The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-07

lts authors profess 10 InVor INC iaporing
man, is q mere net cast for their votes-
and is construed by the officers of the gov
eminent juss As congress intended it should
be construed, and is Q vile and cruel fraud
upon honest labor.
"Gen. Rodman, who has charge of the
Improvements on the Island, where q large
force is employed-has received instructions
from the secretary of war to pay those who
work eight hours. four ffths only of the usual
wages. Ihare read those iastructions-and,
therefore speak understandingly on the sub
ject.
''If congress had not intended to practice a
deception upon the employe. of the govern.
mentor political effect, the law would
have been made clecr and plain, and carried
its " Interpretation to every mind, with.
out the aid of official Internationally sim
ply saying that eight hours should constitute
q days work, without a reduction of the
usual wages. Such q law would have left it
at the option of employees to work ten hours,
At an increase of~twenty per cent. upon their
former wages, or eight hours without reduce
ton of the compensation paid or customa
ry at the time of the passage of the law.
The impression sought to be made by this
law, is, that the republican party are the
peculiar friends of labor, and in favor Of
raising the price twenty per cent, while in
fact it operates to reduce the earnings Of
labor twenty per cent instead of increasing
it. The truth is. my friends, the toiliag mil
lions of our country ,ciU look IN rain to
hare labor duly REGARDED by a party tohose
legislation has erer been on the side ofcapi
tai and who ADVOCATE the payment Of labor
in rags, ard bondholders Interest and prin
pal) in gold.
"The only hope of the lsboring and indus
trial classes must rest upon democratic prin'
ciples, democratic policy, and democratic
success. "hen abundance of money shall
have weakened the power of capital, the fet
tiers Of labor will DO broken, and the die
ordinations of the party in power, which
now Cypress the poor for the benefit of the
rich, will disappear before the equal laws Of
. democratic administration"
Gen. Singleton not only made a strong
speech in favor of the Eight Hour Law, but
IN onr Office, and in presence of many dem.
Gratis, he wrote letters to President johnson
and others, in Washington, urging a revo
cation of Gen. Scho6eld's unjust order.
9th. Mr.. Hawley was then, as now, the
radical candidate for Congress. What die
he do for the lsborers Not q thing. Did
he make speech in their favor? No. Die
he write any letters to Washington to at
them ? No. He left them to work out theil
own salvation.
eth. Gov. Seymour, then the Democratic
csnd date for President, as far back IS 1864
in answer to . letter from NJ. B. Fowler
ESQ, asking his views on the Eight Houl
Law, the currency, etc., wrote a letter from
which We cut the following
STATE OF NEW YORK.,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
ALBANY, Oct. /, 1864.
DEAR SIR:-I have received your letter
of the 18th ult., and l recall the interviev
which We had with regard 10 a bill pending
before the legislature, and the conversation
about the relationship between capital anC
labor.
With regard to the particular measures o
which you speak in your letter, viz: the re
duction of labor 70 eight hours, &c, l hav,
only to say that it Is q clear right of 81
classes of men to improve their condition
and to urge and secure such action ant
laws as are best fitted TO reach their object
| also hold that those engaged in differen
pursuits are the best judges OF the measure
which are for their good. 1t 10 their right Il
speak for themselves, and their views an
wishes should be taken as the best evidenc,
as TO what their interests demand. Whei
large classes of men have decided for them
selves, in the light of their own experience
what laws they wish, such wishes should b
met, unless they do harm or wrong to 9th
ers. The number of hours during whiel
men shall toll each day, is clearly
question for themselves to decide
Thus far all limitations of the hours Of !,
Dor hsv. been for the public welfare. Tn
time of labor has not been shortened as ia.
as the currency with which it is paid ha
fallen off in value. To make ldbO
cheerful at must not only be Sared from orel
toll, 6Ht also from anxiety tcih regard TO ii
rerard. Truly yours,
HoRATIo SEYMOUR.
Sth. The Democratic State Convention i
this State. and the Democratic District An
County Conventions, all, by resolution, IL
dorsed the Eight Hour Law.
9th. The w%orkinGmen of the Unite
States, at their National Convention in Ne,
York, July 4th, 1868, with delegations fror
all the workingmen's organizations in tn
United States, adopted their platform in IT
lation to labor, the currency, the tariff. tn
public lands, ETC., and presented i. to th
Democratic National Convention then i
session,and it was unanimously and enthus
as,ically adopted by the democrats. Thi
action was in perfect sympathy and accor
with the previous action of the Democrat
party under Martin Van Buren's admins
tration, which then reduced the hours O
labor from II to 10 hours, on public works
Who does not remember the contest then O,
the so-called Ten Hour Law? 1t was tn,
first progress made in the interests O
lsbor- That law was then as
sailed as violently as tn,
Eight Hour Law was in the late contest, an,
it was the Democratic party which origina
ted it and carried it through to success.
Here is, in brief, the record of, the demo
cratic party in regard to labor. The demo
cratic party is and ever has been the frient
and defender of the rights of labor, and of the
poor and the struggling masses in thei,
contest with m%onopoliss and the eucroach
ments Of power. 1t is q record which ever,