The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-02-20
LETTER FROM CEN. WHEN, PRESIDENT OF
TINE MECHANICS STATE COUNCIL or CAL
IFoRNA.

LETTER FROM CEN. WYNN, PRESIDENT Of
TINE MECHANICS STATE COUNCIL or CAL
FoRNA.
SAS FEAScIsco, January 8, 1869.
T. the Editor Of the woEKnssAs's ADvooArE
A copy Of your paper has come pretty re-
gular to \. G Terrell, our late correspond
ing secretary. He is the secretary u the
louise Carpenters Protective Union, and
therefore has little or 70 time to devote 10
the labor interests Of the country outside
II the hands thar We ourselves employ. |
have myself real your paper with degree
Of interest, seldom given by any other paper
Several papers have been sent u from the
Atlantic States, and fast as they come We
have formed clubs to take them. To all OF
them we have sent more or less money, and
in each case We hsvs been disappointed.
The Welcome Workman, Of Philadelphia.
Boston Voice, and Industrial Allocate, Of
New York, have all, in their turn, failed to
come after the first few months; this is very
dIscouraging to our members, out it seems
TO be the fate Of all papers that undertake the
exclusive advocacy of the laboring classes. /
hope it will not prove rs disastrous with the
WoRKReMAN's ADVOCATE.
Our success in what we have undertaken,
is all that we expected or desire. In Janu-
airy, 1867, we commenced 10 organize the
house carpenters, with view to establishing
the eight hour system among them. Other
trades had commenced the work, and with
considerable success. The carpenters hav-
ing so many 20 reconcile to the attempt, ap
preached the Effort . establish the eight
hour system among themselves with great
caution; but once they had appeared be-
fore the public by their great demon stration
90 the 80 of June 1857, there was no longer
q middle course TO pursue | had many
fears at FIRST, for ridicule is a powerful wea-
pom .hen used upon the uneducated masses.
and assure you it was used right and left,
until 4 was found that we had determined to
demand ol- r'sits through the ballot box,
then fear came over our opponents-they
saw that once aroused, with political power
Guile or even more genuemanly opposition.
In every political convention since that time
we have been able to commit both parties to
our int rests, they agreeing to all Of our de-
mands without an effort 20 prevent rs from
obtaining them. The result vas that when
the legislature met We had only TO ak and
Il was given, though some OF the members
Of the legislature became more bold in their
I'm h. At -
preached, but we succeeded IN passing all of
".s measures, printed copy Of which send
you IN pamphlet form.
The legislature had but just adjourned
when the State Capitol Commissioners pass
ed resolution evading Il at part Of the eight
hour law providing that public work snail
be done at eight hours per day. The Me-
chanlcs' Stale Council ut once appointed a
committee who called upon the governor
he had been nisled BY others 10 relation to
the intention of the law, and after short
consultation he called the commissioners to-
gether and corrected the error by recindiDg
the offensive resolution. Next came trouble
with the beard Of supervise of this city.
To understand this part of the subject |
must 60 back little. On the 81 Of Decem
Der, 1867, We sent in q resolution to The
Board Of Education, asking that all the work
done by them might be done under the eight
hour system. This resolution was passed
unanimously, without iscussion, and has
been carried out TO the letter. On the 23d
u ti,e came moath we sent similar resou-
ton to the Board Of Supervisors, and thy,
IN like manner, passed it but failed to live
up 70 it.
The eight-hour law went into force on the
20:h OF April, 1868; then we determined that
the law must be exec lted, but the board re-
fused to instruct the superintendent of streets
to insert the stipulation IN his contract, that
the work should be done at eight hours per
day, though, yon III see, the law ia very
PLAIN upon the sGpjec As the fall election
approached, we eterinined not to support
any man for Office that would not think as
We did, and, on Sc ding theLl printed ques-
lions, they nearly all answered-Yes.
The new board has now referred the mat
ter to the city attorney whose opinion ac-
cords with ours. Col. N. O. Smith is the
superintendent, and, true to his pledge, be |
has inserted in his contracts that the work !
shall MI be done ut eight hours per day. Ia |
. few days mandamus will be served by |
the contractors, demanding him to strike |
out the stipulation. We have employed an |
attorney 20 defend him, while TIE city attor-
aey, believing his opinion correct, will also !
defend him against the contractors. There |
viii be . merry time in about ten days the |
time for entering inso contract will have ex-
pired, then they will forfeit their bids and /
Will be sued upon their bonds. Ii is no .
hardship to them they are not takec by /
surprise, for we have kept them notified that |
We demanded 10. The contest 10 this the
CITY admits that all work done under the
direction of the sups rvis ors, must
be done at eight hours per day, bat when
the superintendent lets the work, and the
owners Of property pays for II directly 10
the contractor, the city IL not party to the
contract. send you my argums ut upon the |
subject; u you find Il necessary TO make II
PLAIN 70 yonr readers, yen can make such
extracts q you think viii effect the end
| send you my annual message To the Me-
chanics State Council. You via see We ere
kept vary busy, and from this you can make
extracts that vii give . good idea Of our
Il would be well for you to
exchange With the weekly Morning Call in
his city, ~ that paper 10 the Trend Of the
sighs hour men and measures, and keeps up II
! prssty geod account Of what We are doing. I
Esom President Sylvis. ] hs-s received n