The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-02

No shops were closed. and but few flags
fluttered in the sunlight, yet there was an
indescribable gala-day atmosphere about
the city yesterday.
There were children dancing about n
May-Dole in public resort engaged in
mighty effort TO restore deeaying custom,
dear to the rural folk of England, but their
uirth had little to do with the rejoicing.
LaIf mingled with perpleXity, that prevailed
throughout the city.
LABoR's HOLIDAY.
1t was lab0r's holiday, to be forever re-
corded in the annals of toll as the date of
an attempt simultaneously made all over
the civilized world to secure a reduction of
the physical tax Which worklngmen must
pay for living. The success or the failure
Of that attempt-the number of the vic
tories or defeats-are as yet unknown, and
their Importance cannot be appreciated.
INTENSE INTEREST.
The groups of workingmen that eagerly
scanned every fresh bulletin posted in front
of the newspaper offices told how intense
an interest was felt in the great struggle
that, if successful, will not only give more
time for recreation and rest to tens of
thousands of workmen. but will give EN-
ployment to many thousands who are idle.
MILLIONS IDLE.
General Master Workman Powderly
OF the Knights of Labor declares that
100000 men are idle In the United States.
A French economist who holds as high a
position in the esteem Of the laborers of his
country as Powderly has held here, COM
putes that there are 100000 idle workmen
and wOrkwomen in Europe.
Should the hours of toll be reduced both
Powderly and the Frenchmsn believe that
most of these idle men and women would
be given work.
WOULD BENEFIT THE WORLD.
Their prosperity would stimulate the re
tail-dealers, the grocers, dry-goOds dealers,
coal sellers and others who depend upon
the laborers and mechanics for livelihood.
When prosperity falls upon the retailer the
wholesaler and the manufacturer are bene-
flied. In short the great sociologsts and
most Of their followers believe that a re-
duction of the hours Of labor, which i'm
plies a reduction of the labor which every
workman would do, would benefit all the
world.
a RELENTLESS STRUGGLE.
Ever since the day on which Jack Cade
appeared as the leader of the serfs of En-
gland, melting them TO rise against their
noble oppressors. the struggle for fewer
hours Of toll and improved conditions has
been relentlessly waged 1t spread from
England to the Continent, and was carried
on until, centuries later, the serfs of Russia
were enabled TO cast off their yoke.
1t was given a new impetus by the inan-
cial depression that existed in 1877. During
that dark period of American history in
-dnstry lay PROSTATE, and labor began to
make the voice OF its suffering heard. The
Knights of Labor. an organization whose
name could not be mentioned by the MEM
bers under pain Of expulsion, began to feel
It's power, It was organized in 1869 by
seven tailors in the city OF Philadelphia,
and had about 400 assemblies when the
panic came.
CORDIAL WELCOME.
The leaders determined in the following
year to throw aside much Of the secrecy
that yelled their movements, and to extend
more cordial welcome to the tOilers of the
land. This was done, and so great was the
influx of members that. in 1886, Powderly
was compelled to order the organizers to
rest, as they had been founding assemblies
at the rate of fifty per day and the order
was growing too fast. 1t then had $1,000
members in good standing.
Its declaration OF principles provided for
an Increase Of wages and a reduction of
working hours.
Internal dissensions, caused by its too
rapid growth, produced the germs OF decay
IN the order. Its membership and influence
began TO dwlndle. and out of it the Ameri-
can Federation of Trades and Labor arose.
AN EIGHT-HoUR PLANK.
This great organization placed an eight
hour plank in its platform, and one year
ago ordered all the men employed in build
Ing throughout tbs United States and Can
ada to demand a reduction OF working hours
10 eight per day on May l, 1890 That
order has been obeyed wherever branch
OF the federation exists. The results of
obedience to it elsewhere are told in THE
CALLS dispatches.
In this city victory and defeat jostle each
other, and great strike that will east the
-iron-molders' struggle into the shade may
IASult.