Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-01
THE EIGHT HOUR MOVEMENT.
Mr. Tanning States why I'm His Opinion
Ii Has Been n Faiiure-Au Address to
the Work ing sneu

the Work ingsnen.
Mr.. Joseph Tanning addressed meeting of
workingmen at the Knights of Labor hall, Sun
day night on 1.-The Eight-Hour Movemen IT,
Mr. Tanning stated at the outset that he pro-
posed to take new departure, and would
endeavor to show why the eight hour move
ment has been a failure. He referred to the
fact that when at certain seasons the market
was overstOcked with manufactured products
the employee either reduced wages or reduced
his force. When the force was reduced % or
30 per cent, is there, he asked any disposition
on the part of the so or rs per cent remaining
In employment to make room for the surplus
that has been discharged by requesting the en-
ploycr to reduce the working time to tn rec
quarters or one-half time?
While paying fraternal visits to some of the
organizations some time ago, Mr.. Tanning said,
he happened to visit one that had up for con-
Sluefltlon the question of hours and wages.
. = fee members favored reduction of hours,
IlNe favored both n reduction of hours and
increase OF wages, while a majority favored an
increase OF wages. Upon that he carefully in
Vestigated the condition of the trade, and was
astounded at discovering that 81 per cent were
then out OF employment, and from the time the
demand would go into effect until December
next they would average ) per cent out of
employment. Ii the trade in question had
made a demand for 81 o a day and the demand
31 percent OF idle men reap from this measure of
wages. LET US take" said Mr.. flaming, Zone
of the largest departments OF the government
employing skilled organized labor. have ref
erence to the Government Printing office. 1t is
a well-known fact that that institution is con-
trolled by Columbia Typographical Union No.
1Ol, so far as its membership is concerned; and
what is the condition of affairs in that build
ing: L find on investigation great number of
men seeking longer hours of mplOyment-that
is to say, men not content with the hours of
labor "a regulated by law. Then again we find
men compelled to work longer hours than they
desire. refusal to comply is equivalent to q
discharge. In this case am compelled to &C.
knowledge that the union is at fault. If the
union has the power to say that none but men,
bers OF the union shall work in that office then
Ii has, without "a doubt, the power to say that
no member shall work longer than eight hours.
would not ask the union 10 enact u law OF that
nature Ii there was not sufficient labor to do the
WORK; but when multitude of the craft are
walking the streets in idleness. it is high time
tn:tt the union was taking steps to provide for
this surplus. The man that would not work
longer than eight hours has no protection from
the union. This man lives that others may
live: he works short hours for little pay that
some poor brother may live as well as he. While
he man that would work twenty-four hours,
DAY IN and day out, il nature would permit,
lives to advance his own selfish interests. He
has no thought of the poor unfortunate brother
VINO Is compelled to walk the streets because OF
s uch selfishnesS.
IL desire to take you back to 1865 when the
stonecutters of the District of Columbia put the
reduction OF hours into effect. / was an aDpren-
ice at the time, and quite young but the scene
that mornfhg is quite vivid in my memory 1
remember that the fight was OF short Duration
Ii tasted but Il few hours in the shop / was en-
Ployed in, and SUCH the case in all the
shops, but before the next meeting of the organ
lZaiion the employers got together and devised
a plan by which the action OF the journeymen
StonecutterS could be counteracted. They pro-
posed 10 pay 50 per day and ten hours, instead
OF 81 per day and eight hours. The proposition
was rejected, and the law remained in effect
until the spring Of 1877. Trade during This
year was dull in all branches of industry The
stonecutter employers came to the conclusion
that the time had arrived when they could in
crease the hours of labor to ten hours per day.
y of no
cutters was called TO take action on this mat
ter. After Il lengthy and heated debate it was
agreed by a small majority 10 return to the ten
hour system Now, mark you. my friends, at
that time there were great number out of en-
ploy. with poor chance TO get employment,
even under the eight-hour system. Notwitil-
standing this condition of affIirs. the question
OF reducing the wages never came up for
6ad t In my if they
per day, they would have had the
81 back before the expiration of that year but
by increasing the hours of labor they were re-
duced from 81 to 81 before the expiration of
six mouths. So, my friends, 1 could continue to
illustrate in numberless instances the inconsis-
tency and Selflshness of labor. This may ap-
pear to some of my friends tonight as very
strong language. 1t is the truth for all that and
II the working people have been blinded by
self-interest, it becomes our duty to illume the
path over which they have been travelling that
they may view this tTeacherous abyss OF incon-
slStency on the one hand and SelfishneSs on the
other" He advocated reduction of the hours
of labor, principally because ii provided for the
great army Oh l0lerS. Relerrlng to the long
hours that conductors and drivers of street cars
were required to work, he said that not another
charter should be given for corporations unless
III was therein specified that they should not
work those employed by them longer than
eight hours. He contended that to reduce the
hours of labor to eight provided for twenty per
cent OF idle labor idle under the ten hour sys-
TEN. BY giving all hands employment they
would create a demand for labor BY creating
this demand, they increased wages without an
effort lie referred to the brickiayers O: this
city, who, though the current rate OF wages was
81 per day, received from fifty cents TO one
dollar per day more than the organiza-
ton demanded, because they have no men
walking the streets. The same beneficial
results would accrue to the trade at present SUI.
fering il they would but make an effort to re-
duce the hours OF labor Mr.. Tanning sug-
gested that when Congress failed to make suf-
stead OF making discharges lne hours of labor
be reduced in proportion to the amount of
money on hand. He urged that many existing
evils; including that OF long hours OF labor,
could be wiped out by the ballot if the work.
ingmen remained true TO themselves and did
not follow party blindIy:
Christian Science.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
\ few days ago noticed an editorial mention
in your paper of the " Boston craze or "mind
cure" This subject of mind cure or, more
properly, Christian science, is engaging the at
tention o. newspapers in this country and
Europe, and, as you correctly state it is not the
illiteTate or irresponsible who are most inter-
ested, but the brightest minds of the age are
either open converts or are carefully and thor
oughly investigating the subject. BY reason of
this Tact. Christian science is having n respect
full hearing by the general public and all re-
spectacle newspapers.
l Will give few leading points of Christian
scientists platform: In the first place the Bible
statement OF life Is accepted in its spiritual
sense. As for instance, that "man is created
IN the image and likeness Of God" If God is
spirit and we are created in His likeness and
image, the actual of us Is not flesh and blood,
but spirit, and our bodies are but the expires,
sion OF spirit. That matter has neither life or
intelligence, therefore the physical man is not
as and has no more life or inteIligence than the
dust in the street. Spirit therefore is all that
there is that is real or immortal, and spirit
should have supreme control of the BODY
This control Is made manifest in ratio
as we Spirit understand its almiehtiness
TO govern the body or matter. This control of
mind or spirit Is recognized to a certain extent
oy the disciples of materia medica. 1t is ad-
United by them that fear has a powerful effect
tor ill on their patients, while hope or conf
dence has beneficial effect. 1t Is claimed by
Christian scientists that this knowledge of
one self-of the power of spirit to control the
body (matter)-is obtained by seeking after IT,
by a desire to obtain it. Ii we desire an educa.
ton, we first are inspired with desire to obtain
II, and then We have to work for it.
1t is further commended, that sickness and sor.
row is neither natural or necessary, that On the
contrary, health, and JOY is the natural or nor
ma condition OF man. That sickness sorrow
and sin Is the result of ignorance, or wrong be-
lief. That christian science means Christ
methods TO heal the sick and reform the sinner
hat 10 nf do