St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-06
Chicago Knights of Labor Issue an Ad-
dress Calculated to Start an Eight
Hour Agitation.
creative Power in Opposition to the Source
and Function of Laws--The Theory
Of Equity.
Corporation, Wages and the
Cost of Subsistence.
The st. Paul Carpenters and Jofners
Discuss Capital and Labor--Nar1-
Gus Industrial Notes.
THE E1GRT-HoUR REBORN NJ.
The Address Prepared by the Chi-
cagO labor Org carnations.


cage labor Organizations.
At meeting of delegates representing
trades unions. the Knights OF Labor ana
other Industrial organizations held al Chi
,ag, last Monday an address was prepared
which deals particularly with the elght-
hour question. 100, 900 copies OF which are
to be distributed.
= The circular itself might be considered as
a treatise on industrial economy from the
labor reforners' standpoint. 1t deals with
wages. profits, rents. interest, taxes, in
comes and expenses as they affect the wage
worker or the employer. In the discussion
of the subject the address says:
Emnlovment of labor under our capitalistic
organization OF society requires the use of
mast labor, which is called capital to which
labor is applied to change it into articles de-
manded for human use. Capital is not self
sustaining; ii vanisheS or disSolveS into its
natural elements unless preserved i'm
proved by human labor. The possessorS Of
such past labor undertake to appropriate the
full benefits of SECRETARY progress, and to de-
grade the toiling masses into miscellaneous
crowd Of proetarians, without visible means
of support. without homes, and without a
living, except at the mercy of autocratic
managers of money-unaking business. With
the surplus earnings of caplUalSlc pro-
duction rents profits, interest, and charges
for advertising and the conquest Of
new markets, are provided for by the
managers of societary industries; all
these charges are mercilessly squeezed
out of the toilers of both sexes and
all ages. Production, distribution, trans
portation and personal services, government,
church and society, are carried on to rob,
cheat, overreach, and enslave the workers
for wages, and we make the capitalists, as
managers of the productive and lucrative in
dustries and as rulers of the state and
church. individually and collectively, re-
sponsible for the present conflict between
capital and labor. and call upon the people to
overturn this system and abolish its bene-
ficiaries.
All useful workers are urged to organize in
their respective neighborhoods for the aSita-
ton of the eight-hour system OF wage-work.
We must raise the whole mass of useful toll
ers, of both sexes and all ages, to higher
standard Of living, so that we can consume
what we produce for general use and employ
ment, and thereby support each other by the
interchange of our own labor and services,
and rid ourselves Of unproductlve consumers.
All labor organizations are at preSeat
united for the achievement Of eight hours as
legal days work, and in Chicago an eight
hour league is meeting every week to
agitate among the several nationalties
between capital and labor plainly and
frankly before the people, who will decide for
the best interest of the community as a
whole 1t is matter of public policy, and
political parties have declared themselves on
the practicablity of labor legislation. The
conflict between capital and labor is carried
on throughout the whole United States, and
the president sent troops to prevent the fore
ible expulSons of coolies from the territor-
les on the Pacific coast. Combinations of
corporations and firms are attempting to
monopolize the transportation, telegraph
nnI oil
articles of general use. Spectators
in grain and other produce almost ruin our
export trade by artificial rise of prices, etc.
There is mad rush toward monopoly in all
directions, which is extnguishing the middle
classes. leaving but few occupations for self
employed craftsmen to deal directly with Gus
toners, instead of working for the markets of
the whole continent and Europe. The two
political parties are being compelled to take
these conflicts into earnest consideration, men
aspiring to executive, legislative and judicial
positions are obliged to define their senti-
ments in regard to these issues.