Telegram-herald., 1890-03-31
THE EIGHT HOUR DAY
Henry d LIoyd's Able Address on
this Subject.
CRUEL AID UssllURlL COsPEIITIOs
The Coldsa Age sf the Artisan and fAr-
naeF OF Englasa-A Plea for wases
ahd ChiIdren- faE.-
eacss Of the IeReaSnC

Pow rs Opera House WAS packed
with eople last evening. The furni-
ture 0rkers and other tradesmen were
out in full blast and many of their
wives and sweethearts were with them
They We're evidently very ANXIOUS 10
/ hear what Mr. Lloyd had 10 say on the
eight-hour question. Mr.. Lloyd Is q
man OF fine appearance and although
considerably under what Is generally
understood as the middle age; his hair
Is literally sprlnkled with grey. lie Is
PLEASING SPEAKER
| and his audiences listened 10 his ad-
dress with marked attention.
Mr.. Lloyd said that 10 one looking
over the city and seeing its handsome
residences, rs fine public buildings and
It's evidently prosperous homes, can
hardly believe that there is any element
OF tse labor question that remains in
need OF adjusting. "BUt / understand
that when a man gives up his lob there
are other men who stand ready 10 step
INTO ms place at even lower wages; that
you have great many children who
are employed IN your tactOresand that
ali wage workers are working long
hours. This Is all wrong and to show
YOU what IS being done and what has
been done 10 right that wrong am
here tonight.
"The elght-hOurs' day is no new
thing. II was tried 400 years ago in
England, and was success. IL was
found good for employers. for working
men and for the whole nation. There
was great conflict between labor and
capital IN the middle ages, winch ended
in peace and victory for labor, with
the establishment of the eight-hours'
day in England eight hours IN town
and country. With this
EIGHr-HoUIs' DAY
came, as always happens with every for
ward movement of the masses, other
great benefits. In this age of the guilds,
called by Prof. TnOrold Rogers the
golden age of the English artisan and
farmer, both the employer and en-
ployc belonged TO the same union: 10
man could compete with another OF the
same guild; the employe had the same
right to ms place that the master had,
wages were high and living was cheap.
Life was full Of hardship, but the hard
ship was common 10 all. There was no
poverty in the modern sense, saws Prof.
Rogers, the recognized leader of
the historians of that period. There
were no tenements, no factories. All
tins came with the eight-hours day, won
by the craftsmen OF the middle ages
tor themselves by hitter struggles.
These priceless advantages have been
lost. The eight-hours day has been
lost. The freedom from unnatural and
unbrOtnerly competition has been lost.
The land has been lost, and the security
OF tenure-the right of the working
man to his position has been lost.
Modern progress" has given the work
lngman more things, but il has made
him more of a thing. With all that has
been added since to the resources of
CIVILIZATION
ALL THE WEALTH,
machinery, labor-Saving devices, new
worlds, new industries, new gold, new |
races OF men, populations doubled again |
and again, the wOrklngmen are in these |
respects worse of than they were cen
turles ago. The men who control the |
business of the world tell the |
wOrkingmen they must work ten.
twelve, fourteen hours day. Must |
work in unwhOlesome factories must |
live In tenement houses, must give up /
their trades unions, must give up their |
positions the moment that capital can |
hnd some one wretched enough 10 work /
longer hours or take less pay: they /
must surrender the substance OF homes /
even IN the tenement. and sending out /
their wives and children TO work must /
drink to the dregs that bitter cup un- /
known in England IN the
GOLDEN AGE
of forty years ago-the bitter cup of |
extreme poverty. When the world was
poor and had no machinery, no steam,
40 America, no California gold, no rail
roads, no steamships, England could I
1--we and 1--we happily on eight hours
work n day; nOww wnen the world is rich,
when IN America alone there is ma
chnery equal to $4,000 600 able-bOdied
men, a machine man, so TO speak, 70
work for every man, woman and child 1
ia the country. We are told by busi-
ness and It's political economists that
the world can't got on under
their management without working,
not the men only. but the
WOMEN AND cHUDREN
also, ten hours and more a day. IF that
IS the result of their management. the
sooner We change managers the better.
The chief religious. the chief moral
Of our gay IS that refOTma-
tory activity which is rising m the con-
sciences OF men 20 ah0. IN the great
wrongs in the admin stratOn Of the
peoples lands. lahoTs and lives. The
"a IS % protect the women aud children
.n mncs and factories. % shorten
the hours Of child lab0r-wh.ch
ought 90 hc aboI shed utterly. for u isa
more hideous blot upon us than even
AtucaB ssavery-the regulation of "a f.
roads, the whole mass OF labor and ten
ameut house legislation. the supervision
OF corporations. are the results. the very
inadequate results Of the attempts az
-he awakened heart AMI conscience Of
mani I'd 10 mora ge orr new
wealth, and 20 agmsnze t Only
from this point q view car
me yat-hours movement - under
stood It IS part # the great relorns-
tory work of tie nineteenth century.
.t protest aga nst wrong art an en-
leaVCr 10 oota rest trten--2 ueara-
gi notest cone story attempt 90 get
n restitution n1t 4 frsct on ~ rhathas
been taken. If business men refuse O.
gralt THIS
wINrfrw oF EEIIEF.
vi rot ish0r he ius- Fed II ~ s-i0z