safer to intrust their inter-
ests to.