The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-05-05
KEoHUK. IowAs
FARMERS aLnrr OUT IN THE sOLD.n

n EOh ~ IA INV Ii
SUNDAY MORNING, MAY s.
rAnmnns aLEFr OUT IN rHE sOLD.n
The inapplcabilisy Of any right-houz Law TO
he farming community seems % apparent
that all the statutes, thus fkx enacted, make .
special exception Of agricultural laborers.
And, for The reason thst this exception =
made, il D taken for granted thai farmers
have no inseresa in the mattetrhstevsr.
nhAss<y singular fact thst law which
proposes % naassiAl and general change in
o matter DO important, should be regarded as
one Of utter indifference 70 the farming COM
munity. And especially when We remember
that mors pefsons are engaged in agricultur>
81 pursuits, and interested in farming than
in ali othss occupations combined. For if
change from ten to eight hours is required to
promote the velfare-physical, intellectual
and mossl-of eli other laborers Of whatever
class % occupation, why not farm laborersi
II ten hons labor per day Is too great tax on
the physical energies of the hsndicraftsmsn
in ell psrsuits, why not upon the farmerf
There ~ fsw pursuits that demand greater
endurance end subject the laborer to greater
physical exposure to the vicissitudeso of wuther
than sssnine. Why then should farm laborers
b excluded BY the advocates Of the eight. hour
system from ths benefits and blessings which
they claim in behalf of oil other laborers, i'm
piled in the reduction oftheir hours Of labor,
and he ipsssass Of their pay.
Thea again. - to opportunities and time
for inssIlscsua and moral Improvement, for
recression and for sleeps farm laborers need
oil thess advantages, just as much, and
ought 70 appreciate them quite As highly as
other laborefs, and as the farming communi-
ty exceeds oil other departments of labor,
the lav, IL Q good thing in itself, should ex-
tend he esesAsss good TO the greatest num-
Der, BY securing equal advantages at least to
them - 10 others.
II sssms 70 ", that law which excludes
the majority Of the people of the State for
which i, 10 enacted, from its operation and
benefits, 10 partisland unjust-and we rsther
suspscA thas there is Constitutional barrier
in Iowa 70 the passage of such . Law, 10 that
providsa which requires that all general
lsvs shall have an equal and uniform op-
Grafton.
BuA, taking it for granted that the eight-hour
sBstsn 10 nos 70 affect agricultural labor, il
may ssiIl prove to be Q great mistake to as
same thsA farmers have ne interest in the
subjsca, end that it is matter Of indifference
vhsthss labosers in other departments work
eight hours or ten. To say nothing
Of ths synpsthesic effect and influence of la>
horefs in other departments over farm labor.
era end the tendency in the country, to adopt
town fashions, il strikes us that there 10 one
vital point in which farmers are especially in
tsrssted in this matter.
The sdoption of the eight-hour system,
throughout ths country, in all mechanical
and manufacturing pursuits, weuld reduce
ths amoaNt Of labor devoted to these pur-
suits, and consequently the production o
manufacturers, &C., twenty per cent. The
result would be, in the nature Of things, ar
inadequate supply, and consequent rise il
prices of eli aueh articles, But in the mean
time there 10 no reduction in agricultural pro
ducsion, aud, Of course, there can be nosuct
lack Of supply, and no such rise in prices a.
would be experienced in manufactures ant
othss linss of production and labor, which
the farmer end the farm laborsr is compelled
TO buy. Hence, it follows, that Il the eight
hour system operates as its advocates insis
it viii, TO reduce the hours OF labor, in al
vocstions except farming, it will increase the
prices Of ell that the farmer buys, at the rata
Of twenty per cent, while ii will not have
the slightsst tendency to increase the prices
OF The productions he has to sell.
TAis seems clear, upon the basis of the ar.
Gsnsn,of the friends of the eight hour law, and
hey csa only avoid the inevitable logic Of the
prsnisss BY denying that the law would have
anS s6soa in reducing the amount Of labor
psrfornsd, but would only regulate The
snoust performed for the employer as day
vssA. But, il theY take that position, it ut
tssly assasoys the force of all their arguments
in fsscs Of TIE eight hour system. For they
cossssd tAsa il is injurious for the laborer to
vssh more han eight hours day; and it is
juss - injurious to work more than that on
the "sstrs time" dodge as upon Irregular
AoasA" Add il the laborer does not get the
eaas ~ fos eight hours that he now gets for
Ven, he could not. at present prices, make .
living to- himself and family.
ce4Ast isno vay 10 which the matter can Be
Put thsa he farmers can look upon it with an
szs Of Indifference, end il becomes them,
therefore, 70 investigate the question, in all
il bessinN il they do not feel content to be
"oosntsd OUT and "left out in the cold" by
partial legislation on the most important
su0aioss affecting the general interests of tho
community and the people of the State.