The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-15

against arrogancs and perverted usage for
the greatest possible amount 81 production,
and repairs aCfth The least possible effort. aud
mn eamItsble dtstrbution or yield 70 AH who
laboF. Organization OF individuals with q
common interest at stake Is absolutely nee
essary, since q reciprocal interchange Of the
intellectual and substantial yields 81 labor
can be made only through combined effort
ID has long been known that 10 the aver
age Of communities where crude and skilled
labor are adv IntAgeously applied, the pro
ducts are sufficiently great to supply the
cur-snt wants If each producer " from two
to n u nours OF labor daily, and II IL d. not
do this the causes are 10 be found Ia the
want OF Distribution, not in the lack Of pro-
dacGiOn. lt u also well knoEn fact that
both the mind ami the body requIre from
two 90 four hours vigorous eK rcis1sd lily. "A
greater amount than this 81 labor produces
more than the laborer co sumeS, say t~ier
IS much, and the excess by reason Of uafair
distriiYut,on Is given his nsighb0r WHO does
nothing. NV, while A. " working eighl
Or ten hours q day physically, or four u SIX
hours more than ths physical Law requires,
and robbing his miad Of an equivalent of
time Necessary 20 IT'S development, b is la
uishing n idlvness. ur IISsipati0n wricn
l. sFill les norma, an ~ both cases the
lsw Of naIure is abused.
Sush is the European VleW of the Labor
question, which becomes eminenty scient-
10 aad fund mental, "a ratio a. 70 searched
Heaven anI Naturr rather than statutes ani
proceed .nts, as a guide for its c4-eer. But
20 begin wiun demand sor four hours day
in the face Of statute law which are severe,
and usages which are sill stronger, would
be idle prAttle and organized workiugmen
have loog since proved themselves too dis
Greet 70 intercept their policy bv in0rd nate
demands. They are satisfied With a dimI-
mutton TO eight hours from the varying
standard u ten 10 fourteen Even thi- is
REGARDED US a daring attempt t0 introduce
hateful innovations upon the time and Law
founded customs Of the day And it is thus
that the great intellectual war of the old
and the new, the 0verbearing and the rea
snnAble, the conservatory and the rev0lu-
tionAry begins. 1t is strife between cd
aud man; the one holding % the s1r0ll 81
laws physical, O?On which nature has stamp
ed her motto Of Ice x0rable compensation &,
wherein excess and its entailments Tester,
and The other vindictIveIy foGming and rag
ing a. the resistless su4siOn 81 truth.
But have not given you the strongest
pAilatory argaEent for the eight hour ques
ton. The workingman in Europe bas much
70 hope for and little ID fear | have seen
labor in city and country, farm and factory,
il England, France, Switzerland aud Ger
many, and know tho pay to be pitched az
I" star walton rates !" that Is 70 say, men and
women are paid enough 10 supply sheer All
maj wants, and no more. III masters pay
less, then physical FORGE must decrease from
want Of nOurishment On an average, there
is 33i per cent. Of tue products kept IN idle
ness by monOpolies, who use them as a re-
serve force 10 cases ot dispute, VI strike.
These roam beg and lanEuish Now Vi ths
66f per cent. Of the labJring element ~
Europe we're TO curtail 0ns-third OF ths
hours and products Of labor, the ether
third, who roam and languish, might have
work, and since employers cannot diminish
their pay, without correspondingly dimiu-
isning the muscular vigor Of the en-
plOye, operatives have less 20 fear from rs-
duction Of waves than might be supposed.
All that ~ necessary, IL vigorous AMI sell
disciplined organization, snd fearless a.
YIcacy Of the eight hour cause TO produce
the reform.
10 my opinion, there is no one thing so
necessary for the do~n-trOdden European
woTkingmen, az leisure. Ia France and
there are worse places shan Francs--he
commences his hardshI,'s At years Of age,
and eight hours day until II years Old :
then ID hours until his boAry head and fall
tering step attest the wane Of bis useful
ness, when he 10 discharged 70 seek refuge
in beggarY (which is forbil den hiU), or tue
almshouse. What time has the poor factory
girl TO learny Millions are unable 70 read
Or write yet they are bright, Intelligent
md honest, and, with little leisure and
kind counsel, might shoT 70 their blusbinZ
country the dignity Of productive intelli-
geDce over idleness and proGigaev, which il
Is nov their fortune 70 support
U. OsB RSR WARD.