The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-02
The Eight Hour Movement.


ADDRESS By MRS. ELLA DAVIS LOCKWOOD.
Delivered IN Worbingmen's MEETING held
FGneua Hall, Boston, December 10Th.
am glad to be here tonight, glad to be
allowed to add my voice to yours. | thank
you for the opportunity. This movement is
the cry Of labor for justice. Labor and cap
ital are not enemies they are partners. The
trouble is one partner takes all the profits.
We band together now to claim our half. |
say WE, because, a woman. l look forward
to the time when you shall be as just to
women, as you ask capital to be 10 you.
Wages shall be not according to the time
used, or the rank Of the man employed, but
exactly acco riding to the value of the work
done. III a woman does as much as q man,
she shall be paid as much, and she shall
have free chance to try to do all she is able
to do. That's fair play. Don't pay a wo-
man teacher 800, and a man teacher 81 900
for the same work-that's not fair play.
said one partner-Capital-ta all the
profits. There is a trick about it. Cur
renew, Banking and rate interest-a trick
somewhere-but the result is 80. Ii is like
the Yankees trade with the Dutchman.
You remember the Yankee went in and or
dered two dollars worth of cheese. The
Dutchman weighed it out. The Yankee took
it up, held it moment and then said, 81
think Pll not have this cheese, I'll change
it for sugar." The sugar was weighed out,
the cheese given back, and the Yankee NOV
ed OH without paying. "Pay me for the
sugar." screamed the Dutchman. "Why, |
gave you the cheese for it." said the pur-
chaser. swell, pay me for my cheese then"
"But ] did not have the cheese, gave it
back to you" The Dutchmsn scratched
his head and thought, and thought-"Wel ell
dat ist so-all right-Only don't you
please trade at my store no more" Just 80
with labor-you can't tell exactly how, but
the sugar goes and no money comes. Capi-
tai gets all the prOfts-I mean he gets the
education, the comforts, tie leisure, the
wealth. We want our share of education,
therefore we want more time-leisure for IL.
Hence eight hours shall be a working day
leaving eight hours for sleep, ard eight for
the soul. Toe capital Of the country ouly
earns four dollars year on every hundred.
But the capitalist demands seven dollars
interest, Or eight, or ten al .yer four
dollars is stolen from labor We claim OF
SeBates and Presidents that they find some
Way 10 straig6ten this out. If they'll give
eight hours leisure eyerS day. we'll 4-,-.-
study up so As TO heip them 40 il. Give us
eight hours day and evening schools, close
the grogshop-Jpen the library. Union is
streDgth-Grant will attend 10 the nation,
while Clahln takes care OF the State-mean-
while we viii tvs cur hands on the city.
If we stand resolu ely together we can
maze anv man Mayor we choose. Our can
didate is right OF the Temperance Question,
that's No. i. with me in city matters-that
being safe we can now sink every other ques-
ton and vote only for labor. Last Novem-
Der you might be Democrats or Republicans,
this election be only workingmen. Last No
vember great National questions were al
stake-no one could be asked then to quit
his party for this effort But now the field
is clear-we cannot harm any other cause
we are sure to help ours. We shall never
triumph till we convince the community that
we ought to. The first step toward that is
proof that we really believe these are our
rights. Every other class combines IL de-
fend itself, why should not wep Railroad
men stand together and let nothing divide
them. Hoosac Tunnel men hang together
to cheat the State. Wey should not We pro-
tect ourselves? One bank never eats an.
other, only working men fight each other.
We shall never succeed until we get our
question discussed. The press will never
discuss it, till we threaten their parties. We
may not have educated pens to write edito-
rails, but the Journal and Trdnscript will
write tkem fast enough on the back of our
ballots if we throw enough ballots to brdQ
our candidates anywhere near the MAYORS
chair. Give Mr.. May votes enough 10 bring
him within a hundred feet of it. and pexI
year both parties will nominate an eight hour
man. Have an eight hour Mayor of Boston
three years running, and the atlantic
Monthly the year fer will prove conclusive
ly that the plan If -xactly right and they al
ways believed it. 1t is wonderful how
many converts success makes. There are
many men who can understand no other logic.
No cause ought t. succeed until those who
suffer from til unjustness show the world
that they feel It. dow shall working men
show thiss Dolly in combining to right
themselves. We may not have over-much
book learning, but we know enough to feel
where the shoe pInches. We have not as
much wealth as the other side, but there are
more OF US and at the ballot box Il IS num-
lnyn. Als dQHda Forward characterization,
O~Is IuaS 49,.
leisure, comfort, and a fair division % -
lie all on the other size of the ballot-box
no would be free themselves must slrlk
The blow. 1t 10 the ballot that executes the
freeman's will, as The lightning does the
will of God. Use it, and let capital and Ia
Dor be no longer rIvals-make them brothers.