The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-05-19

EIGHT HOURS-ITS LEGAL.
MORAL AND INTELLECT.
GAL BEARING.
The most serious obstacles in the way Of
the success Of the labor reform, are thos,
which originate from the all controlling
power Of habit or custom. There cannot b,
. more exacting task-master. Custom 81
controls our modes Of thought that judg.
ment based ON principles Of justice hal
nearly become an obsolete idea. Train al
child in the way he should go, and wher
he is old, he will not depart from it, is
truism of more significance than is general,
known. Unfortunately the reverse is equal,
true. Train up child in the way he shoult
not 60, and be seldom departs from it
Hence, habit and custom has more sway
than reason. Opposition to new ideas i,
virulent in proportion to the prevalence Of
custom over that of enlightened reason
Fear Of change is the great obstacle. One
class fear reduction Of wages, another
that they shall pay too much. The former
are disorganiEed workers, the latter COO
caIculdtOrs who know how to throw a fire.
brand Of discord among workmen. The
moral Of the question is entirely ignored.
By the calamities of war, through an ini-
quitous monetary system, capitalists have
converted their worthless paper int the
blood Of the soldier, and the produce Of the
laborer, in the shape of national bonds, and
a currency based upon them. A hundred
dollars Of this currency or the bonds, re-
presents, with hundred per cent. profit
added, about forty bushels Of wheat; re-
duce the currency to gold basis, and this
paper will bring its possessor q hundred
bushels of wheat.
Oh, say these sleek millionaires, laborers
get altogether too much; there is no other
country where labor is so well paid. II
labor is reduced to eight hours, of course
the pay must be correspondingly decreased.
These and similar ideas are reiterated
through the columns of our capitalist news
papers daily. Everything which sell
fshness can devise is brought forward to
keep laborers from intelligent and combined
action. But We want to impress on our
readers the fact that this is just what is
wanted. Ubiquitous monetary laws with
their usury and extortion must be abolished.
Reduction Of profits must come from this
fund and be added to the laborers. There
are too few laborers, too much work, and
too little paw. By this system the mass of
laborers are doomed to work perpetually to
live. Its effects are TOO evident in the con-
dition Of the laborer.
Will any pretend that the distribution Of
property is according to the service and
skill Of the laborer Take the city Of Chi
cago, and how many are supplied with a
reasonable competence of this worlds goods.
Let the depleted households and the ang uish
of sensitive and overtasked minds answer.
We affirm without fear Of successful con-
tradiction that not one family in ten are
seasonably supplied with the necessaries and
comforts of life. Turn and distort the feet
as we may, we cannot escape this painful
truth. FaT
Reduce the hours Of labor, increase the
laborers and pay, and the evil will be re-
moved not by an Infringement of the rights
Of others, but by simply securing their own.
The labor movement, instead of building
the beautiful jails, insane hospitals, and
orphan asylums, of the past system, seeks
to furnish to every man the luxury of a
home filed with plenty, occupied by loving
hearts and willing hands.
Let those who stigmatize this movement
as founded in q desire to obtain pay for
labor not performed, first cleanse at least
the outside of the cup and the platter be-
fore they, with evil hearts and polluted
hearts, shall attempt to stay this onward
and upward labor movement. Let as aid to
erect and build temple Of labor, dedicated
TO ruth and justice, and whose sacred walls
shall never be polluted by gambling iDf
State and national bonds, or in any other
$500 kAenNotAn6 AOtiosatlOus ID - uMt
that those unjust laws had ceased. 1t is a
shame that after enduring what the labor
ing classes have done, they should now
be -obbed for the benefit Of capitalists.
That under the Gag and in the home Of free
dom, he should be doomed to a worse fate
and be subject to more partial laws tben aly
European despotism has dared TO create.
This fate can only be averted by the united
and manly effort of workingmen.
New ORLEANS COMMERCIAL This is the
title Of new daily newspaper, in the labor
interest, published, % we understand, like
he Boston Voice, by an association Of work
ngmen. 1t has lively tone, . brisk bust
ness air, and rs heartily greeted by the press
II that city. As'1 'aefHa III IN
.bAsa 81