The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-23
A POLITICIAN
Discourses on Labor Some
thing Must Be Done to
Improve
The Condition gof the Working
Classes" and Interest Them
In SOciety's Welfare.
eff Men Willing to be Industrious Are
Starving, Something is Wrong in
Our System Of Government"

The following speech by Governor
Hill, of New York, is printed simply to
show how wonderfully the labIr ques-
ton is forcing itself upon even the gov
erning classes. Although it is. made bv
a rich man and politician there are in
it indications of an approach towards
bottom principles
"The irritation in some places existing
between capital and labor, and the dis
content prevailing among portions of the
laboring classes, especially in some of
our cities and large towns, present sub
iect for most careful consideration 1t is
one in which all classes are interested,
because the interests of every class are
directly or indirectly connected With
those of all the rest, and 80 what con-
Germs one must be deemed to effect all
This irritation and this dlscontent it is
the province of true craftsmanship to al
leviate and pacifY. -
at may be laid down as a general
rule that it is the duty of the state to
encourage and aid, in 80 far as the same
can be legitimately done, every honest
man in his efforts to provide living for
himself aud his family. 1t is not as,
serted that this duty req hires
the government itself to fur
nish work to laboTing men but it does
mean that every reasonable facility
should be afforded whereby man will
ling to work may earn reasonable
| livelihood. In country 80 great and
extensive as ours and with resources so
abundant, no honest man should be
permitted to starve or required to exc
out a miserable existenc, when he is
willing to be industrious. If be is 80
required then there must be something
wrong in our system of government or
in the administration of public affairs.
Labor, unorganized labor, is weak, while
capital, especially incorporated capital,
is strong, and the one should not be
permitted to oppress the other, but both
should stand on an equal footing before
the law, and be equally protected and
| fostered by it. Fair, reasonaNl and liy
ing wages for labor should be demanded
on one side. and should be cheerfully
paid on the other, wages which should
be sufficient to decentlY and respectfully
support and educate the family of the
workingman. Neither should he be re-
quired to work unreasonable hours in
order to earn such wages, and the grow :
ing sentiment for less hours for labor
should receive respectful consideration.
No man should be compelled to make
his whole life a drudgery simply to
earn enough for existence. The fowls of
the air and the beasts of the field get
bare existence and that is all. A man
should have more; he should have
work, but he should have some recrea
ton also. He should be afforded some
opportunity for study, for pleasure, for
associati5n with his family, for observa
ton ofthe world and for rest
There are workingmen in our large
cities who scarcely see their families
| from one months d to the other.
There are some, especially the Car driv-
ers on street railroads, who leave their
homes IN the morning before their chill
dren have arisen, as early as five o'clock,
are unable to get home to dinner, but
take it with them. and do not return at
night until eight or nine o'clock, after
their children have gone to bed. As
they are obliged to work Sundays also,
or at least three out of the four SUNDAYS,
they scarcely see their children awake
more than twelve davs in the year.
What pleasure has life for such a man ?
What interest can he be expected to
take in our institutions, th5 welfare of
society or the good of the general pub,
lie? He has all be can do to live. 1t is
not for me to say what precise number
of hours man shall labor. Perhaps it
is not for the law TO say, except in part.
But custom and an enlightened public
sentiment can regulate this matter, even
II laws are partially powerIss5.
This is not specially an important
question on farm where mans WOrk
Is IN sight of his house, almost III the
very presence of ms wife and children,
where he eats MS dinner at home and
has all his meals with bis family. He
has their society nearly all the while
But 1t is different in our cities, where
men work miles away from their homes
The hours of labor may well be short
ened 80 that workingmen can at least
become acquainted with their own fam
lies.
1T would seem as though eight hours
of hard labor, four in the forenoon and
four in le afternoon, followed up the
wear round, ought to be sufficient to en-
able any workingman to live, and are
all that he ought ordinarily be required
to perform. The rest of the time he
will require in going to and returning
from his work, in reading, IN working in
his garden, if he has any, and enjoylnL
the society of his family and neighbors
at has been suggested that there
should be half holiday every SATURDAY.