, 1879-07-10
THE EIGHT-H0UR SCHEME,

THE EIaHT-HOuR hEHEME4
Mr.. IRA STEWARD, President Of tho Boston
Eight-1lorr Loagao, and who Is conceded to
bo this intellectual louder Of tho eight-hour
movement in this country, did not deliver
the oration on tlnt subject which Ind been
expected at the Fourth.ot.July picnic. In
ordor to giro it more emphasis, md to Oh
tain for 1t moro attentive audience than
could ba Ind at an open.air meoting on a
festive occasion, tho ;spocch Of Mr. SrEwAnD
waa deterrad, and wns delivered last night Mt
Farwell Hall. Tho speech was Of character
above that Of the ordinary speeohos mnle by
the professional orators on tho Labor quo..
tion.
The plan by which human wrongs aro to
bo rometied, and by which wealth is to 10
nlndo The common lot Of man instead of poy-
orly, was pointed out last night. It js to
consist in establishing the brotherhood Of
the human family; +" our country is to be tho
world, md our countrymon mankind. !"
Thore were many truisns ropeatod, such rs
he that can produce tho cheapest and can
uutlorscll must rule tho market. In this
grand struggle for tho power to undo,sell,
lnbor-saving machinery is Of immense power,
It Inns added to the productions Of the world,
and 10 their choapuess. Tho pop
ulation Of tho world is divided between
the 20100o, mo Of civilized and cultured
people and tho ! 200, coo, 900 of poor and ig-
norant, even barbarous, people, The Bnaaller
class utterly ueglect the moro numerous.
Whero the labor Of wagcs is tho beat paid,
there ia wcaltll, and comfort, and intolli-
gence where the wnges Of labor ars The low
est, ulore aro poverty md Ignorance. In
countries whore human labor iB cheaper than
machinery there is no uso for machinery.
Tho reduction Of The cost Of transporta-
ton has 30 drawn MI parts Of tho world
together that 1t is possible for even people
groyeling in poverty to undersoll us In our
own mnrkets. Emigration hns its motive
in tho expectation of better wages.
Mon foo from their own country
not from political oppression, but
from poverty; thoy como hithor seeking
bread md not IN idoa. Tho comparatively
few Of tho worlds population neglect-for-
gothic yast multitulos of Spooploa in tho
slavery Of poverty, md from time to time
are punished by these neglected races, who
arc ablo 10 nndorsell uH. Tho argument
waa made that tho oft-rccurring commercial
disasters which crush all civilized nations.
producing destruction, md reducing labor to
tho coudision Of Q trump, are due to the
thousand or twolvo hundred millions Of neg.
lectcd aud forgotten human beings who are
abto to undersoll Ohriatoulon,. It waa fnr-
ther argued that no local rcmelIea can bs
effective. The value Of labor must DO
brought 10 Lowell; there IL no room In
thla world for six-cent and tlyc.dollar
1aboFcrs, aud the process Of placing
tho labor OF tho human family on o
leyol must be tho raising Of wnges
in tllosa countries where tho iowost rates
aro paid. All remedies for poverty aud low
wages must 10 worldwide. The only OBJ
jeot In the universe to be mado dear IL man,
and whole world Of men sufficiently dear
can make world Of weultl cheaper than q
world Of poverty.
We nro afraid that this Argument IL alto
gothor too impraoticable to win much atton-
tion OF excite much enthusiasm. Tho stone-
cutters of Chicago will Aayo little sympathy
for tho stonecuttors in Peking, md tl.e cot
ton-spinnors Of Falls City caro but littlo for
the cottou-splnness III Inlia, The elevation
Of tho industrial condition Of l,o0O, ,tO0, 900
outside OF civilization, md tho loyoline of
their wages up to the wages Of tho
workingmon Of Chicago, is graud sohsmu,
far-1eaohing and comprehensive, tut tho
ns1litarianism Of this day will hardly pause
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