The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-24
THE EIGHT-HoUR LAW,

and Borie, rendering practically nugAtory The
Eight-Hour Law, passed 1t the second ses.
sion Of the fortieth congress, has excited
much popular indignation. To show tha
these orders are patent violation of the 10
tent Of the law, and destructive OF its entity
we subjoin condensed history Of the bill
On January 9, 1868, the bill was introduced
BY Gen. Banks into the hoIs Of represents
tives, and, after overcoming an objection
made to its consideration by Mr. Spaulding
Of Ohio, and a short and quiet debate, 1t was
read three times and passed. The bill
which we published 't the time, provided
ithout qualification "a any kind, that eight
hours should constitute o days labor in al
government workshops, navy yards, arsen.
ais &C., and for the repeal Of all acts and
paris OF acts inconsistent with il. II having
been transmitted to the senate, and received
BY that BODY, was, On motion Of Mr.. Con.
ness, Of California, laid on the table for the
time. This motion was made to prevent its
being sent to a committee and there buried,
as was is predecessor
On June p, Mr. EeaiTicks, Of Indiana,
moved to take the bin from he table and
proceed to its passage. The motion gave
rise W s bantering discussion, which vas
partl pa,ed in by Senators Hendricks,
Conness, Buckalew. Wilson, Stewart, and
others, and in which Mr Hendricks was &C
eused, indirectly, Of having moved It's eonsid-
Grafton from sinister motives, be being at that
time in nomination for the goyerDorship Of
TIE State. The discussion was abruptly cut
OG by an adjournment. The bill then lay dor
mant until June "a, when it was, on motion
Of Mr.. CONFESS, taken FROM the table. I'm
medIately j. came before the senate Mr..
Sherman, Of Ohio, offered en- amendment for
The purpose Of defeating the intended effect
Of the btll, il these words: Sand unless
" otherwise provided by law, the rate Of
wages paid by the United States shall be
" the current rate fer the Same time, at the
place o. employment"
70 make the intent OF this amendment
more plain, if that were possible, Mr.. Fss-
sender, in the debate that ensued, made use
Of these words: at (the amendment) sim
"ply says that, if you choose to cut down the
2 tune Of labor in The government works, you
shall proportionally cut down the pay"
This amendment was eoquently and vigor-
Cusly opposed BY Messrs. CONFESS and Cole
~ CaliforBa, who were melted such a.
ton Wy the moral influence OF that tdmira-
Bile ass0ciauon-the Mechanics State Coun-
oil Of San Francisco, -MessIs. Buckalew, Of
Pennsy lvana, Hendricks. Of Indiana, VIII
son. Of Massachusetts,, and others; and ad-
y0coted by Sherman, Of Ohio, Fessenden, OF
Maine, Ferry, Of Connecticut. Morrill,, Of
Vermont, and others. on reaching uote
ne amendment tgls Dictated by 2l nays 10
IL gems, and the bill passed by 20 yeas to IL
nays. As a matter Of interest We give the
names Of the eleven legislators who so far
forgot that they bad obligated themselves to
foster and favor the interests Of their consti-
tuents, regardless Of tie demands Of the few
among them, who, mouOpolizing the money,
were more than abs TO tske care or them
selves, as 10 allow themselves to be recorded
in opposition to this eminenuy equitable
measure. The block list reads Corbeti
Davis. Edmuads, Fer Fessenden, Morgan,
Morrill,, Of Vermont, Pomsroy, Sherman,
Sumner and Van Wrinkle.
An inventory Of tie cslibrs and character,
az this eleven, "A I'll the extreme edifying .
Pomeroy, Of Kansas, is the father Of more
railroad ilbbing schemes than all thc rest OF
the senators Combined. Sherman, Of Ohio,
is the author q tke VIGOROUSLY unjust fund
ing scheme of The last session, which was 80
opportuleY defeated Ny TIE adjournment u
congress; the public credit plaster, Which
declares that the bondhOlder shall have
nothing but gold, and The aborer, the Grip
plcd soldier and the martyred volunteers
widow and orphans moth ng but greenbacks;
and Of numerous other equally iniQuitous
measures. Edmunds, another financial
tinker ana tool Or the rings, Morrill,, Of Yer
mont, almost a shadow oi tie last two Fer
WV, w Connecticut, who saws the eight-hour
law ~ his State Is a simple monument o.
legisle.ve folly" and who declares that
governments protection Of its industry, Is
an unwauanted and unjust infringement
upon the rights Of capital Fessenden Of
Naius vho says, ID effect, that no body
othe. tian ez secretsry's Of the treasury,
can pose WY have any knowledge Of fnarsci-
Al matters and who (poor fellow says his
laborious -lties as a senator, although they
DO require more than eight hours per day,
10 tot dwarf mental and physical self,
as If 4 were e. within the pa.e Of possibiI.
ties to further .aiure the quality Of AZ egg
already ''rotteF Sumner, Of Massachusetts.
whose knowledge and. sympathy embrace
nothirg Of exclusively African; Davis, Of
eniueky, whose deep-rooted prejudice
vii not permit Of his ever accepting an in.
PRODUCTION to black man, perhaps as intel
hgent, moral and honest as himself; Corbett
and Van Wrinkle, wbo are just wise enough
to partially hide their ignorance.
We must ask the readers pardon fer hav.
ing devoted 50 much space 10 these worthless,
and return to the pith Of our subject. The
arguments advanced in opposition. to the
BIZ, and in support Of the amendment were
eminendy silly, and without basis either 10
fact or 10 equity. A sample is the claim
that senators do not suffer FROM the long
hours they are compelled tOlabor Without
noticing the manifold complaints that have,
Ifrop time to time aanated from members
Of both houses, sessl pathctieally and slo.
quentIy forth, tie innumerabIs inconysui-
ences ard discomforts Of congressional d1-