The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-08-19

The National Greenbsrk party
hss a1l0pted . rssoluti'n thanking
the Secretary AZ the Navy for enE'rc-
ing the eight hour law. In taking
this position the nv party b pl2si-
inx itself On one NJ the iinse hOuOrs'd)
plauks Of the Dem 'crscy. tn .
question has h<<n g''se over yesrs
axO BY &, .nun,ists and statesmen,
and The de~inbiIty o; le.s-ening the
lsours Of lsbnr for the mss Of the
,,.s,p!e. ha~ b. en- sv'ncsrtlsd Nv all II
i,a- l~~n cls~.''y calculated tia little
w;,ol. human family ~''uhl d" their
no rata -har~ ri labor, the worlds
,,y.<luc,i,m would MT IL :.-s-~nrta
with ~" D.s.urs lslcr hr each is''it
vitlual. But there are ~ many IN
The world es.joyimx luxuriou" case In
:ilsied paIar~". ~ many gentlemen
I. i-uue, and ~ many tOurt>ts *nd
travellers. and sight se-rs that ll'~
,nn,r have IL work ~ much the lar Ter
t.. com peusate fs'r the is'--rs -''~iaineti
l,y la'n,r in this .lirvcti.'n. The gem
essl a.l"p'i"n Of AN eight hs'r law
would force AN adjustment Of social
conditions.
Cong reas made IN attempt In 1868
to r.duce the length Of the working
day f,r government officials to eight
hours, with the same rate Of pay.
n,ept a. had be~n allowed for ten
i,"urs, tut tie :aw has scr heen
carried cut in gosxl faith, and its
passage wa probably secured for
mere political purposes. Tic i~gis-
iaturts of New YoIk. Pennsylvania.
Illinois, Ohio and Louisiana have
slss', in recognition of the sa!utary
influences such law will l'rsnlucr,
enacted eight hour laws. but ordinary
business en,crPrises have, with very
few exceptions, failed /" adopt It.
Under u prct~nsc "f pr"tet'ting Labor
H." government, for years, has been
pr..:rii"g manufacturers 1T the cx-
~ i,~.. II lai~r. II las been urged
that uur .,anafastOries- could not run
In competition with the long hours
an.I paul~r labor Of Eur''ps without
6ro,estinr. But IalMting mem
Throughout the country are awaken
ing 10 realization vi the n surslities
and fal:aci.s that have for years, bt,e''
driving them In the direction Of serf.
dom.
without restraining legislation the
t.'s(lens.y has heen fr"m the k'uus'a-
tiuu Of tie w..rld for the rich to be-
come richer and the p'sr pos'rer.
Law must 20 further .l,an to cs''',-
,,sand what Is right and forbid what
h wrsng: It must attend ~ we'll III
the production q: wealth, the distri-
button Of wealth, AMI the enjoy
ment If wealth. 1t cannot
safely permit .''ci, . state Of
ss,s.l+,y " One where wealth i pro-
ducetl by ignorsnt serfs, distributed
among few wealthy sristocrats aud
enjoyed by = handful # lords Of the
soil AID shareholders In corporate
nson"p,,l:es. TIE right to enjoyment
belongs t. each and every me,nber Of
the human family. ami laws should
lie framed with a view to n general n
die; ri!,uti"n Of 1t ~ prsiLle. The
reductions Of working time by law
will not resu!t In u corresponding re-
duction in wages. Operatives I"
factories In England ut one time
worked twelve and fourteen hours
until the strong arm Of the law step
ned In with It's veto. The w"rkm,en
ARE better or and better paid, and
live better and enjoy life more than
they did under the long hour
system.
In free country, particularly, 1t r.
eventual that thase tn whom ar. en-
trusted the ball..t should he intelli-
gent and comfortably situste-d In
life. Ignorance and n'tscry are the
greatest misfDrtunrs that can befaIl .
republican form Of government. Our
country h comparatively nv, and
has the elasticity md capacity for
expansion that will avert the dis
a.ier~ that have Ovrrtalk~n older Cs,,,,-
Inuuit:ts: hut. were this MT the
cas.., tie natura! tendency Of things.
even In trc.. America, 10 In the .iires..
tion ~ lauslls.rsi,sN. ol,.cnc hand and
,,s.aaant st.rfa IN the ether. THE aim
q: all cur legislation should Tx tn TIT
prove the Goa. !t:sn Of the 'nasrs'>:
ami one Ot the roc: important steps
in tina, direGticr % q :eLuctiSn Of the
l,Ours .: lator