The daily critic., 1890-05-27
THE EIGHT HOUR LAW.


The eight.hour law Is as follows.
Bet enacted r'c, That eight hours shall
constitute q davis work for an labOrers,
w0rl men, and mechanics now employed,
or who may hereafter be employed. bv or
on behalf Of the Government OF the United
States.
The bill for this law passed the
House of Representatives on January 9,
1868, and passed the Senate on the 2lth
of the same month. II was signed by
President johnson on the next day
The spirit and intent Of the law was
10 reduce and to limit the hours Of labor
of Government employees to eight hours
per day with no reduction Of pay.
The workmen Of this country who
had petitoned for enactment Of this law,
evidently believed that the time had
come when the interest Of wage work
ers, owing to the constantly increas-
ing number Of the unemployed, de
manded this reform They evidently
believed that the proposed system Of
labor would be demanded universally
by the wOrkmen OF the nation, and
would be conceded by employers every
where as soon as its advantages had
been proved by fair experiment.
But from the day Of its enactment
until during President Cleveland's ad-
ministration the law was openly disre
garded In the Government Printing
Office, Indeed. no attention was paid
TO it, and the employees Of the Govern
meat, In that great workshop, continued
10 work under the unlimited time sys-
tenn. Hundreds Of them were required
to work ten, twelve, fourteen and even
sixteen hours a day, while hundreds Of
printers-as Representative O'Neill
once put it in the House-''Were walk.
ing this town with their toes our Of
their shoes.
After the change Of Administration
in 1854, men who had seen no wrong in
the persistent disregard of the eight
hour law By the Republicans, became
wonderfully solicitous for its enforce
ment, They began 70 agitate. They
began in a systematic way 10 call the
attention Of the country 10 the Govern
ment Printing Office, and to say; In
this workshop this benehcent law IS
being disregaTded in a grossly flagrant
manner This disregard Of law IS the
result of Democratic administration
II did not matter that this assertion
was being made in the face Of the fact
that then more regard was being paid
70 the law by Public Printer Benedict
than had been paid % II by any Public
Printer that had preceded him, aud thai
he was anxious 10 have action taken by
Congress OF the Printers Union that
would Justify bim in breaking down the
pTecedents which bad given 10 the
eight-hour aw a construction that
made Il mappiicabIe 70 what IS called
piece work Facts Ike this had no
effect 10 modify the abuse Of Public
Printer Benedict, IN which numerous
sudden converts 70 the importance Of
The eight hour law we're indulging al
that time ana indeed If soon became
apparent thaf The Republican party
had become after deliberately and per
sisteniIy yiglal-lP lhe law during
twenty years Eey earnest advocate
of the l4w not because of any regard
for if buf because the laW might be
used 10 DE party advantage IN rs
contest with The Democratic admins
uafi0u theu i1 control ri tie executive
branch of Die Government.
one of the sudden converts 10 the
necessity II 3 rigid and instantaneous
enforcement 0f lie Law was The Hon
Mr NeC0mas Of Maryland This gen
temaH IS kiLfuI al Tie game Of p3Ii- (
Iics and aitbal Is as plausible a mau IS I
ever any one conversation eopeI .
WilhaL lie Is B9. q Top. 8uI he docs .
lgt So about perfumed ike q milllneE /
But ha Is q rather dainty mold I
and We believe Sc % him b Ga
justice When We sag that be