The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-17
MANY STRIKES AHEAD.
BRADsTREETs FoRESHADOws IN
DUsTRIAL DISTURBANCES.


the Coming Eight-Hour Rising-His
Adherence OF Violence-The Plan
Of Campaign Explained
NEW York. Feb. l5-Wlthia about ten
weeks. we NAV EXPECT TO be called on to de-
eide an important industrial question.
The American Federation Of Labor has
formally requested captains Of industry
throughout the country to regard eight
hours # labor as s days work and has
fixed upon May /, 1890 as the date when
the new order may as well be ushered in.
In the multiplicity of important public
questions which thoughtful men are
called upon to consider daily this one has
received a fair share of attention of late,
but few have given it serious consideration
as to its practical side Many appear to be
willing to allow the matter TO take its own
time. trusting that something will happen
TO bring everything out all right without
serious disturbance.
The American Federation Of Labor, as we
are aware. is composed Of trades unions,
but the management Of the separate unions
is left to themselves, much the same as in
federated states of the union, the govern
meut of the states IS left t. themselves.
In this respect the federation differs from
the Knights of Labor, which organization
appears TO have lost much Of its former
prestige, as it certainly has Of its member
shin. The federation has been chilly distin-
guished, in the minds of the class who look
upon the activity of organized labor es an
uncomfortable, but possibly necessary
phenomenon by its repeatedly announced
requests for a reduction Of the hours OF
daily labor to eight.
Its public utterances have been marked
hxyo SIR Of "a SIM ffS
arguments in favor of the eight-hour day
have appealed to common sense and human
itv. and the statements of it's case have been
couched in language indicating an unusually
high order of intelligence on the part of its
leaders.
As took part in reporting the results Of
the first great eight-hour struggle in this
country, some four years ago, furnishing
through the columns of BrddStreetS to the
daily press, as well as TO the public
the first approach to comprehensive
totals of the numbers of men
many cities in May, 1851 natu-
rally found this eight-hour agitation
of 1890 of special interest Particularly
because the tone of those who asked for this
change foresees so marked a contrast t. that
employed four years ago. So l determined
TO inquire of the federation Just what it pro-
poses TO do in case its success by means of
factory TO it.
Samuel Gompers is president of the
American Federation of Labor. aud proves
to be what l had presumed, Judging from
the executive utterances of the federation,
a gentleman of exceptionally conservative
temperament, advanced ideas upon what
may be characterized as political economy,
a peculiarly winning manner, and a
vocabulary which attracts attention. He
is easy to meet, and glad to impart infor-
NATION.
In appearance, Mr.. Gompers may be
lkened to an English edition of Napoleon
/, aud in his management of the fedora
ton, so far as method is concerned, he may
certainly be considered a master workman.
''Your organization, Mr.. Gompers," said
!, ''has begun tie agitation for a uniform
eight-hour day, so mildly as well as per-
sistently and forcefully. carefully conceal
ing or emitting all reference to alterna-
tives, in case the request is not granted
that am anxious 10 know what you ex-
pect to do, on May l, if the employers as
rule refuse 10 adopt the fewer number Of
hours dally.''
at means strike-of COURSE was the
reply. "You viii notice that for the
first time, and | believe in the
history of organized labor, we
are exhausting every means to bring
about the desired result bS other means
than strike. We have published tons of
speeches, papers, essays and tracts, showing
good reasons why the JoIler should not be
expected or required to work more than
eight hours daily. We have and are hold
ing public meetings to enlighuen all who
will listen. and we are leaving nothing IN
done as TO personal conference and confer
ence by letter to induce employers and con-
tractors to grant concessions in the direction
indicated
Tell me" said 1, how you regard the
80 -
tractors at St Paul recently, which, in re-
ply TO your letter, recommended payment
of wages by the hour, instead of by the
day. Do you not think that amounts to a
checkmatei Will not present wages, for
instance, divided by eight instead of ten or
more paid on the hour basis mean less for
the wage-earner per diem!'
The president of tie federation smiled
and in reply read me his letter to that con-
yeutiOn IN which he distinctly avoided ask
ing that body TO recommend or adopt an
eight-hour day. At most the letter could
be said to urge upon the gentlemen TO
whom it was addressed the advisability
of not taking action antagonistic to the
eight-hour day. After reading it Mr.
Gompers said: 81 think the builders
did all that could have BEEN looked
for. No body OF employers can be ex-
pected to make radical changes in their
methods of work, particularly"-here the
speaker sLDl4S1 dgdAl-- before tleY are
asked to do 50. The builders were not
formally asked to adopt the eight-hour dav.
/ think the wages question will settle itself,
after the question OF hours of labor is de-
cided.n
Referring to the widely extended eight
hour strikes of 1856, 1 asked whether, if
strikes became necessary element of the
work of the federation next spring-we
might expect to see anything like the dis
turbance which conferred at Chicago a few
days ago.
Imagine my surprise at seeing Mr.. Com
pers start from his chair and grow red in
the face in an evident effort to control him
self, but l could not at the moment imagine
how or why the question had excited him
Brushing one hand through his hair, he
said in voice much deeper than before:
"Why, | am no anarchist; no bomb
thrower; violence to individuals, or a dis
regard of property-rights-
Right here relieved him-and myself
My reference wasito the Chicago eight-hour
strikes of four years ago, while the question
had been construed to refer to the Hay
market outbreak. The point sought was
simply whether the country is to suffer in
dussrIal disturbances this spring, if neces-
sary 70 enforce an eipht-hOur daY NOwhera