The Labor enquirer., 1885-03-14
THn EIaHT-HoUR QUESTION:.

think that q superior wiz Is arrangink
all these destinies. ZENo.
THE EIaHr-HoUR QUESTION. S
IAN Essay Upon ths subject whseh w.
mead Before Local Assembly 1424
| knights Of Labor.
Master Workman and Brother Knights.
In attempting to write an essay on the
eight-hour question. / do 80 with reluctt
lance, fully realizing my ysinability to do
the subject justice, after it has been SO
ably handled by those more competent
But the wishes of our General Master
Workman, as set forth in his circular
letter, ought not to be passed over with
out due consideration. and | feel 1T the
duty Of every true knight to contribute
what talent he possesses in agitating
this great and important question. {
ISknow that the hearts and heads OF
our brother knights are all right. and
that they as earnestly desire to establish
the eight-hour system as do, but many
lof us are too timid, or afraid of ridicule!
to assert our rights by making the first
advance. Now, brother workmen, our
work is progressive one, and if we exii
pect to accomplish anything we must act
as well as think. Therefore write,
hoping this feeble attempt may encour-
age you to put your shoulder to the
wheel and work with right good will!
There is plenty of talent among US but
SO deeply buried that, like gold, we must
first brush off the mould before it will
shine. /
To be sure we meet here once week.
pay our dues, and conduct ourselv yes as
gentlemen, which truly deserve great
praise, but still it is not enough
in this case to produce the desired result
and again urge you to make an effort I'M
this direction.
| Other assemblies will surely takel
action in this matter, and though wei
wish them "God speed whosof us would
like to see No. 1424, the pioneer assembly
of the city, tagging behind her strong
young sisters for want of little conf
dence in ourselvesP
As boys, we have read the Arabian
Nights" and felt keen thrill of pride
and pleasure at the dangers those brave
old heroes encountered for the sake Of
some fair ladv. Now, the days of chiy-
airy are not quite over, for are we not
| real Knights But are we deseryingthe
title if we do not defend our cause as
| valiantlyas did the knights of fiction !?
And by the way we have a double duty
to perform, for while those old heroes
Eonly did battle for one fair lady, we will
fight for all, that is, we will fight for the
rights fall. Then, when these rights
are established, what a rich harvest of
smiles, and blessings, and knowledge we
shall reap, for, with fewer hours of labor,
there will be left ample time to cultivate
and enjoy these blessings and many
Others. y
But in the present order of things,
there is but little time to do aught but
the tiresome drndgery which binds us
as with chain of iron.
Now, as our quickest and best way OF
obtaining knowledge on this particular
subject-labor-I suggest that certain
length of time be each evening devoted
to the discussion ofalI labor questions.
In this way the brigh test ideas of each
member would be brought out for the
mutual benefit of all. This would enable
| us to discuss these questions more in
telligently with those we wish to convert,
and by using the same arguments do
better and more effective work. ii
The demand of the eight-hour system
is simply one of justice, and of the ad-
vantages of this system l will now
speak. r. &t>5 |.f,
Statistics show that if every able
bodied man would do certain share of
productive labor that the number of
hours each would be compelled to work
would be something like three and a
half. 70 -
| With the eight-hour system we would
then each be doing more than double
our share which would amply provide
| for ourselves and those who cannot
work. More than this we do not need,
and it is useless as well as foolish, to
work from ten to sixteen hours per day
to support class of people who do not
work and scorn to associate with those
who do. And were we to produce ten
| times more than we now do this same
class, who live in idleness and reyel in
luxury, would then quite as readily ap-
propriate three-fourths of tie values
created as they now do.
Next comes the poor mechanic. And
he fares SO badly that Pm inclined to
believe the inventive genius of the nine
teenth century is curse instead of a
blessing to himself and the working
men in general. The many kinds of
labor saving machinery that ought, by
rights, to tighten and shorten the ex-
haustive toll of man by doing their work
faster and easier, are used by the monop-
olies only as another mode ofoppression.
But instead of bene6ting mankind by
lessening toll, it enters the field of COM
petitive labor and perhaps usurps the