Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-02-01
BROOKLYN.
Proceedings of The c. l.. U.

Last Sunday was the public lecture
day of the Brooklyn Central Labor
Union and but little business was trans
acted. Delegate Moss of the Cigarmakers
presided. The delegate of Cigarmakers
Progressive International Union No. lao
invited the delegates to the ball Of hi
Union to take place on Monday the 9th
inst. Several communications were read
and disposed of. In pursuance Of CON-
munication from the Brewery Engineers
it was resolved to re. e.admit that organ
ization to the G. L. U. on payment Of IS.
The business meeting was then adjourn
cd and the delegates went over to the
large hall of the Labor Lyceum, where
large audience was already in after
dance to listen to an address Of Samus
Gompers on the Importance of the eigh
hour day.
The public meeting was called to orde
by delegate Simon Barrend and delegat
John Hall Of Typographical Union N,
9S, was elected chairman.
GoMPERs' SPEECH.
Gompers was welcomed with storr
of applause. He made long and abl.
speech in the course of which he
said /
"What does eight hours meanp This
is the oil important question to tne work
ing men and working women Of to-day.
All along we have heard objection,
raised against the eight hour movement.
They rest on the fallacy that, 1t IL de-
trimental to the condition Of the work.
ing people. One of the foremost themes
of opposition against the eight-hour mo-
vement is that rs you reduce the time OF
labor 30 you enhance the cost Of the
article manufactured to the working
man. You can look to any industry in
any country, and you find that wherein
the laboring peoples hours are shortest
there you will find that articles are sold
cheapest. Cheapest in proportion to the
wages received by the tolers.
"For too many years, fer too many cen-
turies, have the work people been looked
upon as wealth producing machines, to
be pushed, to be lashed, TO be whipped,
to be cast down, to be gridled by cast
iron restrictions 80 long as they produce
wealth. Too long has the workingman
been held in the leash as slave. Some
papers maintain, notwithstanding tho
evidence on every hand that the cost Of (
an article is not enhanced by the reduc-
ton of the hours of labor, that the re-
duction would be detrimental in any
event. Ii the circulation of the news
papers of to-day depended upon the
working people who tolled from twelve
to sixteen hours day do not believe
we would have many newspapers. No,
the workingman would not have time to
read them.
II have been asked If eight hours is the
Alpha and Omega of my social philoso-
ply. / say to the workingmen, to the
economists, PROFOUND these in.erro-
| gatories say to the radicals, who are
too bigoted to cooperate with us in the
movement, to these J say we have oR
ganized for specific purpose, we war
eight hours, and until this is accom-
lished we shall insist upon eight hour
When we have achieved eight hours
will then be time to say what we will 60
| for next.
"We want to improve the condition of
the workingman, and we will not cease
to agitate even after May /, 1890, when
we hope to have eight hours. We will
work for the amelioration of the work
ing people, SO that those who follow
may see what we have done and con-
tlnue the work..
Mr.. Gompers, at the conclusion of his
address, was rendered rising vote of
| thanks.