New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-26
THE EIGHT HOUR QUESTION.
LETTER OF SENATOR WILSON OF MASSACHUSETTS
To THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

Major Gen. JOHN A. RAwLiNs, Secretary Of Var:
l am clearly of the opinion that the construc
ton put by officers OF the Government upon the act
shutting eight hours days for all laborers work
and mechanics employed by the United States is
palpable violation Of the letter and spirit of the act of
the intentions of Congress and Of the desires OF the
who peoned for its passage. The recent action Of the
House Of Representatives is the completes demonstra-
ton that the action OF these Government officials is In
direct violation OF the will Of the representatives Of the
people Could vote Of thefSenate have been obtained
confident that body would have proved that Gov
officers acted in defiance OF the win OF Congress
During the past third of century the hours OF labor
Thirty years ago the hours o labor il notwithstanding
establishments machine shops and in the various me
chancal industries were generally from IL TO Is
bs dH LSS St sb msp S and k who x RE-
is rights, sought to reduce the hours Of labor TO
ten hours day. aud they have been generally successful
persons employed In mechanical and turing IN
dusries have been diminished during the third Of cen
Of labor has been conducive to the pecunary physical
mental, moral and social Improvement Of workingmen
who realize the neasureless blessings flowing from the
reduction Of he hours Of labor already secured demand
furthef reduction. that eight hours shall constitute
days work Many other persona too, eompfehep9lpg
the wonderful improvements and Immense productive
well capital should share In It's benefits Congress was
asked TO constitute eight hours days work Congress
ducton Of the hours but to FIX the number Of hours that
ment conld afford TO test tho experiment enacted the
elghhour law. BY that law eight hours constitute
DAYS wora days work that commands days wages.
The BILL under the lead Of Gen. Banks, with little de-
On the oath " June it taken IN the Senate and
passed by vote Of 20 10 H. The debate clearly shows
the meaning Of and the intention Of the Senate
Mr. moved amend so "a TO provide that the
rate Of wages paid by the United states 1 sho9a DC inc
place of employment Mr.. Conness who had worked at
Cafornia opposed tho amendment He tanned that
every who labors knows very WELL by experience
can IN ten taking the average Of the through.
know by actual experience, that when worked at
6sd for the anoHl Of work did never was 50 wei
satisfied with the work did nor the quality oft as when
worked about eight hours day" He maintained that
il was very small boon that the w0rklngmen OF
America asked from the congress OF the United Stats
ducng the OF labor" Mr. Sherman maintained that
the worknen should only receive the price Of eight hours
work he desired that II the United States chose to take
the lead in making eigh. hours days work, should
private individuals would pay. He emphatically de-
declaration that laborer Of the United States Ba
privileged character entitled TO higher wages than
that there was justice in Il. righteousness In II
that would be unjust and 9mpSPui1 . MT
that the field Tor the operation OF the law was not very
large 81 said ia that eight hours Of labor. faithfully
ied are -uite sufficient; that the health OF tho Ia
bOrer and the eessSom" Mr. Morton declared that Mr.
shermans smendmens virtually defeated the objects Of
the bill >; that its adop. W. M IL t. " - 1879 VI
a%Gans d tat m1ch Hs said that the fupda
mental proposition in on regular wGn neehahca employ
ments would perform as much .soTr ~ eE 1gop
as tnsy %OS to operators would enable them
TO perform as much labor IN eight hours as In ten ne
%s na ss esSv 'nS wen tested in Government
GorEshOps; but the experiment could not 20
IaSe IN the beennmg were reduced per cent" Mr.
Ste wart asserted that wond do more work per hour
ten hours day "If you put the value OF men on the
AMOUNT Of labor they do in the course Of their natg
raj lives think men will be more valuable they WORK
eight hours a day than II they work ten hours Day
think they will accomplish more IN inc course Sc, 81 hs e
is any object ProloDgng human life and Increasing inc
sgggas q human Sn Mar Pe s1pTesse6 the opinion that
eight hours labor in the mechanical pursuits h ana ~ az
o the fine not devoted sleep might well he employed
for the Improvement Of the mind ana inc oner Iac
nose that man could much IN eight hours as he
could In any larger number OF hours ne Was lot esN
the PsSRst GI SIS He believed "a
Degradation Of the workngmen Of the country 70 ae
sums aud Just such time they pleased lie h9 n
after all the bill should pass 1t woua res1L bn no 81
tie bill ought not be encountered ana eDarrassod
by Mr. sherInsas amendment 70 sye oSeiT6 more 10
persons who worked for the Government than to those
s ou,d raIse the wages OF abOrers Ia Government en-
rloy oneith by the passage OF the % because lat IS
The eSS Meet ,S oi wages the same Mr. Perry
! s.onid vote for Mr. Shermans amendment be-
cause II such bill TO pass, was just to the Gov
srnment that the amendment should prevail lie De-
uad tIst sncb legislation IGNORING the experience
Of 800 years" that Instead Of being Dsen 20 rS T%IE
1no The debate took occasion 10 say, IN substance,
That Should vote against Mr. shermnns amenanei, Tor
tle reason that wished TO give inc eiEnthOur move
nIent fair trial. that thought tic government, en-,
blowing a few hundred mechanics ana la3oreItI eoult
afd 10 test the ceht-hour experiment; that was not
convinced that tOing could perform as mueh Work
In eight hours hours or that they wou receive
as much compensation for eight hours az Tor zen hours
but that IL might be for tho material ihlehecIna ahu
moral interests OF the of tic peope "noso III !.
L liza