The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-06
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL--TUESDAY. OCTOBER s, 1885.
DAILY PEAL--WEDNESDAY OCIOBEK O., 1851

ap'an for the perfection OF this ides,
or else place it IN the hands OF the in
coming General Executive Board, with
instructions to perform the duty. II
we do not do either, let US strike the
tw~enty-first declaration from our pre-
amble, and nj longer proclaim to the
world that we are in favor Of eight
hours for a days labor.
THE MACHINE AND H MAN
Before a short hour system that will
be of any benefit to mankind can be
insugurate', the relation which the
workman bears to the labor saving
machine must undergo a radical
change. Shorten the hours Of labor
under our present system and the
stretts will not be emptied OF their
idle thousandR. Moe machines will
be erected and more children called
into service to feed them. The asser-
lion hat the advocate Of short hours
desires to step production is false.
1t is to make production gradual,
healthy, and have it keep pace with
the wants OF the consumer, keeping
all men employed, 80 that idleness
will disappear and the producer re.
| Iuhlu u CODEulDCI W lib lullfbb OaDoOlbs > |
that we desire q shortening OF the
hours of labor. Visit our large and
so all factories and you find that the
mechanic of the past is but the feeder
Cf the machine of the present We
already hear Of machines in course oil
! perFec ion which will set the type and
mould the cigars faster than human
hands a do the york and electricity
will soon lake the thIoLtle lever from
the hand OF the man who runs tae
| locomotive. The day will soon dawn
when these agencies vii DO doing
their work; and when that cay does
c7ma, the mechanic, now SO proud OF
his calling, viii stand face to ftc; with
the alternative Cf asking for charity or
the adoption OF the calling of the
s.rltt scEvtnRer. When that day
clmeg, the mau who now seeks to
array labor against labor in asserting
that the "t3 day man should not
move in the same society circles with
the man who works for ii q day"
Will eli her feek to crowd the 81 a day
m IN cut OF his place or accept the
crumbs Of charity to sustain lie. HIS
tory will repeat Itself, and TIE fight
TO- existence will be Naged with I'M
relent ng fury.
WHAT is II REMEDY?
The machine must become the slave
Of the man, inst asd of keeping the
man in attendance on and subordinate
to thu machine. A plan cf co opera.
ton through which the workman may
control the machine ne operates must
one day supeIcede the present system.
To properly map out such a plan re-
quires more time than | have had or
am likely TO have at my disposal. l
can only cooperate with others in the
work.
eHLD LAB0R.
The thirteenth article in our declsra-
ton OF principles reads, "The prohi-
bition, by law, OF the employment Of
children under 10 years OF age in
workshops, mines aud facio les" The
end sought for in carrying this deGlara-
ton into effec, is not that the child
may live in i ilenetsj it is not that
m re adults may be employed. IL is
that the child OF the poor man may he
enabled to acquire on education 10
equip him for the duties which will in
future fail upon him as man and citi-
zen. We cannot aft ,rd to pass this
question by aud legislate on simple
question of trade diEc pine. The
question OF child labor and education
is the most important that can come
before us now or at any other time.
With an edufaion all things are easy
Of accomplishment; without it, hope
| itself almost dies, and liberty is q farce.
In our organizations of labor, and IL
has been 80 from the beginning, we
take up the work of reform when the
subj ct is advanced in %yens-the new
member must be abgve l6 years be.
fore we admit him. We attempt to
drive from his mind the false ideas
gathered in t ON the workshop, or,
possibly, The. street corner. His
habits are formed, and the work that
should have been begun at z years
we take u at 20 or later on in life.
To attempt TO settle 80 intricate q
QUESTION rs the one we are grappling
with, or tU successfully solve the
question, is a tfsk 30 difficult that /
! do not wonder that men drop out Of
the ranks Ct labor organizations dis
couraged and hopeless. To make the
necessary progress, we must begin
with the child and see to it that he has
an education. II the principles Of the
Knights of Labor are right, and few
men qut stion them, We should teach
them TO the young. 1t should bs a
part OF the duty of every rs emily to
ascertain the numb.r of children who
do not attend school in its vicini' y,
learn what the csusts are, and take
steIs to have them attend school.
The sword may strike the shackles
from TIE limbs OF the slave, but it is
education aud organization that make
him u free man. He is still q save
whose limbs alone have been freed.
OF what avail is il to say that we
are Ilaboriug to establish a system OF
co operGtioU, when that which is
more essential to the success of CO.
operation is lacking. A business
training is necessary to successfully
carry on a cooperative enterprise. Ii
the management of the large and
small concerns now in operation in
this oountry were turned over to us
today, we would but run them in the
ground, for We lack the business train
ing necessary TO successfully operate
them. Our vanity may prevent us
from acknowledging this to be true,
but We cannot deny il. 1t is through
no fault OF ours that it is trua, but if
it continues it will be our fault
ask that a special Committee on
Education be appointed to prepare
aud recommend TO this General As
slmb'y a plan for the better education
of the American youth.
TRADES UNIONS.
The t'oub Q with trade unions in
which certain of our members and
assemblies have been engaged was
greatly m'guifed ard distorted. The
proceedings OF this Cleveland special
session of the General ASSEMBLY, and
the report of the General Executive
Board submitted to you today, will be
sufficient. | need not enter into de-
tail further than to say that there we're
mistakes made on both sides. Some