The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1886-11-18

like romance, but vs happen 10 knov
that 4 was verify. She had vivid In.
Aginaticn and she pictured Ia glowing
tefms the life Of luxurious ease abe would
live, the sumpaious Loms. the rich attire,
the dainty food. the exquisite surround.
ines, the elegant equlpagss aud every thing
thAt the heart could wish of On earthly
paradise. When asked by her listening
lparcnt wherc she would hnd tho money
Tor such magnificent onifit and costly
service. she replied ''0ut Of The bureau
drawerl' She bad seen = fond mother
resort TO tho bureau on sll occasions whcn
AZ open purse was needed. aud The supply
having seemed 70 her iuexhaussibIs. she
fsucisd that Il would answer I'll her own
needs when shc came 10 wcmans estate,
Those who aro constantly urging soms
provision for shortening The hours Of toil
appear 70 n quite = thoughllsm = "
child 81 ths rssl ucuross u insoms WY
do men work At Alls The answer sssns
plain enough; because ifthcy did not they
would die Of want II IL not . choice, but
. necessity. Those who do not believe In
Mosaic record cannot fnd palmer state.
ment than II gives Of tho universal 70
quirement "ln the sweat Of thy face
shall thou cat bread, till thou return unto
the ground" A few months cessation Of
work tho world over would exterminAts
the race. This is not tho imposition Of
man upon his fellows, IL is the Law
Of our being, and cannot bc repealed OF
suspsnded.
Mostof the arguments directed 10 secure
such Legislation AZ will shorten the hours
OF service are based upon The apparent
assumption that the regulation 10 purely
conventional, and that II men could Agres
among themselves they might anix any
limit they chose to the daily task.
They insist that Il is the corporation or
some other exacting employer that i'm
poses the heavy burden, and tho Law Is
invoked TO emancipate the poor toiler
from such oppressive tyranny.
The late President Garfield quoted from
Emerson the saying that mankind is ~
lazy as it dares TO be-" but the idea has
been current in all the centuries, and is
often found in the incisve utterances Of
the Greek philosophers. Modern civilizs.
tion is not as exacting as the ancient
order, aud neither OF them have required
as many hours OF tedious hard labor,
TO supply the necessaries Of life as man
was forced to devote to II IN his savage
state. II every able.bodied man and
woman gave eight hours Of each Of the
secular days to useful labor, the supply
for human need would doubtless be amply
sufficient.
But we believe that in this favored
country. and with all OF our improved
machinery, such limit II strictly enforced
would cut off from households not few
Of the comforts they now enjoy. Thcre
cannot be more divided than is produced.
The working man may claim that his share
ought to be larger, and tho idler should
be the one TO suffer, but he cannot bring
this about by any possible regulation,
however sanctioned, and the attempt 10
shorten throughout the community the
hours now devoted TO useful labor. II sue.
cessful. will result in shortening the pro-
duct to be divided, and the poorer laborer
will bc in the nature Of things. the first and
chiefest sufferer.
In the average household throughout
this country the domestic service is over
twelve hours. Ia oil the agricultural dis
tricts those who till their own soil devote
at least an average OF twelve hours . day
TO hard work We never knew man who
attained to eminence in any calling o.
profession on an average service OF eight
hours day. We do not believe that
can be done even ia this favored land. IA
will not succeed, 10 our judgment II tried.
Mechanics in our large cities may estab.
lish eight hours for days work, and
maintain IL for awhile. but in the end will
he compelled TO extend the limit. or 60
without some Of the comforts they nov
purchase from the proceeds Of their labor
The legislature may ar eight hours .
day and five and half days In the week
as the limit OF all lsborious occupations.
but we believe that II such restriction
could be enforced IL would be found 10
work only injury TO the working classes
What the world wants is not less but more
useful service II the drones could be put
to work, and the industrious kept st II,
enough wonld be produced to give lsrges
division to each. and greatly increase The
comfort Of Tho human family.
II 10 not work that diStreSsea mankind.
II is idieness. and vice, aud waste, and
We do not believe that
there wonld he ess rum and ignorancs 90
eight bours day than on twelve. We are
not speaking contemptuousIy Of toll. We
left home 81 thirteen. and have supported
ourselves ever since. and 10 all tho upward
OF fifty years We have averaged over twelve
hours wsrk for each secular day. We bs.
lieye that obedience 10 the commsnd "Hix
days shalt thou labor" will be fonnd i'm
peratiye. and thst I've and half dsys.
however well meant. ss . relief 10 eartb's
toiling millions. viii be found 10 opsrsss
only 10 cutting short the supply that nov
ministers 10 their necessities. We do not
believe that soy honest. sober. abls-bodisd
man is hurt in any way by six days work.
md most Of those who clsmor for Ices arc
wiIIing tbst their wives shall drudge
,welys hours Tor not only SIX but for ssch
II the seven that make up the round vssk.
Good. downright, hard work. the world
ssuts more instead OF less Of III Only In