The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-08

iihAtSo knowieuge extends, not until 1872 that
master military mind, General Steinmetz, who
has lately died-and who had barely escaned
court-martial for disobedience of an order from
Won Moike during the Franco-Prussian warm
troduced To the German landtag a measure
known as "Frei-Tag," or in English an we
would call ii, Stree day" This was the second
ana only instance that history records of an at
tempt to recognize your day national But
the conservatives OF the reichstag defeated the
measure, believing that il emanated from the
soc , II was from this that in the spring
OF 1882 General Secretary P. j. MCGUIRE, of the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters, f;rst origi-
mated the observance of a new and dis
tine, holiday. s69 parade and picnic .
idea 10 several laboring men and then To the
Central Labor Union of New YORK He got
them to adopt it, and the first Monday in Sep
TENDER, 1882, was agreed upon as the day for the
first public observance. 1t was so successful
that it was decided to celebrate the first Monday
In SEPTEMBER OF every year as laborers' holiday.
The plan was then endorsed by the annual con-
vention of the American Federation OF Labor IL
was from this that the idea has become national.
and the bud has lowered so promisingly. This
is why we are here this is the Labor day and
We are here 70 celebrate Ii.
You are the result, and your privileges here
are the fruits OF one OF the most intefminable
struggles and ancient social warfares the world
has ever known.
The toilers were but serfs and slaves during
the best days of Rome. 'Tis notable that the
slave population OF Rome, as Gibbon places it,
under the reign of Claudius, was as great as the
population of the United States-64.0OOOOO peo-
pie. Most Of these had been captured in war,
or descended from those who had been. Many
bondmen were the intellectual superiors of
their masters The Roman slaves, famous
for their intellectual accomplishments,
We're the servants OF Cicero, who invented
shorthand Epictetus, the slave OF one OF Nero's
courtiers was the ideal moralist of his age
Terence, the comic poet, who TAUGHT the world
that saying, which would be well II worn on the
banner OF men 81 am a man. and all things
human touch me-" was a slave. Eros, the pre-
ceptor OF Brutus and Cassius and Plautus, was
a foil eli NH hail
golden palace of the Caesars But yet withal
the life 1f one of these was not more than the
life of the masters of the horse. Plato boldly
announced that these "could not possess souls,
because too mean to be honored by the
gods with thing so noble. The
feudai system closely followed this.
vason of the barbarians from the north, Van
dals, Huns and Others. Then TO France il crept
and rooted its poisonous tendriis. 1t was not
until the revolt known as the Jacquerie Riots,
which occurred in 1855, that laborers asserted
any opposition Itwas the defeat of the French
mobility at Poietiers that gave the humble their
first Assurance. The revolt was successful from
a martial and deadly point, but the leader,
Guillaume de Carllet, was captured by Charles
OF Navarree AID crowned with a red hot tripod
iron and then beheaded. The discomfort of the
toilers increased until it extended all over the
half-alighted continent, and unceasing struggle
gradually brought them toward the freedom
which the great plague of 1349 made real.
Laborers far the first time in history az this
time "went out on strike" And to prevent this
from occurring again, statute was passed in
England in 1860, called the statute OF Labor
ers.' Ii was passed TO compel the workmen to
submit to the orders OF the masters, and under
this law, if they disobeyed, they were seized
aud branded with the letter ST. the first letter
OF the word "forsaken. on the brow. And as
late as 1917 there was an attempt in Massachu-
sets to enforce this law. But il was there de-
clared inapplicable to the institutions of our
country and held null. All this dis
s%5, led BY Watt Tyler a' rh Rsa'f poof
nj .Inl, .rr. "A
the king 80 make US free, our heirs and our
lands that we be longer bondmen" The
King, through fear, granted the privilege, but
parliament ignored the promise, aud denied its
contamination. The laborers continued their
night, aud in the fifteenth century In England,
and In France while in the throes of
not until the eighteenth century, Hungary
In ISIS, and Russia in 1861, men were
announced "free;' and from such time.
to now, they have been their own captains, lead
ing their own fight. Thus it will be seen that
II was the Engish-speaking people who first
yielded TO the demand for equal rights by the
toliers. They have fought good fight: they
have kept their faith. The dawn of liberty
the day of complete manhood-broke to them
meath American skies, but with IL all they are
yet being marched against that fearful truth
of Byron's.
Civilization moves from barbarism to en-
lightenment, enlightenment to wealth; from
wealth TO barbarism." Great wealth, accumu-
lated mercilessly and unhesitatingly as to the
means adopted, seems to promise barbarism of
the poor OF this country ii not fearles ly though
periodically, defended against Only in organ
ization can men hope TO contend against COM
bined wealth-honorahle organization seeking
its dues, no more: demanding rights, not license.
Our sublime Lincoln said: II affirm il as my
conviction that class laws, placing capital above
labor, are more dangerous to the republic at this
hour than chattel slavery, and deserve a much
higher consideration"
Louis XIV, king OF France, said he was the
state of France. / say to You. and each of you,
to the humblest hod- carrier in the union, you
are the state. When the plebsians, the poor of
Rome, after go years, permitted their love to be
famed out by the contrary winds of strife, the
republic withered and died. Just now do we
hear the loyal shout of the God fearing and man.
serving citizens of the Swiss Republic as they
iebrate their six hundredth anniversary of
well-earned independence.
Truly, you too Will be none the less free than
those who have gone before you. Remember
that at the voting places.in the arenas of debate
in the columns OF the public press. you can sgi-
tate your differences as Americans and all hearts
are with you.
dustrious toiers, and directed by thoughtful
men. will have public sympathy when the
.'soulless corporations" as Lord Coke has
termed them. and heartless EMPLOYERS shall
attempt TO enforce an unjust reduction OF wages
unreasonable regulations, and the public will
see the abOring classes protected in their rights
Let us. as citizens OF this commonwealth and
OF the republic, SO live that the last hours of our
conscious existence shall be comforted, and the
gathering shadows of death shall be briehtened
by the reflection that we have not lived for self
alone. but for country, for mankind humanity
and liberty, here and everywhere, now and for