The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-03-22
LABOR LORE.

Heights OF Utopia Little Noaror-Mod-
crate ana Wise Agitation Accomplish
What SOB Logic Could Never Attain-The
Rights of the Educated and Enlighte9rd
Toiler OF To-day.
The Knights of Labor in tho United
States is the somewhat fantastic title of the
American internationals.' Il has recently
formulated its aspirations in the shape OF q
demand that national law should be
passed prohibiting gambling by speculation
in the necessaries of life, particularly in
breadstuR. and that national eight-hour
law should be applied TO all workmen not
in,foyernment employ. The demand for a
statutory limitation of the duration OF the
working day to the period named in what
Mr.. Carlyle was wont to call 1.-The British
workman's Pisgah song" is the vision OF
laborers who, unlike their brothers in Eng
land, have not yet won for themselves the
nine-hours' day. 1t is interesting to note that
this aspiration of the Knights OF Labor IS
expressed with equal detiniteness in the
programme Of the French collectiylsts
which at present Is attracting some little
attention in Paris, owing TO the candida
ture of NJ. Jules Guesde for the twentieth
reimbursement. His election address is
not an important incident in contempory
French history, but it is an interesting eX-
preston OF kind of thought which is
leaving more and more the lower strata OF
society, but only occasionally receives
adequate attention from practical poll
ticians.
There is, as we have said, nothing new in
the main drift of this document which IS
the product OF successive workmen's con-
crosses from that Of MaIseilles in the au-
tumn of 1879 to that of Roanne, which at
tracted some notice last September. The
programme, for anything original that it
contains, might have emanated from the
congresses of Eisenach or OF Client.
Neither ought we to regard it as expressing
the conclusions OF representatives OF any
large organized body of workmen, as the
Trades Union congress does IN England.
But as rejecting the latest form of the eter-
nal aspirations Of the great majority OF
wage-earners, at any rate on the Continent,
this manifesto will do as well as another.
The old ideas reappear in it, but not wholly
unmodified by experience and the progress
of events.
Pending the appropriation Of the capital
list class, which is "the great unseen event"
towards which the whole industrial revolu-
ton moves, the programme lays down
number of immediate objects, which are
divided, according to the venerable practice
OF all socialist manitestos, into two heads,
one political and one economic. The
political section is short and sweet. 1t is
the usual French radical manifesto plus
demand for tie repeal of the law agaisnt
the international association OF laborers.
The list of economic objects places In the
front the limitation of the hours of labor to
six days week and eight hours day for
adults and six for young persons-the
labor of children under fourteen being for
hidden. Then come the following items: A
minimum wage fixed by law, and equality
of wage for men and women, where the
work is equal; complete education for all
children at the expense of the state; state
provision for laborers IN old age, or when
worn out by work. liability of employers
in case of accident guaranteed by deposit
in the benefit clubs of the employed; the
annulment of all contracts alternating pub
lie. property, (such as banks, railways.
mines); and abolition of all indirect
taxes; the revenue being maintained
by progressive income tax on all
incomes exceeding 5000 francs, and the linn
itation of inheritance to direct heirs and to
10000 I. for each heir. The whole of this
programme, it will be seen, assumes not
only the continuance of the Capitals tic"
system of production-which, of course the
great body of socialists not only accept but
use as an argument in their own favor-but
the separation of employers and workmen.
The reforms il advocates are all directed to
giving the workmen better share in the
division of the produce between the two ex-
listing classes; yet Il all these, proposals
were realized, the wider IDEAL the extinc-
ton of the hated capitalist class, would soon
follow, for who would not prefer
these Dterms? But, Of course, it
does not do to take the particular proposals
of such maniiestos au grand serieux. The
workman ask for everything, because they
\ u haNw hfttrr CnNnn
thing more than they now enjoy. And the
two great material ideas which are always
before them are steady livelihood at an
amount of work not incompatible with
health and culture, and security against
accidents, against disability and old age. 1t
Is of no use telling them that no law can
obtain these things for them. Somehow
or other, they insist, they must be
got. And in one respect there Is an
advance in programmes like this OF the
parti ouyrier upon previous manifestos OF
the same type. There is no longer the old
demand for an impossible and unjust
equality of earnings, nor even for that
juster but. more practical ideal, the exact
apportionment Of earnings TO service.
What the parti ouyrier asks for Is the main
tenance OF a certain standard OF comfort
and culture. below which no citizen shall
be allowed 10 fall-a legal minimum OF re-
Enumeration, a minimum Of education, a
minimum Of rest.
1.-THE more any man can acquire for him
self beyond this the better, but thus much
even the meanest Of us shall have" Such
is the laborer's dream in the Old World and
the New. And, dream though II is, IL must
not be forgotten that legislation in various
countries, most Of all perhaps in non-social,
istic England, has already done great deal
more towards realizing 1t than some people
remember. We have a legal minimum oil
education already, and that minimum
shows a decided tendency to rise. We have
the minimum Of rest in certain industries
nominally only for women and children
but practically In many cases for eli workers
Of whatever sex and age. And here
again. the tendency Is ,,h lor iur5 NE
enforcement ola normal day Of labor
may seem 10 some people TO present but
little more difficulty than that OF TIT
weekly day Of rest concerning which every
one Il agreed IN this country, and which
ought 10 be universally enforced. But
however far legislation, or custom, o.
combination may ultimately carry US N
these directions, there IL one thing certain
The nearer we approach that minimum o
well-being which all human beings ono.
raised By education are certain 70 demand
and 20 struggle for, the further the dan
ger Of the maximum with which revolution
ery socialism threatens rs viii be removed
Was not Louise Michel herself hall dis
armed BY the sight even OF our inadequate
phflanthropy7-rP Pail Mall Gazette.
Ifvou are A woman and want both healtl
and beauty. remember that all superficia
Efforts 70 increase your personal charms Ar
vain. Freshness and beauty acc0mpan'
health, and 10 secure this Ms. LYDIA :