New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-16
TEE EICmT.MOUR mOvEnENT-THE
STRIKES.
fRfom Tho Word. |

The eieht-hOur movement has failed, and most OF
the numerous strikes OF the workmen in this and adonng
cities have ended by their returning to their old tasks glad to
get their old wages This result inevitable om the hr
aud only the strikers themsc and the political demagogues
who hoped 10 make voes by assuming tho championship Of
and could not succeed.
Nor stosd it succeed and he is friend to American
workngmcn who docs not tell them plainly that in this
struggle which they have sought justice not on their side
As for egatng eight hours to be days work i; contra
~ the interest Of the vckngman that government
Ci.y state Federal should needle with the matter at Az
As In the case OF nsuy laws could cIue on, 70 s anu
make laws only to be broken Such law would pene ony
pensc thor less lucky brethren 1t could never guide The
contracts OF other employers OF labor. nor limit the contracts
number OF hour hereafter any more than now he The
measure OF In the various Industries O. different
men.
Ba there one cooperating cause Of the failure Of The eight
hour movement aud also Of tie failure Of most 81 the STRIKES
cause common 70 them x TIE srss, wsTe I5 nslS s
the same wages for loss wk Both. therefore, oorended
equally against The grea, fact rot yet scared nieih onsclo
Of the American people that having ware sPendng 70
pay foT we mast all Acte9i wiiwe or nh We zee rage u"
liz s0rI, tork
II is no. merely mrossbie for get for any
work the same for less work Worse than tLaii
Il Impossible Tor Us TO get the ssme wages or the sane work
great has 90 BE- paid for NC must Tale less vngs oT
the work There i no help Tor ~. The banker cin
avoid tot whit heor ,haa toe hodcaler the
man must submit to 1t WI as The lawyer and The hoa
master as much A. the pnddler
The harden Of years which nov hare 10 IN
for any one elias, nielnp h. upon any Other elias,
IL viii not Stay shed. The who works chiefly viii Us
brains cannot refuse 90 p,y his share. and erori Il rom him
who works chiefly With hs hands can the latter inse g.
bis share AID eToi u from the former Labor rc~hi
VIII he less and the prof, On capital @ so aud neither eau
psss the burden to the other Zach m1si carry i.o
Doubtless the baTicn Of the poor II the
heavier. Ills margin OF leisure aud larufy The nsfrUEcr
and ts margin winch tae monster Taxation Lrt de-
The poor oss afford any such dosoarng than
as these are tie very e.rons of var m very dopae ga
these lessons and THE discipline csn ouiis any t upon
those whose numbers sufficient ihIoggA tie bAotboI
either 70 invite future burdens they invited through the
ballostoX present burdens or TO aver, item. Demo
its frUli- FLANDERS aud their penalty and IT, refrhr
ticn. Some tfns u OOyeinment JUDGED. transform tie
wokedncs' OF Kings iao tho suffering Of psepea ba not
R.norks By TIE Tr5s-c
We print our cotcmporary's article above not To
accept or dsscat from ii whole, but 70 note The
points wherein We concur and those from which we
must dissent
l. Wequte agree with Tie BoHi as TO The utter
iue1icacy Of legislation in the premise. No egilla
ton can be necessary if those who favor the
Eigh,.Ifour reform are willing to receive the
same wages per hour that they earned
under Ten or Twelye-IIour rule II The
journeymen had seen fit to say 70 their employees,
1--WE wish to work henccforth bat eight hours per
day, and be paid accordingly" they would have IN
coun,ered no objection. What they did seek Wa
eight hours work for ten hours pay; and TO this no
possible legislation could have helped them. We do
not believe il can DO achieved il certainly cannot be
by means of legislation.
II. We quite agree with Tie EoHd that the cost Of
our great Civil War must be me-. and thatii VIII be
impossible for Labor or Capital TO shiik its share II
-ovfb = ,od a.. HI
Office it would still be impossible so " lcgslate or
manage that Labor should not have TO help pay our
War Debt-that a man must MOI work harder 10 Sc
cure given quantum Of comfort than he did in 1856
60. And this fact must be considered.
III. But The Eorid fails TO take into account the
counteractng infuences-thc continual progress and
important results of Labor-Siying Inrentions-of
Railroads and Canals-of the rspid increase OF Pro-
ductvc Power in this community. Between 1880
and 1850 the population of this country increased but
little 80 per- cent, while the increase Of our
National wealth was over IOeper cent. aud that OF
our efficiency as producers Of wealth was fully as
great. And our progress il this direction is as
great now a. it ever was, and is likely to be
accelerated Hence, though We must undoubtedly
shoulder the cost of our great war, and though that
circumstance, Standing atone, wonld prove that We
must work harder TO support certain style OF living
it by no means follows that VIC need work harder for
given result n le70. Aan no did in 1850, because
the effects Of the war on one hand may have been
councrbalanced by the grow,. Of our productive eli
cheney on the other
~ We do not believe Il practicable to obtain ten
hours wages for eight hours work; nor to evade the
o~so.ad hu our o-raaf War. ,nr IA rod
forthwith the working DAY to eight hour. Itmay
never be expedient TO. make oght hours the measure
Of days work; for some must stand idle during
rainy weather, and must woYt longer Tor harder in
eair weather to make up ior1esway and there gren
difference in pursurs-eight hours' faithful work in
one being equal To ten or twelve hour. in another
A lawyer who tries important causes in court for
eight hours OF each secular dy would be more taxed
and exhausted than q woodLar who swung an ay.
or mechanic VIC moved plane, twelve hours per
day. r r..
But when we have made do allowance for friction
of all sorts Il seems 10 Us hat the division Of our
time into three equal pag,s-oDe fox sleep, one for
work, and third for taking bod, for recreation, ioI
study and Intellectual, mora and spiritual improve
ment-is natura aud boueigent allotment, aud t4at
we ought TO hope aid sria ior IL realization. II
cannot be achieved ny mefly wishing for IT, nor by
striking, nor by an act Of congress, nor in any such
slap.da,h fashion. u ~ ~ " DE achieved by the
laboring class (mistakenlyfo c.siJeuiskod) at tue
expense Of other classes; hnyolyes time, and effort,
and self-sacrfce, AID we and patient employment
of means. Possibly, we iig all have To accept less,
and live more frGgally, ran.ng away expensive
habits YET the end IN Jew is 81 beneflcent that
its achievement can hardly ost TOO much. II We who
are growing old may not rze il, at least let a. hope