The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-06-30

should Oscufy In Free sspublie or rhsthes
Ipndsr the pressure OF capital, moaopoliss,
national debt end the prsiuaices o. caste,
Isball slowly and snrely sink to the level 81
the English pauper.
tOUR NATIONAL LABOR COW.
re~vTrvfr MENTIONS. 80.
4. "A short Hme since We had occasion "a
llrsier to the Facilitating, none .mmittal policy
adopted by many Of ,ur Labor Conventions,
and in so doing took exception to the recent
lactioH 20 ~ NatiSasf Typographical Union,
In refusing to sanction the establishment OF
National Sinking Fund, and its objects, rs
fo- SO doing. We have now to regret the
adoption Of policy equally suicidal, and
which virtually asserts that the Eight Hour
1 System is one in which the pristers Of the
United States, have little or no interest,
and which it was and is their duty to se-
verely let alone. We do so, not because
there is any force or novelty in the positions
taken, but because they are used by men from
whom much was expected, who should lead
the van instead of the rear-guard in .;lis
grand reform, and who we feel assured
would never have taken the position they
did, had they given the subject that careful
and attentive consideration which its i'm
portance demands.
II is a well established fact that in nearly
al! branches Of industry more work is
turned out under the ten than used to be
unde: the twelve and fourteen hour system.
In other words mechanic who commences
at o'clock and quits at 6 O'Clock has more
to show for his weeks labor on Saturday
evening than when he labored fourteen con-
secutve hours. We say this has been
provsa by evidence which admits Of no de-
NAL. Now just proportion as the hours
Of manual labor have been decreased, has
there been corresponding improvement in
the virtue, the intelligence and the physical
condition Of the workingman. That intel
ligence and enterprise has given birth to
new wants and aspirations, which in turn
have opened new channels for the develop.
ment and enterprise of the industrial classes,
and instead Of the adoption Of the ten hour
system proving the ruin either of the en-
ployer or employee, as the twelve hour
croakers prognosticated, ii has proven an
inestimAble blessing to all classes of society.
Now the question which here presents itself
is this: mas the minimum been reached in
the number Of hours now worked, or can
they be still further reduced and the same
amount of work accomplished as at present
We fearlessly ass TT it has not, and in sup
port Of this position we refer to the fact
that the Caulkers Of Boston, who have
worked for II years on the eight hour pTin-
ciple-turn out more work than they did
when laboring ten hours that the Shpcar-
penters OIL the Kennebec river, (Maine), ac-
complshed as much in Il hours as they did
under the old schedule. That in Australia
the most enthusiastic supporters Of the eight
hour movement are the employers, who have
given it heightened, an impartial and a
convincing trial. These evidences, we in
sist prove one fact-that in most mechan-
cal trades, ten hours labor is an greTtar on
the human system. This at least is the
testimony Of the highest medical authority
both in Europe and America, and we know
it is the experience Of many Of thousands
now employed in the city Of Chicago.
The objection, urged, too often, we are
shamed to admit, that its operation cannot
possibly berefit those who work by the
piece, is sophistry Of the shaIlowest cha-ac.
ter. We should like to ask the gentlemen
who indulge in this unanswerable argument,
suppose that twelve hours constituted a
days labor, would they make Is much as
they do at present, and are not their rate Of
wages now guaged BY the 10 hour stand
aId' Moreover, the lessening Of he hours
Of labor has not only tended TO improve
their condition, but their rate Of compensa.
ton has been increased in many instances
as high as 80 per cent. by its adoption.
Now, if the same results would follow the
inauguration Of the eight hour system (and
there is no reason why it should mott how
long would these gentlemen be satisfied
with their present rate OF wages II their
objection was based ON the fact that the
peculiar business in which they are engaged
presented its adoption is such argument not
equally valid against the ten hour system II,
however,,a purely personal or selfish motive
is to control the scticn Of the majority, either
in our unions or conventions, the funda-
mental principles upon which they are os-
tensibly organized are subverted, and feel
ing Of luminosity and distrust sown among
those whose cooperation is indispensable to
success.
We believe no safer principle upon which
to base deliberate action in labor reform
can be adopted, than to proceed upon the
hypothesis that there s an identity of in
terest between the laboring classes, no mat
Ter what their several callings may be; and
that a benefit conferred on one must ulti-
mately rebound 10 the advantage of all.
That the capitalists Of the country are
guided BY such an assumption il a fac;