New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-06-15
ALAROR CONTENTION.

Before the close of this mOnth--On the eth,
we believe-there is to be held IN Albany
Labor State Convention. We venture to make
a few suggestions to those who have prompted
and those who will attend this meeting:
I. Be sure those you trust expect and are
willing to live and thrive by their Onn labor
Tn the past, Labor movements and organizations
have been largely controlled by those who used
them only as stepping stones to Office OF to
some sort of personal advantage. Now, every
man has a right to aspire to office; but he who
does so can hardly be your disinterested, unset
fish counselor.
2. BE not discouraged if this meeting should
be thin. 1t is held at the very busiest season
of the year, when most men who live by out
door labor cannot be spared from their work
to attend Conventions. If your deliberations
should evnce wisdom and generous purpose,
you may have ten times as large Convention
next November or December.
g. Do not cherish narrow conceptions OF the
nature and sphere of Labor. We lave not
the smallest objection to the assembling OF
those ony who perform manual labor for wages
in Convention of their own 1t is THEN clear
right to so assemble; and its policy is their
own concern, l'li III tuty SHouiu thch'o pO
mised into the c6nceit that there are 20 other
labOrers-that the farmer who tills his own
little homestead. the blacksmith who swings
his own hammer in his own shop the miner
working out his own bed or vein of mineral
nay, the engineer surveying the best line Tor
railroads. not also labOrer-ther error
will injudiciously affect themselves rs well as
others. Every one who by hand or brain CON
tributes to increase the aggregate OF human
well being ia, in the highest sense, a labOrer.
A. As to limiting each days work to Eight
Hours, we deem it clearly desirable though not
vet practicable, as we trust il may be III 1.-THE
good time coming" If there he any who deem
it practicable to reduce our working hours
forthwith To eight per day, we cannot agree
with them-not having yet seen how to reduce
our own hours of Labor to ten per day. Stu,
| we believe it possible, as Labor, though inven-
| ton and machinery, becomes more and more
| effective, 10 reduce the usual days work to
! eight hours, with the understanding that those
who are stopped pmt of the time by rain or
cold shall work ten and even twelve hours
when season and weather favor. And it seems
| to us that eight hours work per day for
| apprentices and other minors, leaving them
ample time for study and needful recreation,
ought 10y law to he established now.
| g. In our Judgment, COOPERATION Is the
| true watchword and sheet-anchor OF Labor.
, Let the Lab0ring Glass form combinations in
! their several trades. hire buy shops, tools,
! stock, &C., and undertake to supply the con-
| suming public, and especially the laboring
poor, with Hats, Goats, Boots, &c, &c, at
cash cost II is idle TO say they lack the
requisite capital for 800 to $500 each will be
capital enough, and those who have nothing
to-day can soon save this amount by doing
without Liquors, Tobacco, and other hurtful
indulgences. Ii, then. the Laboring Class shall
not generally become their own employers, it
will not be because they can't but because
they won't In that case we shall conclude
that all they say of the rapacity oppression,
&C., &C.. OF Capital is sheer Buncombe.
0. We hold that portion presently and
nine -tenths ultimately of the Laboring Class
may become their own masters If they VIII,
and that this will put their hours of labor en-
tirey within their own control Other ways to
this end may seem to ibe shorter, but none
other is so sure rs this.
T. Providence has not Eet opened way by
which the poor man who spends all he earns as
fast as he earns it can become rich or independent.
If such way should be opened, we shall try
to have the news Us soon as our neighbors,
though we are not looking for it,