The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-10
OFFICIAL ORGAN or THE LABOR UNION
REPEAL OF THE s-HOUR LAW.
The following item is going the rounds of
the nress 81 The country -

TIE press Of the couatry -
THERe Is an apparently well-iounded rumol
that Secretary Borie has determined 10 recon-
mend repeal Of the eightshcur law, on The
ground that the operations OF the Law hav.
worked adversely to the interests Of the Gov
ernment
Adversely 10 ths interests Of Government
sounds well when We consider it is the plea
Of men who have subsidized one-balf the
corporations 10 the country who have been,
with few exceptions, the tools, the miserable
fawning syoophAnts Of the national bank
and national debt swindlers who have mort
gagged the labor Of the country for genera
tons to come, and consigned the wealth
producing classes 10 a life Of unrequited
toll TO enable the leeohes Of society 10 drain
their life's blood, under the s2ecious pretext
that the honor Of the country demanded
that our national blessing should be paid
principal and interest tin gold. 1t is the plea
Of men, who for a consideration naYe swim
died the people out Of their birthright
the public domain-by voting il to railroad
monopOl.sts, and who, to their eternal shame
be il said, have transformed tie nations ca
pitol into a vast den Of Assignation Yet we
are told in face Of these facts that paltry
compensation Of 30 per cent. % few thou
sand government mployees-enough, per
haps, to supply family with their winters
fuel-has worked adversely to the inter-
ests Of the government, and that these
guardians Of tie public welfare feel thereby
con strained to urge its unconditional repeal
Well it is a long lane that has no turn
Let them 60 On 70 the end O. the chapter.
and It is possible that eventually the work
ing classes may be aroused to a sense OF
their duties and their dangers, -God grant
not before 1t l. too late We have 40 desire
70 attach an undue impor .snce TO the pro-
posed action on the 8 hour law, but as a
link in ire chain Of evidence accumu atiug
with sucI frigu:.ul rA9iditv, that unless
steps are Immediately taken by the people
to thwsTt il, il is designed to sink them to
invaluable lesson. It must convince the
most skeptical that the people, the toilers Of
the isnd, have nothing to expect from the
mrnions now 10 sutho itys that every year,
the web which is to FIX tneir social snd pc.
litical status Is being woven longer and
stronger, and that the monied power the
w.la aF Ia
mined to control the destines Of the Amer
lean Republic.
Il is under these circumstances that the
National Labor Union looms up IN the dis
tauce Ike the beacon to the tempest-tossed
mariner, in the gloom Of the night, when
he realizes there are breakers ahead. Il
points % he desired tarsA. 1t fills the va
cum. 1t is ready and able and willing to
throw its protecting arms around the de-
feuceless and the needy; to step il between
the robbers and the robbed, and to say thus
far shalt thou 60 and no further and in the
name 81 the bone and sinew Of the country
proclaim in no uncertain sounds-that the
oppressed shall 20 free, that labor hereafter
shall be hOnored and respected, snd the gov
eminent administered with an eye single to
the welfare Of the whole people.
But in order 10 accomplish this desirable
end, it is necessary-indispen sable-there
should be unanimity Of purpose and concen.
tratioh Of strength; that the hands Of those
to whom we have entrusted our interests
should be strengthened that individual
schemes or crotchets should be at once
abandoned. There is no ne to lose. Let
eA7h friend Of The me i constitute
himself a committee Of one to spread its
doctrines and inculcate its precepts; to aid
in the establishment o! labor unions through
out the country in fact, to use every
means which God aud nature have placed 10
his power to thwst out the Vaccinations Of
our So called law makers; to act as though
the salvation Of the country depended on
his individual exertions; to trust in God
and keep bis powder dry, and we shall be
blessed with a republican fact as well as
in name-the time when capital shall be the
servant and not the master Of labor.