The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-05-03
Mr.. PoWpERLY AND EIGHT HOURS.
Ono Weak Point In M Otherwiss Able
Letter by the q. NJ. W.
TSpecial Correspondence.l

Letter by the q. NJ. w.
Especial Correspondence
Under the caption "The Plea for Eight
Hours" Mr.. T, V. Powderly has an ar
ticle in The North American Review fol
April which, coming as it does on the
eve of the American Federation Of La
boris attempt TO inaugurate the eight
hour day in the carpenter trade, Is cal
culated to attract the attention OF the
observing workingman. During the early
months Of 1886, or just prior to May ] oil
that year, the date upon which the led
Grafton made its first attempt to establish
the shorter work day, General Master
Workman Powderly, on several occa'
sions, by circular and otherwise, eau
toned the knights OF Labor against par
ticipation in the then pending movement.
He went SO far as to announce by special
circular, which was made public on the
very eve of that struggle, that the order
Of which he was the head would not
take part in nor give countenance to the
strike ordered by the federation for May
/. While the strike of 1886 was not, by
any means, n failure, its results were
short of what its projectors expected and
hoped for. and they laid at Mr.. Powder
Tvs door some Of the blame for this.
That Mr.. Powderly's course at that
time was wise one is doubtful, but that
it accorded with what he conceived 10 he
the best interests of his organization the
cooler judgment Of the present is bound
TO admit AS the head of an organiza'
ton with over half a million members
he was surrounded by grave RESPONSE
bilities; and as the general assembly had
failed to declare in favor Of the strike,
he claimed it was his duty to warn and
check the assemblies which had evil
denced disposition to take hand.
The article in The North American Re-
view is an able argument in favor OF
eight hours, and, because OF its timeli-
ness, would indicate that the present
movement has Mr.. Powderly's thorough
sympathy. This Is good. In one place
only is he weak: He objects TO the argu-
ment of those eight hour advocates who
lay stress upon the fact that the reduc-
ton would give employment to the idle.
He says: Following that course OF rea-
soning 70 its logical conclusion we should
haya to cut down the hours of labor still
fur her in few years to accommodate
the idle thousands imported to this coun-
try; and after the number increased
again we should have to reduce the
hours of labor again and again, until the
unemployed of Europe and Asia had
landed, when we should have nothing
to do"
The hours OF labor will eventually be
reduced to less than four per day-could
be now, if all were engaged at product
i've workout not in the way Mr.. Pow
derby predicts, and we will not reach
that direful state he foresees, "when we
should have nothing to do 1t must be
remembered that other countries are
moving on these same lines, and some OF
them at rate faster than ours. We
will not be allowed to get so far ahead
as to depopulate Europe; and rs for Chi
maxwell, with the increased intelligence
that eight hours will give us, it is likely
we will he able to dispose of the Mongo-
Ian invasion.
In the meantime, if our improved con-
dtions induce our less fortunate brothers
Of Europe to come over and join US, and
their very coming compels us to further
help ourselves (and Mr.. Powderly clearly
proves that shortening the days labor
will help us), then let them come, and
God speed them. The better the sur
roundings of the new corners the more
likely they will be to make good citizens.
The power to brighten thinking man IL
about all knocked out Of the foreigner"
bugaboo, anyhow. We have a large
country here, and all the people want is
a chance to get at it and to be guaranteed
the results of their labor. These will
come with intelligence, and intelligence,
as Mr.. Powderly says, will grow as the
work day il shortened.
One of the principal points to gain at
this time is to prove that an entire indus
try can be carried on with only eight
hours labor day from those employed
In it; that the employees will be i'm
proved, and that society as whole will
be benefited by the change. These
things clearly demonstrated, and it is
not improbable public sentiment will de-
mand observance of the eight hour day
in all industries. The American FEEDER
alton Of Labor has selected the carpenter
trade for the trial; let us hope it will be
successful. JARB.