The New York herald., 1869-04-26
THE EIGHT HOUR LAW.

senator Henry WILSON'S Letter TO the Score.
tary Of War Dissenting from the Ohciai
Construction of the Law.
Senator Wilson has addressed the following letter
to General John A. Rawlins Secretary Of War, in
reference to the Eight Hour law:-
Major General JOHN A. RAwLINs, Secretary Of War
on put By officers of the the act consu
employed By Ss United staSs p.paSs Yioa
on D sns sns Letter % e sp Of hs he ac Of the Of
The recent action OF the House
ernment officials in direct violation Of the will OF the
Of the people CSnd vote Of the Senate hass
that officers acted In defiance of the will OF Con-
During the past third of century hours
Labor have been largely Thirty year.
chine shops and In the various mechanical industries wes
and person who realized the fact that capital has It's utios
as well as s rights sought to reduce the hours Of labor t
think there cannot be doubt that hours labor
been diminished during the third century hours per
day. That this reduction OF the hours Of labor has been CON
Improvement OF workngmen there be no question what
Many who realize the measureless blessings
flowing from hs the hours Of labor already
constitute days %o5a Many other
to Sse a Sr as
wi s s WAS
not asked to reduce the pay IN to the Of
the days work Congress asked to experiment.
s noar sos M
eight hours constitute days worka days work that
The S under lead Of General Banks with little d.
@ Sg
vote Of 2 S IL The debate % clearly shows the meaning o.
amend as to provide that the rate Of paid BY
ss 9q'es @ al s' ss the as
Conness, who had worked at mechanical employment in
9Ssa sp'1ss%
average Of the season through know by actual s1per
TSred By the for work
% AZ eight
M s%. e. boon that y hs E, wGa
81, the be set by the
Mr. sherman maintained if the of daily labor
were fixed Z. egh, in all the States the price S sish.
He desired that Il the United States chose to take The
aa e e it Sa s
% py Hs % . 1
Of United States is a privileged character entitled %
sa: % G ssss'' S ! @
5ssssSn.asss that ss
;s sIss1oa a Of
s' @ .sP' S sps s
eey win be promoted by this refOrm Mr. Morton declared
sss a A d a Be-
& he @ Of labor . Of Sa n Hs
said that the Fundamental tai proposon, which the
men would IN much labor s
form much labor in eight hours in He maintained
ihs
p per M
asserted that men would do more work per hour If they
.o s Oh ss Say 81 T cI put the Of
nouTs than they wOrs ten hours
natural they will not wear out 80 soon and II there is
favor Of This b Mr. Cole snpressedhe opinion thp, eight
quite sufficient that the residue
s
Ma e saaS az Ss chat IL ss soaS, to n SUP %
could in any number hours He 'leavng
ns R 1 s S
9n Of the zen OF & .he country to deprive PRIV them OF the
hey pleased" He Thought, after ALL Il the bin should
Buceasw ssoasSs the
SsA Dc Mr. opposed
the b because proposed ito give NTH person.
@ SaT III i G s ss as
hs es
M % PeTry % 1s Sa o and sse the
s G s 10 AZ e @
legislation was ignoring the experience Of six hundred
s Sf 0os Dgs be- Ssne % the
During the debate took occasion in substance that
Tor The that wished to give the eight hour
far trial. that thought the government employing few
hundred mechanics and abores could afford to test the eight
hour experiment; that convinced that toing
could perform much in eight hours In ten hours,
that they would much compensation for eight
hours for but that might be for the MATERIAL
Intellectual and moral interests OF the OF the people,
whose lot toll for their subsistence to reduce hs
hours labor II that reduction
interests OF laborng and laboring II would he
OF qualification benevolent heart
generous mind. maintained that capital needed cham
pion In this country and In this that mnde for
something better and higher In this country than to pile
thousand millions annuoy; that what we wanted 10
In this Christian land was healthy OF men and
with cultivated heads and hearts and consciences
that whatever tended TO dignity manual labor tighten its
burdens, TO increase its rewards enlarge its knowledge,
should receive their sympathy and their support
that animated by these sentiments should vote against Mr.
Sherman's amendment and for the bill a. from tho
representatives. OF the people.
Senator suggested that the Of the bill reducing
the hours Of labor oneh reduced the Of labor
NTH. ON the contrary all admitted that reduced the hours
OF labor without reducing Of wages Mr.. Shemans
intended reduce the rate OF In
portion 10 the reduction time. sixteen Senators voted for
Il 10 accomplish that avowed purpose Twenty Senators
against defeat the Accomplishment Of that pur
pose The action OF officers OF the s In direct
opposition the declarations OF Senator'S and In opposition
the OF the Senate The of the House or
Representatives emphatic declaration against the con-
put upon the think this action OF the House
should be admonton TO those officers TO revise their
HENRY WILSON.