The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-05-18
EIGHT HOURS.


paving the workmen in Government EN-
ploy, from whose wages 20 per cent. had
been deducted since the passage of the
eight hour bill, all arrearages, as contem-
plated by the Passage Of the bill.
am in favor Of striking out the amend
ment of the Senate committee. | am in
favor Of ret aiming the section as 1T came
from the H.use, striking out from it the
proviso. Those are my views, because |
am for placing all the mechanics aid work
men Of the Government upon the same
footing in respect 10 their wages since the
eight hour rule was established in the Gov
ernment works Not to do that is to be
guilty of great injustice toward a consider
able portion ~ those men. Many Of them,
understand the majority Of them, have
received their wages for eight hours day
at the old rate they had received for ten
hours day Has any one suggested a
single reason Why those men who, by the
accidental circumstance of different view
held by the superintendent, had their
wages reduced by one fifth as compared
with all the rest. should not receive the por-
tion thus withheld from them Has any
one presented any reason that should gov
ern the acti"r e Congress The Senator
from Vermont Mr. Edmunds says that to
do this II would cast thres. or four hundred
Thousand dollars Mat sort Of n reason
is that WY. sir, il probably costs us a
great deal n.rrr than that every year to pay
the wages Of cur w"rkmen at all we might
save good deal by refusing to pay them
anything. 81 NOR. than one half their due
Surely that not an argument which can
be seriously t;rSed against equities such as
are nov Prc-~cd upon US
do not crusader the merits 20 the eight
hour system involved in this discussion
The senator from Indiana Mr. Morton
has. however. stated FROM the proceedings
of Congress at the time the hill passed,
many circumstances which show very dis
tinctly what was the understanding Of
Congress then and that the understand
ing was that the wages Of labor should re
main the same, though the hours If labor
were reduced fifth.
But. sir. ] submit to the Senator wheth-
er there is not a hi Iher argument than
even the "a pressions Of Senators or the
members of the House, or than even votes
of the Senate or IF the House upon the
measure in its different stages 1t is the
argument derived from the nature of the
measure itself The reduction Of the hours
Of labor has from time TO time for the last
hundred years marked at each reduction a
beneficial era in the improved condition Of
the workingman, and in civilization gener-
ly. 1t has marked also an era, not Of di-
minished production, but of increased pro
duction.
More than that, il has been asked for as
boon by the mechanics of the world, by
those Of this country especially, and has
been granted to them as a boon. Now,
what sort Of boon do you call it to reduce
the hours Of labor one-tifth per day if you
reduce the wages Of labor in the same pro
portion They ask for bread, and you give
them stone They ask for benefit, and
you tender an injury. You shorten their
hours Of toll, but you cut down their
means Of livelihood. You keep the word
Of promise t. the ear, but break it to the
hope. When the time comes to discuss
the whole subject Of the eight-hour rule on
its merits, | am ready to discuss it, to meet
its opponents In fair held. | know there
is a cry we have heard il to-day-that the
experiment las failed. do not agree to
this on the contrary, l have seen figures
which show the exact contrary from the
Government workshops. The Information
also derived by me, upon inquiry made
from large employers Of labor IN my own
State, looks to anything but failure Of
the experiment But, sir, even if thus far
it had not produced all the good results
expected of it by its friends, are we there
fore to say il has failed 1t has hardly had
a trial and the trial has been almost al
ways at the hands of its enemies. We all
know that the reduction of the hours Of La
Dor from twelve to ten hours, made, if
remember correctly, by the administration
of Mr. Van Buren,, did at first produce
some trouble and some consequences that
were not desirable. We also remember
well that after awhile the producing power
Of the American mechanic, the natural en-
ergies Of the country, asserted themselves,
and production went on, not at a diminish
ed rate, but at an increased rate.
Whenever the question is fairly before
the Senate, and the Senate is disposed to
hear il discussed, j: can be shown by thee de-
ductions Of science as well as by our short
experience, even under very adverse cir
cumstances, that eight hours day form
precisely that period Of daily labor which
enables the human laborer to prolong for
the greatest Period Of the average duration
Of life his producing capacity. 1t is not
question of to-day, nor of six months, nor
Of year, nor of five years. The question
is whether il is or Is not in the interest Of
the State to have the productive energies
Of the laborers maintained for the greatest
period Of the average life of man.
j repeat, if it be true, according to the
deductions of scientific men, who approach
this great problem as pure question of
science with reference to the motive forces
Of the human system, that eight hours are
the proper mean of the days work, then
say it is in the highest interest Of an en-
hghtened State to adopt the eight hour
rule, and no such State, being alive to its
own interests or to the importance Of the
question, will be ready to abandon rs q
failed experiment, without half trial, the
efforts to ascertain whether, indeed, the de-
auctions of science on this great question
and the promptings of humanity are alike
delusive and false
But, sir, these questions are not before
the Senate now. Perhaps should apollo
gize for introducing them even incidental
ly. The simple question now is, whether
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