Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-13
FOR THE EIGHT.HOuR LAW.
The Effort of the workingInen's Committs
to Secure Its Passage.

The Effort Of the workinsmen's Committee
to Secure Its Passage.
At the mass meeting Of workingmen which
| was held in this city some days ago to urge the
passage of the eight-hour law q committee COM
posed of Messrs. Paul 7. Bowen, Dennis Ferry,
M. NJ. Cunningham, Max Georgia and Stephen
A. Clements was appointed to act in conjunc-
ton with the District Assembly and the FEEDER
alton committees to secure, if possible, the
passage of this law.
Since this occurred the members Of the COM
mittee have appeared time and time again be-
fore the labor committees Of both houses. At a
recent meeting OF the committees Mr.. E. W.
Oyster, the chairman Of the Federation commit
tee, was directed to draft q suitable letter in
support Of the eight-hour law, to be sent to
each Senator. At the meeting of the Fedora
ton last Tuesday night the letter was approved.
and having also received the concurrence of the
District Assembly 1t was ordered that copy be
sent to each Senator OF the United States and
the Vice President. The letter says:
81 have been directed by the Federation of
Labor unions and District Assembly No. SS.
Knights Of Labor, representing between
twenty-five and thirty organized trades. to call
your attention to the fact that there is now
pending before the Senate bill--(H. r., 9791)
constituting eight hours a days work, &c
WHICH leei 0eep personal interest and
which they sincerely trust will be enacted into
law during the present Congress- The original
law liking eight hours asa days work passed the
House Of Representatives on january 6. 1868.
by practically unanimous vote and the Senate
five months later by more than two-thirds
majority. Notwithstanding these facts this
law, for the enforcement of which, in accord
ance with its true spirit and intent, the work.
ingmen of the country have been contending
Tor more than twenty years has, in the Ian
guage Of the honorable chairman of the COM
mittee on education and labor, been DELHI
erately and persistently and wickedly violated
by executive officers almost from the begin
ming
such action on the part of hostile executive
duty to ignore, evade and violate the law in
stead Of to enforce ii, and the fact that IL has,
rs workingmen believe, been misconstrued by
the courts and law officers of the government.
has made 1t necessary to appeal to Congress for
additional legislation. It is believed that the
by the Federation Of Labor-see Congressional
record vol n, part II, page 10, 473-will insure
the prompt enforcement Of the law and firmly
establish the eight-hour principle on all gov
eminent work. The general assembly of the
knights OF Labor, representing 800, 600 laboring
men and taxpayers; the American Federation
OF Labor, representing more than half q mil
hon workingmen in private employments; the
international Union of Bricklayers, the Inter-
national typographical Union and other power
full bodies of workers have unanimously indorsed
this bill No measure has ever beforebe no uni
versally Endorsed by organized labor through
ont the whole country as has the pending eight
hour bill, No. 979l. For and on behalf Of those
who have 80 earnestly petitioned Congress in
Its favor, respectfully request you to use your
influence and vote to aid in bringing about tho
conslderataoc and passage Of the BILL"