The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-03-13
Mistellanp.
Hours of Labor.

The desire to obtain something for
nothing seems Unborn in the human
race. Nothing is more notable both in
governments and in the people, and
yet it is one of those futile things that
sooner or later return to plague the pur-
suers. One manifestation of it in the
old times was in reducing the value of
the coinage. Governments at times
would reduce the amount of gold or sill
yer in the current money of the realm.
Crowns, shillings, sixpences, louis d'ors
and livres were issued by authority with
less of the precious metals in them,
and for time the government fiat
would cause them to circulate equally
with money of greater value, but only
for very short period. They would
finally seek their level, for while the
disposition of man is to obtain some
thing for nothing, it is constantly met
by that other disposition to always OBJ
tain true value for service or property.
So, in the end, if shilling would be
reduced to one-half its value it would
only have one-half of its purchasing
power. The same effect was seen
during the civil war, when greenbacks
were made legal tender. They paid
debts, to be sure, and in many cases
unequably, but as they became reduced
in value from the gold standard the
value of every purchasable COM
modify became enhanced. For many
years there has been a movement in
progress to reduce the hours of labor
from ten to eight hours day. Some
of the working-men's leagues have APP
1,nintaH tho Lot Of Mo,r
when they would insist upon having
eight hours called days work, The
same thing was appointed for May,
1856, but the Haymarket bomb blew
that idea into space for the time. Now
it comes up again, and while the Herald
would place no obstacle in way of its
accomplishment, to its thoughtful read
ers it wishes to say that it is a mere de-
basing of the coinage. 1t is possible
that for brief period man might OBJ
tain as high wages for eight hours
work as for ten hours, but every reason
able human being knows that such
condition could not last long. Every
working-man must be conscious of the
fact that two hours work is worth some
thing, and that the man who works ten
hours is deserving of more pay than the
man who works eight hours. The truth
is, in this workaday world, that no man
will ever be able to get ahead unless he
is not only willing to work ten hours a
day, but eighteen or twenty. No great
fortune now known in this country was
earned on eight hours daily work
Every successful man will say, no mat
ter what his pursuit has been, that he
has had to work in season and out of
season to accomplish the things he has
accomplished. While it might be wise,
in view of the number of laborers, to
limit the hours of work so as to give all
a chance, no man who is emuous of
competence or fortune should ever hag-
gle over his hours. If he would get
ahead he must work and accumulate
money, and then the money will help
him in his work. Every dollar he can
save and invest gives him an added
power, and there is no man who is an
honest workman who can not soon pos
sess this power Money gives in
creased ability for work, giving a man
greater strength and an additional hand
to work with. This is the point the
Herald wishes to emphasize, that no
man, no matter how skillful he may be,
can ever attain competence with eight
hours labor. Not in any profession,
business or trade can it be done But in
any trade, business or profession it can
be done if he will work hard and faith
fully as long as he has the work to do,
even if it takes up the full twenty
hours of some particular day. Andthen,
if he leaves dissipation and folly aside,
and INDUCES in no vain imaginings,
the overwork will hurt him not at ALL
Chicago Herald.