The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-10-06
wants Of the humblest Of his isllov.crea.

The very discussion Of Decentralization
OF the eiIhthour plan injured business
80 much so that In many places mon were
reduced TO hRli-time or thrown out Of en-
ployment altogether, Millions oil
undone because Of the uncertainty
in regard to taking contracts or making
engagements TO perform work. Never
was 1t more clearly demonstrated that
IAN injury TO ono Is the concern Of Rll'
than in the movement am speaking OF,
The householder, through uncertainty
as to how many hours OF labor his en-
ployes would work for him, made no con-
tracts to erect buildings, and the Carpen'
ter WasthTown out OF employment; the
man who made the window glass; the
man who made the nails-in TACT, every
man or woman engaged in the manutsc'
ture OF articles which go to build or fur
nish q house-sutfered through the at
tempt to enforce the eight-hour Hystem on
May lst, The move was in the right d.
reClion, but the time and circumstances
WeTe not suitable. Before the Gight-houT
plan is adopted, the knights Of Labor aud
trades unions Of America must lay aside
their jealousies and differences, como to-
gether, name a day on which to put the
plan into execution, adopt the plan OF &C.
ton, which must bs gradual and such as
will not inlet injury upon either employ
er or workman. Tho plan presented by
Mr., Norton, Of Chicago, TO the special Hes.
sion OF the General Assembly at Oleve-
land, is COED ono in nearly every par
tiCular, aud II the woTkingmen'a oIglniza'
tions and the manufacturers associations
agree upon putting into practice such q
plan, 1t eau b0, done without q jar or iriC.
ton, No Workingmon need strike, nor
need business be unsettled, Why should
1t not be- doneP Either adopt plan for
the perfection OF this idea, or elae place
1t in the hands OF the incoming General
Executive Board, with instructions to
perform the duty. II We do no. do either
let US strike the twenty-tlrst declaration
from our preamble, and no longer pro.
claim to the word that we are in favor Of
eight hours work for days labor,
THE MACHINE AND THE MAN.
Before short.hour system that will BIO
OF any benefit to mankind eau be inaug.
urated, the relation which the workman
bears to the labOr-savlng machine must
undergo radical change. Shorten the
hours OF labor under our present system
and the streets will not DO emptied OF their
idle thousands. More mSChineh will be
erected and moro children called into ser.
vice to feed them. The assertion that tue
advocate OF short hours desires to stop pro.
duction Is FALSE. 1t Is to make production
gradual, healthy, Rudhaveit keep pace with
the wants OF the consumer, keeping all
men employed, so that idlensss will dlsap.
pear and the producer remain consumer
TO his fullest capacity, that We desire q
shortening OF the hours OF labor, Walt
our large and small factories and you will
find that the mechanic OF the past Ia but
tho feeder Of the machine OF the present.
We already hear Of machines in course Of
perfection which will Get the type and
mould the cigars faster than human hands
can do the work; and electricity will soon
take the throttle lever from the hand Of
the man who runs the locomotive. The
day will coon dawn when these agencies
will be doing their work and when that
day does come, the mechanic, now 30
proud Of his calling, will stand face to face
with tho alternative Of asking for charity
or the adoption Of the calling OF tho street
scavenGer, When thas day comes, the
man who now seeks 10 array labor against
labor in asserting that tho "S3 a day man
should not move in the same BoCietay
circles as the man who works for ST. i
day" will either sock 10 crowd tho ST. a
day man out Of hia place or accept the
crumbs OF charity to sustain life. History
will repeat itself, and the fight for cxis.
tence will BIZ waged with unrelenting
fury.