The Labor enquirer., 1885-02-28

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In the lanas -Iheeeare
1.-THE times thst IN soalsn 2 He
who stands The - enerves the
esteem Of man ans q woman
why do We lasex
When the cauee ~ is ourss
Our organisa&ion Z 8
\ Let'sresolve vel kAute Aqnrsl
Gentlemen, thfe neliGn Of vital
Il ~ ~ hat should
occupy the mind " Ahlng man
and woman. from 81 the cont.
nent to the othet = question for,
serious thought inetion Of great
magnitude. and 9 carefully pom
dered. s.
families on ~ when We
We get better pay for the time We work.
Suppose We are better paid for eight
hours work, one says, will we sit around
the remainder Of our time in idleness ?
Why not be at work and earn a few
cents more on the day? answer the
question thus: No, we will not sit in
fidleness, but we will strive to develop
our intellects, as well as our muscle.
We will endeavor to raise the Iaboring
class from the degradation into which
they have fallen, through vice and igno-
rance, to a level with the fair sons and
daughters of Americas miIlionaires.
We will do this by educating our chill
dren in such a manner that they will be
able to fill the positions of honor and
trust, of which there are 80 many in our
land. It's our desire to labor but eight
hours per day that we may enjoy all the
blessings of life which the God of
nature has placed in our power.
Gentlemen, the reasons for laboring
but eight hours per day are SO vast, SO
numerous, that it would be impossible
for neman to grasp, for one man to
delineate. Take, for example. the poor
miner, who goes down into the bowels
of the earth ere the orb of day has risen
above the oriental horizon, who labors
ten or twelve hours to gain an honest
living by the sweat of his brow, who
breathes into his ife-tubes the impure,
foul air and obnoxious gases with which
he has to contend only to come out
and breathe Gods pure, holy and free
atmosphere after the sun had sunk to
rest beneath the western horizon and
the stars have come forth upon the
mission for which they were created.
Take this parsonage apd follow him
through his routine of business. and then
ask, why is the miner looked upon as
unlearned, low, ignorant and degraded?
Why? Because heis no more than out
and washed than he has to go to bed and
get the amount of sleep requisite to re-
gain the yitalizing powers necessary to
performhis daily task. Hence the pres
ence of ignorance, when all the power of
man is thrown to muscle. Brain power
is the moving wheel of the universe.
Could all the muscle power that was
ever brought to bear produce any of the
sciences No. Then why not educate
the mind of the poor miner, or the poor
laborer of any kind Has he no intellect
to be cultivated? Did not his Creator
endow him with as much reason as He
did the millionaire? Then why do the
poor laboring classes live in vice and
ignorance, when all men are created
equal 1t is because they are continu-
ally ground down under the iron heel Of.
oppression. Then say the time has
come when we will throw off the yoke
that has bound us down for years and. for
ages. The time has come when we will
be free men and free women. We will
not submit to wrong, injustice and
tyranny.
You say, what is the use to educate
the poor laborer; there is plenty of skill
in the country torun the governmental
afairs2 Educate the laboring millions
and we will have better government,
more wholesome laws and politics; in
| ..a.l &c ho;pr fba e ~, ,st arhffap fb,np
would return to the pure, unadulterated
state of affairs thatthey were in when
mans word was his bond. We want to
get the laborers to the front We want
them in the legislature, we want them
in congress. we want them to occupy the
offices of honor, trust and proht, of
which there are 80 many in our land.
i This is not the only beneftto be de-
rived from the eight hour system. Edu-
cation makes kindlier fathers, more low
ling mothers, happier children and
brighter homes. You say, how are we
| to do this i? Work eight hours per day,
and occupy your leisure moments by
reading papers, books and periodicals.,
and striving to make the world better by
your being in it. This is the way we
will accomplish these ends. This is not
all.
knowledge produces happiness by
eradicating the many scrofulous diseases
Il
one generation TO another, and thereby
lengthens life.