Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1867-05-31
6br 0rfurA 4tmutrat
PARIS MAINE. MAY 81. Iss7.



blots upon our national character. vas fbs
fact. thar our governments did not secure 70 I
persons % Africsa descent. ray for tneir
labor. IA permitted . fe- ,bev>sod ia'oF- T
ed Aristoerats TO Gospel BY brute ioroe.
four millions OF per-ons IN this oountEy.
% -ork Cor shsa ior EOtAing. ThAnk
UeaY-n. tbs disgraceful exhibitiOn Of tyr
amy has passed away. and Tho great Prinei-
pls. ths, the =. Iaborsr = worthy ofhss
hire Is nov fnIiy and universally Vcog-
nized But What shah he The rule. rcgula-
ting the compensated Of those ~ho labor.
and The number Of hours that shall consti-
taie a DAYS work? These are questions q
great interest. both 20 the lahorer ard his
employer; Tor II nus, be admitted. ihs; 20
a very great extent. labor ard capital have
mutual. and common interests. n.Ai cannot
DC separated. The price ofiabor dePends
very mech upon ivo things; first. tho de-
uand for Il. and second. the supply to
meet this demand. II there . rrea
amount q labor demanl,.i. AL compara-
lively bat fen persons 20 meet tbs demand.
the wages oil be high. bgf II hborcrs are
plenty. and bat LILLE work TO he done
their -ages will be lower. In regulating
the Prioe 81 labor. a very important qaes-
ton hers suggests itself. Who shah say low
much man shall receive Tor days work?
Shall he tx the prev. or rs enployers
50 far a. the right j. concerned. the nan
Who does the work can fx bis own pricc.
for no man cen compel BIN 20 work except
upon his own terms. ard this j. :i-it
While be can do this. lie can co-pel 70
man 20 employ him; While one pa-rv =
free % demand his own price. the other
oan DO - BE phases shou; rsyir- :,
TAis brings us 90 THE common standard.
recslaiins this matter. VIZ That the
price oflabor i Fixed by The rnufuai s--ce-
men; % both PARTIES There l.. ha~excr.
an exception 20 tkis rule. II a. works
for b. withous sny acrecd sfipulation q. 20
price. n en- receive only a FAIR oornpenSa-
tio,. an amount equal to What - received
BY others f0r like services. While gov
erument has no right 60 kx the prioe % Ia
bor. u does claisn Tic right 90 ie-isiate.
ard ssy BY la~. hos ull,lr h0ars ssaH con.
stitute DAYS work. This Question Is Bo-
greatly sciiafing certain pHrtics of the
eountrv. 1en hours per dav has generally
been considcred tie ssndsrd. and that :.
the law N thi- STATE; and taking every
thing INTO aceouuf. NE are inciined to tho
opinion. that This tirne. q, a general rule.
Is nesrcr right thar sry osbsr. IL Cur
man afacturiHg establishments the opera-
tive. work eleven. and some Of them toe I've
hours per day, in spite Of the law bat
whether anvthins = gained IN the end n
either party - \ Very serious question
II you overtax a persons pbysiral sncrric.
by q long lrag Of twelve hours Labor per
day.i bis or her labor rcally worth move %
the employer. han would be ten hours.
With physiral vigor uninpsi-rds Can obsi-
dren be kept IN . mil twelve hours evrrv
six days IN the we-k. ard not impair th~ir
bealthS They who have ezreioIlv studis.l
the Laws Of our physical na,rrr. say not.
and has not painful experience. IN the
broken down constitutions % hundrrds -
yeung persons, demonstrated the Acts
Bot hire = another slie % lbs question /:
and by "s~inging ro1nd the cirrIe.~ Ne
come 20 the other extrerpe. tie cirhs
ho8r system a. IL - c.llcJ.
Soch has been the exeiteunent raised By
the laborcrs upon Ills quesfion. tia, "a
for states. is~s have been passed. making
eight hoHrs per day. a legal days work
AID The excitefncsf hss nor been ooriine ]
% STATE Legislsfures. o. crspt INTO q onrrs.s,
I'D ~ the last sessior. ~ 40 was intro
duccd INTO TIE IIouse by Gcn Banks. pro
vidins that eight hour rcr day should en-
stitute DAYS work. fsr al islorers employ
Cd BY the Govcrnncnf Tbs st pa.sesl
the House. and came " thin one vote q
passing the senate.
While ~ would nos irnpeach TIE motives
ofMembers % Congress. ~ this sction uron
this question. YET &c cannot iook npsn
this movement. a. a1y better has a spl~n.
id exhibition Of dernscoeism. eniircly
unworthy ofthe men Who inssxuraied r
Itloots TOO nsch like q speeious iriek "a
ea.ch voses. for the newt elecsioa. wsh ~
proper regard for tie interests Of %,
Government
ms eight horr movement y one q ~
worst ihing- for shr iaborors that "a sssf
devised. IN ihsse S,ases We're che Ia b..
been passed. ibe mn. no procured BE-
enactment. hnd u iuapossibis O. sri,rc. 4,
In Chicsgo and other place. H. labarors
have bad any number of 10. Strikes 49,
tbey have. tbus fsr. ended Ia a total ia.i.rs
% torce capitalists % pay iun sares g.
eieht hours labor. The resuh -. ths
90 strikers' have turned themselves eniiroi,