St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-23
EIGHT HOURS A DAYS WORK.
Explanation of the System by Working
Man

mdu
At the request Of the knights of Labor
the GLOBE publishes tine following, prepared
bya member OF that OF organization:
Much has been written and spoken on thi.
subject. and much more will evidently have &c
BE- written tefOre the masses y Ill so thoroughly
unde and the necessity of diminishing the
hours OF labor that they will Adolf jme means
that viii obtain The desired end. In tie wCr q
ut large are mltioIs OF pc Jpic who Deepen upon
manual iator for the bread they eat continually
out OF emp Oyment, and VINO mat exist at the
expense Of those who are fortunate enough 10
have employment, thereby Increasing the uur-
then OF labor by increasing taxation. which labor
ey ntnally pays for the support OF peni;eniaries,
poor houses, and the various places OF refuge
for the poor and unfortunate. How to divide the
J. b = OF the world 30 That each and every one
should bear their portion Of the burdens of life
IL a u 'stion which political economists have
studied for years without convincing but few
people that their theories were practical. Com
muni-ts may divide the wealth Of the world
eqaily anu in few ears il would again be in
the hands OF the few. Anarchists may revolu.
tiOnze governments and il is only question of
time when tyranny over labor would be a gr, a .
Co operation will exist hundreds Of years before
IL VIII become 80 universal n TO lord the nee
es-ary relief; In fact there seems to be no way
out OF the difficulty other than the proper divi-
rihH VI bbii Alht VIII -iNG every oHt dh OppOr-
tuniy to work ont his owR support.
As means to this end, the eight hour ques-
tion a. peen a-itdted and leagues and labor
organizations have been formed TO forward in q
legitimate way this great object. Not that
eight hours for days work will accomplish the
desired result, but u will give employment TO
nearly one-third more people than can now find
work aud would be practical test Of the theory.
II would remove a Large portion Of the standing
army OF iders who now stanl ready to under I'D
those who have work, thereby reducing wa yes
oftentmes below the cost OF living.
The only remedy then is In setting every one
at work. aud the only way 10 do this is o shorten
working hours. With rapidly increasing pop
uldtiou nine -tenths OF whom are workers even
a further reduction may in time become neces-
ssry. but labor with its usual modesty. asks that
these reforms be mode gradual, that society nj
prepare itself FOR the change without incOnven-
fence or injury. Constant and steady employ
ment at fair wages means larger consumption
OF ductions, which must naturally create
more work and more productive enterprises, and
capital lsgitmateiy Invested would reap n cor
responding benefit. Again. the prosperity and
welfare OF any nation. and more especially q
republican government. depends upon the in
telligence of its people, aud when the masses of
a people are compelled to LABOR ten or twelve
h0nIs per dag. to work and sleep without time
for either rest, recreation or menta. improve
ultuL Iutre must De less lNltAl-tHNAs iffs prou-
table thought, less judgment in the. use OF the
ballot, less care in fitting the coming
generation for the duties Of life
and less Of al that pertains 90 the comfort pleas
ure and cOnientment Of the labOring classes.
Tle invention Of labor saving machinery dur.
ing the last half century has stil further re-
duced the demand for manual labor, and no cor
responding benefit has been received By the class
which Of ali others should have been b melted
Thus far capital has received all the reward,
When piece OF machinery with the labor OF one
man will do the work that formerly required ten
men 10 do. there are nine men thrown upon the
labor market who must be provided for. TIey
mast break in upon the employment Of others
become irzmps and be supported By charity
or become criminals placed in prisons and sup
ported by tax upun the people.
Eight hogTs then woald essen the actual OF
OF the uece-saries OF life, IN great measure 10
awsy with charity. reduce taxation b. lessening
the Humte- ot ciiminsis and mare % the inteiIi-
gence, hatSiness ard prosperity Of the people,
Give Hs legislation thar shs make eight 10 lrs
legal days work. Gise g. pa 'iir opini d al
shall enforce the law and viii show yoG IN a
short time q Ration that iut hg tee. con-
teHtmsHt ani geaeral pros .'esity viii a<I0nish
the whole world. Eight hours Tor work. eight
hours for sleep sBd eigbi urs Tor improve
meni il the waif nv ord OK all iahor organizations.
and it win be runC in tie ars OF the people ia
til il receives the recognition II i justly entitled
70. and becomes the wi and iaw Of ,ae nation.
Jon SCEEAEDER-