The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-04
Is rnK srnrKE pnApTlcAnLEt
This Plea Of the E1.PEssidsnt OF the Anal
RnmAtsd AsA0ciRtiDn,


This Plea Of the E1.Prspidsnt Of he Anal
gRmRtsd AsS0oiHtiOn.
John jarrett, the ex.President Of the
Amalgamated Association Of Iron and
Steel Workers, writes to the Philadelphia
Pres as follows;
The agitation for reduced hours Of ia
bor and higher wages now going on in the
industrial world is in the right direction
and in harmony with social and moral
progress. Up to the present time the ac-
tual producers have received bnt q very
made quate portion as their snare OF tue
benetits aCCruing from the OF
machinery and special tools, etc, Piincl,
pally these benefits have been absorbed
in the enlargement and Capitalization oil
capital, The tendency OF the present
system is towards q worse condition Of al
fairs than human slavery ever enLailed on
human family. Capitalists seek to grow
rich in a day, speculation is rife and ava
nee stimulated on one hand, and jeRlously,
coyetousness aud disContent are engen'
dered on the other. The chief character
istic oil the present state is a crushing,
killing competition, by which every man
is set against his neighbor.
No greater error was 6ver made by in
t%elligent men than the adoption OF the
principle OF "iree competition" and the
Survival OF the tttest." Who would
presume to say that the virtue in free
dom lies In the fact that a person to enjoy
freedom must be absolutely free TO do us
he has mind to, without any regard for
right or wrong? Such a presumption is
absurd, and yet the political economists
Of a certain school to-day apply such a
meaning to the word free when coupled
With competition or trade, They must
learn that the true principle ia "modeIa-
tian" in all things.
This competition has q twin brother.
Itis the general craving for C6eapness and
seeking for bargains that We see and find
everywhere, The adoption oil this policy
makes every w%orkingman his own worst
enemy and the WOrstkind OF an oppressor.
BY it the poor sewing girl has been re-
duCed to starvation wages, and every
Class oil labor brought down TO the lowest
level.
The agitation Of the sight-hour work
day Is aimed directly at the root OF these
evils, and 1t il believed that II adopted
will remove the cause OF their existence.
The first thing sought is tho means that
will bring all The now idle into constant
employment, and thus not only make
Lhem active producers, but Consumersalso.
AS our means OF production by the sid
OF machinery, with labor working from
ten to fifteen hours q day, Ia larger than
our means OF consumption, and as the
employment OF mechanical In the place OF
human labor Is, and will steadily increase
our means Of production without provid-
ing adequate means OF consumption, It Is
very plain to understand that the first
remedy that presents itself IL q reduction
OF the hours OF labor. Under these Condi-
tons there would be, If any, but little
idle labor, neither would the disContent
that il now 10 great exist 10 any great de-
gree, as with the reduced hours labor
would he more pleasant and less exhaust
i've, and o time would be had for men,
tai training and social enjoyment. Con-
stantly employed labor, even at low wages,
is better than idle labor. But there is no
necessity for either OF these in this u
.t,y.
With our labor can BIO fully
employed and paid good wages. There
should DO no reduction Of wages with the
hours Of labor reduced. By keeping up
the wages wO Keep up the circulating
capital, or medium. OF course prices will
be higher in every direction, but not in
proportion to theamount paid in advanced
wages. II Is the greatest mistake ConCeiv-
abIs to argue that to reduce the hours OF
labor would iDjure the employers gener-
ally. II would practically, IN the end, be
a great lasting benefit to them. Employ
ers OF labor are producers, The steady
work given to labor, the employment OF
our now idle hands, whose wants would
have to be supplied, would 30 increase
production US to materially increase their
profits.
Can we adopt the eight.hour working
day in this country under existing condi.
tons? In the first place, We must have q
dwelling up OF the conditions Of the work.
ing people. There must be u system
adopted Of making wages more uniform
than they now are, also q system to have
wages paid according 10 the value OF the
products, ths came wages to be paid to
women as are paid to men on the basis Of
price OF product.
The movement must be national a Sec
tional enforcement would be suicidal, for
the employers OF labor in one State can
not compete with those Of other States II
longer hours Of labor are allowed. And
again, II competition between the States
under unequal conditions would be dan
eerous. then foreign competition in our
markets, II permitted. would be as dan
gerous and more 80.