Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-03
The LABOR PICNIC.
Two Stirring Addresses and a Big
Time on Sylvan Island.
Tie Workingm ems Condition and
the Eight HoM. Day Discussed in q
Thorough and Convincing Manner.

morning of the frat labor day in Rock
Island. was followed by grand picnic
and demonstration on Sylvan Island in
the afternoon, which was visited by a
great crowd of people. Bleuer's band
stationed in the band stand, discoursed
fine music at intervals, and at p. m. a
large and intelligent audience gathered
about the speakers stand.
HENRY d. LLOYD.
of Chicago. was the first speaker intro
duced.
The labor movement, said Mr.. Lloyd,
was an effort to cure fsnaticism, the
fanaticism of money making-the mania
of the markets. The labor movement
looks with horror and aversion at the
ruin, distress. poverty, gambling and
monopoly which are today the results of
modern business. and the social system it
supports. The labor movement is part
of the great upward movement of human
ity-seen from the tight side it is growth
1t is revolution only when viewed from
the side of the evil whose unju privi-
leges and vested wrongs are to be dis
turbed. The labor movement is dis
tinct stage In the march of progress with
definite, clearly marked mission. That
mission on its construction side is to ex-
tend into industry the brotherhood al
ready recognized in politics and religion.
equality which they profess as citizens
and worshippers. On its side the mission
of the labor moveme mt is to free mankind
from the supeIstitions and sins of the
market, and to abolish the poverty which
is the fruit of those sins. The labor
movement represents a distinctly higher
idea than that obeyed by modern society.
The labor movement is at the very FORE
front of civilization. 1t is in advance of
the churches; it advances morality step;
it breaches that mer must be brothers
across the wage line as well as on each
side of 1t; brothers everywhere. whether
in field. workshop o. church.
The labor moveme Mt is intensely prsc-
teal. because it offers practical means of
abolishing poverty and war: it means to
make all men worku en- and to make all
workmen free. 1t will make competi>
ton free by making 1t just, humane,
| righteous and so will make free our
whole modern society which now keeps
step in all departments with the bag pipes
of the money makers. 1t wants to be
more free that it may do more good work
not less. Labor wants more, but it wants
TO get it like free man, by giving more
Ii is not a movement of one class against
another. 1t is not one of self seekers de-
handing their rights. but of brothers
seeking to put things to rights.
1t is not in the spirit of selfshness that
the eight hour day is demanded,
but to give q chance to brethren out of
employment. The movement is not
founded on hate either of man or of
property, but of love, the love that
gladly sacrifices itself for the common
good, even to the point of starvation. and
it proposes to render property sacred by
making it just and giving it to all, thus
doing for property just what freedom has
for the government 1t does break with
the past, but builds upon it all the rights,
liberties and virtues that have been
gained in the glorious past and are the
foundation stones on which the labor
movement builds. The labor movement
is not lawless. hcentious-insubordin
Its philosophy teaches that freedom is to
do right that freedom to do wrong is the
freedom of q slave. L is not the out
break of turbulent or ig lorsnt discomfort;
1t is not the disloysl revolt of foreigners.
Who are the real foreigners in America,
and who are the true Americanss The
true Americans are all who join in the
march from slavery TO freedom. The
real foreigners, he claimed, are those who
have gotten riches by he labor of their
fellows and are using ii ese riches to inns
poverish their fellows by the leger de-
main of the markets. We see them using
wealth which only the freedom of their
native land enables them to win, to de-
stroy that freedom. None of these men
are in the labor movement. The labor
movement is a peace party; the orgsnizs
ton of workingmen is today the great
harbinger of universal peace. They are
moderate and conservative, deliberate,
careful, guarded and practical. They
never have uttered threat. nor made an
unreasonable request.
In all this. Mr.. Lloyd held. the labor
ing men are far more selfcontained than
those great leaders of the worlds thought
who have passionately thrown themselves
ia behalf of the working people across
the path of the devourirg dragon of the
markets They seek today TO add to
political democracy, Ind 1strial democra-
cy. And how2 One step at time, and
the first step the most moderate possible
the eight hour day. Organized labor
the world over is crying out against the
oppression of the poor: Let us work but
eight hours day; give us q little time
every day to think" That is all labor
asks and it could not ask for anything
wiser. nor anything to which it has q
better right-part of its own life--not
for its own selfish pleasure. but for the
good of the world.