The workingman's advocate., 1866-06-16

] The Eight Heur RaIe.
1 Oar legislators do not appear to under
stand the objects for which they were en-
trusted with the reins of government. They
proceed to legislate in accordance with their
prejudices or their individual interests, and
refuse TO listen 10 the demands Of large
classes OF men, who have natural desire to
De placed on = footing of equality with
others OF their fellow-citizens, who, they
conceive, enjoy an undue share Of this
worlds goods and chattels, while they them
selves. In many instances, find 10 difficult to
procure the very necessaries and comforts Of
llie.-Hence, the continued agitatIons 10 this
and other countries, which sometimes result
IN outbreaks and revolutions, and sometimes
Ia the entire overthrow of parties and Of
governments
We therefore consider it important to call
the attention OF our legislators, botn State
and Congressional, 10 the very reasonable
1 demands Of the workingmen Of New York
to have the iabors Of the day shortened to
eight hours, and we advise these Legislators
TO De prompt, and take heed to those de-
mands, before combinations Of workIngmen
\ take .eglsla i've power out Of their hands
we say take heed before the People, in
their mighty indignation, rise up to redress
their own grievances. Even in Europe, the
Government is compelled to yield quietly to
the slow, vet continued, attacks of reform :
for there they gracefully anticipate the de-
mands OF the people, and, little by little, en-
large the field Of the franchise, and &C
qulesce " other reforms. These reforms
are effected through new elections Of mem
bers Of Parliament; hence the quietness Of
The revolutions, constantly, yet surely, ef
tected under their excellent form Of govern
ment. Nor will they be ablc 10 Withstand
for much longer period the determination
OF the Irish people to be enfranehised from
church rates and other burthens, with which
they are saddled for the support Of institu-
tiors created IL opposition to their religious
tenets and social wants.
| ln this country, legislative majorities are
tyrannical. Their motto is " Rule or Ruin;
consequently we are less liable to peaceful
revolution Party, like empire, has its rise
and fall.-The same fate awaits the domi-
uant one Of the present day, if, instead Of
| going TO work vigorously 10 emancipate the
workingmen froEi the lmpOsitions of mono
/ poly, they continue to waste their time in
setting up an antagonism Of races, and
thereby diyerting the government from ef-
fecting peaceful settlement Of the practical
questions which agitate the country.
We have not been able to discover any
sound reason why Congress or State Legis-
latures, should refuse to enact laws limiting
a legal days labor TO eight hours. II must
be plain enough, even 70 the apprehension
| Of legislators, that such an enactment cannot
determine what shall constitute DAYS
! labor some occupations requiring, like
that OF agriculture, that, at certain seasons,
the work should be uninterrupted from day
| light until dark Such law will not pre-
vent men or women from making contracts
to work for greater number Of hours per
day, according to their strength or endur-
ance. What the workingman wants is, that
ia the absence OF special contract, the
number OF hours constituting a days labor
shall be defined by law; just as j. done in
the iegai rate Of interest, only without the
absurd penalties attached 10 departures
from the rates established. Have not the
travelling public noticed the hardship of such
continuous labor, as that for instance to
which our car drivers are bound, to the risk
even Of life and limb in cold and inclement
wcatheri
Very few workingm fini it possible to
be so provident as to sGa1d in position OF
\ complete independence when seeking en-
ployment. The tyranny of Monopoies has
this effect upon then-it reduces them n
the hand-to-mouth style of living, and when
they lose one employment, hunger forces
them to be less particular than their inter-
ests would dictate about accepting what
terms are offered to them while bargaining
for Another employment IL is a common
I nj - IA. IL.
should be left to And its level, Ike other
commodities.
| But We object to the doctrine that labor
s commodity like any article Of mechsn-
., subject to the law Of supply and de-
mand and we cannot but remark the heart
lessness Of such a comparison. What com
pare human being to a bale OF dry goods
or to barrel Of pork i the pi.ilanthrop-
ist Of to-day, whose means and efforts have
been exerted for half century to free the
black man from slavery so blind that he
cannot perceive the difsrenceS lie did not
hesitate to invoke the aid Of War, and in
cur the incidental destruction Of myriads
Of human lives in order to crafty philan-
thropy for the black man and yet, when
the white man appeals to his humanity lor
relief, he cannot see any necessity for IL
because labor, in his opir.on, should be
governed by laws appe-talning to comuodi-
ties" But it viii not do to preach one
thing and practice aaother-to enhance the
trade value of black labor by depneciating
that Of white labor; and until the rule,
! which were applied to the amelioration o.
the social condition Of the blacks, are ap.
piled with equal resolution to bettering tn,
condition of the whites, we shall continue
J % agitate his whole subject, until the truth
; IS sifted ont from among the ashes Of nun
, Der sss sophisms and falsehoods with whict
1t is at present surrounded. ~ Y. People
Advice of am Old Maid 20 Y0uma
Men.
Whist is this world coming to, I wonder
Why, when was a girl, we were Taught tina