The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-20

| mischlevOus.
1t should be borne in mind. In considering
the present movement. that the eight hou
principle has been recognized by the national
government and by the government of the
State of New York, and has thus received
legislative endorsement and sanction This
certainly affords some justification of the posi-.
| tion taken by the laboring classes; for they, no
| doubt, argue to themselves that system fair
and proper for the national and State govern
ments to endorse and adopt ought not to be OBJ
jectionable or unjust to other employers. 1t is
| impossible to refute this reasoning, unless on
the plea that Congress and the State Legisla-
ture have enacted improper laws for the sake
of gaining popularity with the working classes
Besides, in many trades, where hard labor is
performed or intense heat has to DO endured,
eight hours steady work every day during the
year appears to be as much as human beings
ought to be required to perform. The sugar
refners, who now work from thirteen to
fourteen hours day, with the thermometer
from eighty to ninety, and receive one dollar and
sixty cents day, strike for ten hours work
and two dollars and half day, and few
will deem the double demand preposterous.
1t is question whether an honest workman
will not perform more labor at the end of
year at eight hours a day steady employ
ment than at ton hours, in consequence Of
the advantage of greater rest and relaxa-
ton and improved health. But however this
may be- it is clearly the part of wisdom and
prudence to listen patiently and indulgently
to the complaints Of the laboring men, and to
extend to them such concessions as
can be granted without actual injus-
tice to the employers. To keep labor in
turmoil and agitation for any length of
time has been dangerous experiment
in all ages of the world, and is doubly hazard
GUS in these days of railroads and telegraphs,
which draw the immense power of the work
ingmen of the universe into concentration and
unity. The struggles between rich and poor
between capital and labor, have sown the
seeds Of all the great revolutions of history
wealth and aristocracy had been
less overbearing, and if the wants of the
people had been satisfied in the bread riots of
Paris, we might never have had the French
Revolution, and the patient virtue of Louis the
Sixteenth and the grand heroism of Marie
Antoinette might never have been discovered.
These labor agitations are the life-blood of
demagogism. They nourish the natural revo-
lutionists Of the Carl Schurz school, who would
starve and die in time Of peace and har-
mony between rich and poor, capital and
labor But they are perils that are wisely
avoided, for every act which drives labor to
change Of masters which transfers its
interests and allegiance from capital to
societies, strikes blow at the safety of
property, and casts over us the shadow Of
anarchy and agrarianism. For these reasons
we counsel prudence, moderation, iberality,
even generosity, on the part Of employers
toward the employed at this critical moment.
We have only to watch the cable reports to find
that the labor strikes we are now experiencing
are not local in their character They are
spreading in Germany and are threatening all
Europe. If the time should come when they
should be universal-and the telegraph mighta at
any moment make them so-there would then
be period of suffering, growing out Of a ces-
sation Of work in every country which might
make the world the theatre of Communism
and bring about general ruin and destruc-
ton. At all events it is well for capital
and labor to remember that their interests
are identcal-a truth which both are too apt to
forget Each is dependent on the other, and,
like partners in common business or like
members Of the same family, their efforts
should be directed towards harmony and con-
fdence for the good Of both. 1t is only un-
thinking or designing men who endeavor to
breed discord between them