The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-11-19


skilled labor is the looser-that is if il is
admitted that skilled is more valuable than
upskilled.
Who can fail to see the injustice OF this
system! Is it not wrong? Is It not a
great mistake? Every man should be the
measure Of his wages, and, in return, his
wages should be the measure of bis v'lue
in the scale of production. 1t Injuries un-
skilled labor to enforce a uniformity in wa
yes. 1t is principle in human nature that
over protection breeds degeneracy and
slothfulness, and rusts away that noblest OF
human faculties-INDEPENDENcE. Ii we
would have bold, enterprising men-"men
who know their rights, and knowing dare
maintain them," let them in matters Of in
dividual skill be alone responsible-let them
in the matter Of wages be graded according
to skillet their wages rest on their indi-
vidual merit as artisans. Do not understand
me to advocate removal Of the protection Of
trades unions. They have very impor
tant function to fll, BY keeping up the
standard Of wages which shall be graduated
from this standard up. according to ability.
What | would advocate is that YOU
would place the young man who has just
finished his time as an apprentice-and all
unskilled artizans-in such relation to his
fellows Of the craft that are skilled as would
cause him to aspire to perfection, and not
as now, in most trades place him in such re-
lations as respects wages, that it matters little
whether be perfects himself in bis calling
or not, so far as remuneration is concerned.
To remedy this should be an object Of
our labor organizations, as their is no one
feature of trades unions that public opinion
demonstrates against SO universally and most
justly too. How this shall be done under the
present and future work of trades unions,
| shall endeavor to point out. Let this
suffice. My object in referring to these
evils, is that We may the better know the
mistakes we are liable to make, and by
avoiding them, perfect, as fIr as possible,
an institution in which I have great faith
as being the means Of establishing justice
and harmony between employer and EN-
ployed.
Let US now notice some Of the more salu-
tary influences of trades unions, the work
they have accomplished within the last bali
century, in wiping out the wrecks Of feudal
times.
Two abuses of labor have to 4 great de-
gree been. abolished more especially IN
those trades which great care and skill are
necessary in order to secure public safety
that of piece work and over time
Under the first system (piece work. two
evils resulted, first to the workman and Sec
Ond to the public. To the workman, mas
much as the market was glutted with pro-
duction, which was often followed by dis
missal Of men from employment and reduc.
ton of wages. 1t was cf serious injury to
the public, for piece work was not 80 well
done, in erecting machinery, buildings, &c.
the object being to hasten the completion of
the work irrespective Of its safety Hence
engines were not built, but thrown together
bad joints, bad bolts bad iron, constituted
its sconstruetiOn--buiidings not erected for
safety but to complete the contract and the
consequences were frightful railroad acci-
dents and hundreds Of lives lost. Cause
bad workmanship in the erection Of locomo-
tives. "a large public building fell in last
night )" cause-piece work-hired unskill-
ed wOrkmen-these worked by the job
money, not safety the object Resuls-mauy
lives lost. In all departments of trade
such was the result. We are not yet free
from such accidents, resulting from the
causes referred to, but no one will deny but
what they are less frequent than if the sys-
TEN referred to bad not largely been abol-
ished. The workman and the public
have been benefited by the dis, Juragement
Of piece work in these departments.
The second system-ovcr time-was Of
great injury mostly to its victim-not only
physically, but morally and socially, as
well as religiously, it brought on all those
evils attendant on over-taxed and exhausted
bodies-as referred to-preventIng the de-
velopment Of the social nature Of man, BY
separating him from bis family and all its re-
fning Understanding him mere ami
NAL machine without ceiling or sympathy,
smOtbering bis religious, spiritual and intel
lectual nature, and thus extinguishing the
last ray of humanitarian zeal
Trades unions hav- been the means, and
sole means, Of reducing the hours of toll
from fourteen to twelve, and from
twelve to ten, and from ten to eight hours
per day. The struggle they have gone
through for this last reduction, which has
become law, is known to you all It's ar
guments and the necessity Of its speedy
adoption you all, | believe, fully appreciate,
But | would say, in passing notice, that
upon the adoption Of the "eight hour sys-
tenn" hangs many conditions favorable tc
the workingman. These .wo extra hours Of
rest mean volumes Of happiness to the toll
er. They mean better wages. They mean
equal distribution # labor. they mean
cooperation among tie masses. 1Iey mean
education. They mean thousands Of new
inventions. They mean social enjoyment al
home with bis family. They mean religion,
culture with them in church. They mean /
christian civilization, based on charity anG
brotherly love-
DELEGATES TO THIS CONVENTION.
This is to be the great victory upor
which rests the coming issues Of education
and co-Operation-the elimination Of th,
labor movement: Let us rejoice even in ,
partial victory, honor those who fou ght the
battles, and pledge ourselves-thst as tb,
Machinists and Blacksmiths' Union was tn,
first to agitatc the eight hour law IN 1868
and the first to fling the eight hour banner
to the breeze, on the historic fields Of Bos
ton in 1850 will we continue to Wage
the battle until We have WOO the prize entire
They say Grades unions have BEEN use
less to the workingman Let US pause a
We consider this victory, and ask:
HAVE TRADES UNIONS DONE NOTHING?
The social and educational feature 0
unlonism is Of much greater signifesnc'
than is generally supposed by the publi'
| and even its members The social feeAlne