The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-30
EIGHT HOUR u

NWoTkOE" Reasons About tha Mntter-When
tho nIillsNium will Gene.
10 me Editor Of The h~adltGalea.
SIR:-FArmels, too, would like to strike
for an eight hour day! AHd why not
Mr., EditorP These honest tilleEs Of the
soil average sixteen. hours per day for
seven or eight months of every year. and
this service is not performed in the peace
full shade, with two or three intervening
stories between u glowing hot sun and IN
honest toiler. But, my friend, "the
Granger" has to take his share OF lies
work with nothing but a twenty cent
straw hat and a plantain leaf between
his brain and "Old Sol" pouring down at
the rate OF ll5o Farenheit. So when these
honest boys from town can support q
proper dignity on eight hours moderate
exertion, / hope they'll be- kind enough to
hand the blessing round TO the rural pop
~u!ation. Give 1t to the poor fellows VINO
toll 80 long.
Uon6dentially, what do you think about
this easy leisure buainGGs2 In my early
life | used 10 draw fancy pictures OF big
wages, Cthis was twenty years ago, lust
after a war we had, not very hard WORK
and q good lot OF quiet leisure, near q
cozy cottage, love and "ContentmenI
dwelling inside, and shade trees and
a pretty garden ITO charm the languid
hours away" Twas all q dream! The
world moves on, life becomes more
actual, cares more pressing, labor more
constant and less remuneratiVe, so that IN
the whirl Of q few years a great change
has come, and | bid u reluctant good bye
tomany cherished hopes OF what thought
was in store for American civilization.
To-day, Equarely facing our surround
ings, | do not think 1t possible to subsIst
on the remuneration for eight hours OF
labor, To ask this same wages received
for ten hours work, for an eight.hour day,
Ia a clean demand for a twenty-five per.
cent advance. Lst me ask, what would
be tho immediate result OF such o course 7
1t would invite at once the incoming Of
IaTgs hordes Of European laborols who
would d4morAli2e the labor market n
oyerstock ii. The ClamOr Tor food would
overtop everything else, so that the very
thing many Of our people are praying Tor
would work out their own un'dolng.
On Monday, Of thia week $500 COMPETE
tors for clothing and bread were landed at
Castle GardenI Besides this view, which
comes close home TO toilers OF every
kind, there Is another which though APP
psrently not so direct in Its bearings, ID
worthy Of close consideration.
The old verse, learned in childhood, Ia
ever true and reads like this: "The Devil
always has some work for idle hands to
do" and right now | wish to say, that q
man who has done eight hours work Is not
an idleT. Ga the other hand, 1t ID q ques.
lion with many OF our wisyst and best
men, those whose lives have been devoted
to the study Of social and political economy
whether with present surroundings tho
leisure which shorter hours brings would
work to tho advantage OF the community
or not. Certain |. Is, however, that lives
devoted 10 the practice oil virtue could
spend the leisure grandly, In the improve
ment OF both brain and heart, bringing
forth fruit in true and beautiful lives.
The men and women OF America should
be able } gain a good subsistence on QUE
9Th less labor than Is performed to-day.
This time ia coming. Let every lover oil
humanity help usher II in. 1t will come
to bless and como to stay when tile
masses Of our people live better lives,
when they adopt the philosophy and
humanity Of st. Paul, instead Of the
brutality and selishness OF the Commune,
when the brotherhood Of man and the
iaLherhood OF God shall BIO the Confession
Of Faith, when the nine hundred millions
OF dollars, worse than thrown away for
stimulants, shall go every year into the
homes Of working people and into books
and music and into innocent recreation
and q summer jaunt for many q weary
mother. OF II this river OF money was
turned into the channels Of legitl.
mate enjoyment what a vast difference 1t
would make in the sum Of human happi.
ness. Let US not be foolish in giving
way 10 the delusion that men can live
without work. "A fair days work for u
fair remuneration Is the doctrine that
will survive and succeed. WORKER.
Wheeling, ". Va, April 20.