New-York tribune., 1869-05-20
EHE EIGHrHoUR QUESTION

ADDRESS BY THE HON. HENRY WILSON AT
CHARLEsTOwN, MASS.
BosToN, May 19.-This evening" by invita-
ton the Hon. Henry Wilson addressed large and en-
thusiastie meeting Of the worknRmen OF Chariestown
and its vicinity which held under the auspices OF the
EiRhtHour League recently formed His views were re-
oeiyed with hearty applause by the workngmen whose
earnest advocate be has always been. The following s
an abstract Of his address:
Mr.. Wilson commenced by saying that the worlEngmen
had honOred him by their invitation ana ther pres
ence would expect him TO utter his own CONVICTIONS
though they might not perfectly accord Win thelr OWL
and might awaken no responsive chorus IN the Dos0 oI
some Who had so kindly welcomed him. He could utter
no word tending to perpetuae and deepen the apparent
and the employed-the rich and the poor That man
rendered lie Thought but Ptin service to MS race
Capital and Labor are not necessarily In an
snG sspaSu ho Religion Jesus Christ they Would be ccpera
tive forces Labor has It's rights as well as us duues
cohld Inc ion in the now fashionable prophecies predc
tOns and lamentations touching the ruin OF their cOun-
try. To date upon the ruin OF the nation had become
morbid passion. In spite, however, OF the fears
OF tmidity and the morbid imaginibgs OF dis-
appointed se'ness the GGjgln was xpaSSon
settlement, development, wealth, power, grandeur
I'm the means OF culture, rapidly than during the
past years. Annually the nation was adding more
than thousand million OF dollars to its accumulated cap
ita He had faith in the continuance Of individual and
national prosperity; the elements and instrumentaes
Of individual and national prosperity everywhere
abounded. Nor could he echo the cry that the rich
we're growing richer and the poor we're growing poorer
There was not the sembance OF truth IN that dppont ut
Of ignorance or dstrust or demagogueism The
rich were growing richer, and tho number OF men that
connted their POSSESSIONS by tens OF thousands had large
y Increased and was increasing But the poor GER
tanly rapidly growing IN knowledge, IN properly, IN
power and social Influence me Tora had never seen
lectual power social comfort enjoyment ana influence
40 years Then the wealth Of the nation averaged but
small sum for each person Men or large wealth. were
few in number; farms and houses were generally
encumbored with debts. and the houses OF the workers
wages possessed few OF the comforts none OF the
iuxurics. Now hundreds OF thousands OF farms and
homes freed from debts and the homes OF the work
ers for wages IN tue possession OF comforts dreamed
not OF by manual laborers 20 years ago ile learned
professions had failed during the past third or century
70 retain their once commanding power and influence;
Tie farmers and merchants, the builders OF budlngs ana
toegraphs the mechanics tho workers In the varied IN
dustries had risen IN power political and IN nnusnGe
SOUTH that arstocracy OF capital that gave law to the
nation men broken IN power anu I.GF d i D 10
be capital. and had Joined the workers FOR wages
not unmndfu OF the hard lot OF tong men IN ths cOu-
try aud In this The lot OF that man or that woman
that eats by the sweat OF the face VS. hard indeed
but IN the United states Jdt 10Y Was easier IN tne pteseht
generation than the last. Little was said 40 years ago
about the hours OF labor Cooperative soceues OF ooor
movements The lkor movements OF tle past twenty
years we're not born o ignorance degradation or neces
sity. Skilled laborers ana workers IN mills ana SHOPS
came 10 that health ana social enjoyment ana hOIa
and mutual Improvement would come by tue reduction
OF the hours Of toll 10 ten hours even II the rate OF wages
could not be maintained Ten h9urs 9ane ana Orolg1s
blessings and benefits 20 all The hours OF labor had,
since me ne Jn,np Innp. daliy and wages had been
Increased from three four fold. During the past ten
tries had wonderfully increased the productive forces OF
w0rkngmcn By the improved forces aud tools, the
I'm one hour Le could formerly In ten hours Increased
forces powers, and enlarged experience, had brought
should be established as days work They realized
that tho ten hour movement 50 generally acqmesced ~
hours would be more IN accordance VITA the moral,
mental physical, and social interests OF workingmen
tended 70 force the abouug population OUT oi the eGs
or cellars and garTets Tue reduction OF the bours
OF labor would enable mechanics and wOrkugmen 10 90
further from the centers Of tho cities and they would
thus secure healthier homes for their families Ihere
seemed TO him Ue another for the reduction OF
the hours Of labor The tendency was TO send young
men into cerkships or professions, or into ANYTHING
get their into ether empoymeuts, as
though they themselves were ashamed OK thelr
upon the country Would not reduction Of the hours
OF labor tend TO draw young men into the trades ana 20
that corporations manufacturers, ana mechanical com
pauius Arms shOud strive 10 induce working men 10
iake iuerests however small in the business in which
they engaged 50 believing No made an eHOrt IN
tho Legislature than twenty ago 70 have the
stock OF an manufacturing companies made into one
hundred dollar shares with view 70 induce working
take m Interest In the companies Tor which they
worked lie believed that 1t would be better FOR capital
and labor working men were induced 10 s TAKE an an
interest in the companies for which they toled IL
would dignity abor aud produce greater care, industry
thrift, and temperance aud develop personal RESPONSE
bty. Cooperative ASSOCIATIONS ainonN "VI H'nS nioH
should be encouraged though they often failed CO0pe
Tatiye action In which are engaged men OF Caplal
and business relations and experiences would, he
thought be Tar successful and SAFER. A
business firm OF noble men had recently entered
upou an experiment which he looked upon most hope
fully. Having more than a hundred men IN their en-
poy they voluntarily proposed last year 10 divide with
them ten per OF the profits OF tue yeaE The men
thought little or 10, they expected little from ~ AZ
the lose Of the year hoy called their men together ana
paid them the ten per cent OF the profits which made so
each man Onehaf hours pay each day. This was 20 the
mon grateful surprise ThCy then told them that TINS
year they wouil pay 12i per cent OF the prohts any
and expressed tho wish Lnt as hey al had an interest
tho results each should be careful ana see tat
nothing should DO wasted and they hoped that all would
strive To be temperate men, drinking tended 10 impair
their strengh. IN few days ~ ont Of the log working
voluntarily brought 20 the firm pledge OT total aD
stincuoe SO FAR that experiment had brought iorth
glorious fruits SuCh action, inspired by such
lofty purposes, by capitalists and business men,
would doubtless render lasting benefits 10 the
employers ana the employed, 20 capital and TO labor.
Massachusetts, emphatcally a manufacturing, me-
chauical, aud workmgmans' State I was e destiny OF
her people tOof large portions OF them 20 labor for
wages Here capital and labor the enpOycruud the en-
pOy cd the uch ana the poor should ak hand ia h0ud,
guided by OF justice and the spirit OF the Divine
Master Then would capital perform IFS highest and
test duties-then would labor look up, In the words
OF Daniel Webster youder Nights aud bo found in
the midst Of lts toll
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METROPOLITAN BOARD OF HEALTH.