The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-16
EVERYBoDY'S COLUMN.
correspondence of Interest to the
General Public.

General Public.
Under this heading the RECoRD-UyIoN
will publish short letters from correspondents
on topics OF interest to the general public. The
matter in these communications viii be I'M
derstood to represent only the views OF the
writers. All Recommendations must be accom-
panied by the name of the writer, not for pub
LEGATION, unless so desired, butas a guarantee
OF good faith.-EDS.l
Silk Dresses and Eight Hours Work.
EDS. RECORD UNION: In the issue for
December, 1891, Of the Popular Science
Monthly / find paper entitled silk
Dresses and Eight Hours Work." by j.
b. Mann. 1t attracted my attention the
moreso because of his claim to be a
''workingman." The premises as stated
by him in said paper seem to me to be
totally at variance with the known facts
in the premises. The proposition as
stated being a compound one, will take
up the first part separately, as it has no
connection with the second, and is clearly
stated by him in the following: When
we look at the matter with care, we find,
sorrowfully, that the women who have
no silks are the very ones who do the
hardest work, and, as they are working
clean up to the limit of human endurance
to get bread, they have no time left over
to put into silk dresses" In this he
states truly the unfortunate condition of
the worker generally, as in that case they
are left TO the tender mercy of those
of whom he speaks of in the following:
''Now wealth is principally the product
of labor; some get 1t by their own labor,
and some by the labor OF Others" Now
1t is self-evident that to bring about the
result to the worker that he views with
so much sorrow" it is only necessary to
bring those two classes so aptly shown in
the foregoing together, and the sorrow
tuP' conditions must naturally follow,
and why? Because the one that lives ''by
the labor of others" evidently gives none
of the results of their labor in return,
they being drones.
Mr.. Mann evidently recognizes a
source of wealth other than that of the
earth and its products when brought in
contact with human labor. l am free to
admit and confess myself ignorant of
ouch other source, unless he aludes to the
element known as aUdteT which is added
to the products of labor, after said pro-
ducts have passed out Of the hands of the
worker and are manipulated by those
that Give by the labor of Others" The
labor of the thief, though he may spend
all his life, energy and force in the per-
petration OF robbery, is not recognized as
rendering just equivalent for the wealth
he may acquire by such means.
Let us suppose a case. \ thief steals
watch which he disposes of to another
same. The officer in the course of his
duty finds the watch in possession of the
purchaser and demands the recovery of
the same as stolen property; the law ig
noring the fact that the present possessOr
gave a just equivalent for the same, takes
1t and returns it to the first owner from
whom it had been stolen. Now mark the
difference. The worker who produces
wealth that the non-worker appropriates,
IS not assisted to recover that which is
clearly his by right of expenditure of
life energy. Mr.. Mann recognizes two
ways of becoming possessed Of wealth. [
recognize three. First, by ones own in
dividual energy in its production; sec
ond, by the death of a relative or friend
who leaves a surplus over and above his
expenditure Of that he created in his life
time, and third, by robbery. Now, it
matters not to the worker by what name
such robbery is known so long as he re-
ceives no just equivalent in the result of
the expenditure Of the life energy of him
who thus becomes the poSsessor of that
which he had produced.
Again l turn to the text" But imagin-
ings of philosophers in regard to the
remedies is of small account, because
want of work is not in this country one
of the leading causes Of poverty, as every
careful observer knows" The inference
here suggested is in direct contradiction
of statistics as furnished to those that are
anxious to post themselves on this sub
ject, as in that case it is only necessary to
carefully peruse the reports of the United
States Bureau on this subject.
Now, taking his own statements, and
gauging the one by the other, it appears
that it is overwork that produces poverty
and not shortening of the hours of labor;
thus, The women who have no silks are
the very ones who do the hardest work,
as they are working clean up to the limit
of human endurance to get bread, they
having no time left over to put in to silk
dresses" Clearly in the light of this
statement OF his case, Because want OF
work is not in this country one of the
leading causes of poverty" overwork
must be, and therefore, a reduction of
hours would bring that needed rest to the
worker as well as a larger share of the
fruits of their toll.
But let us see the conclusions our phil
osopher comes to in the premises. More
labor, more wealth.; what philanthro-
piSt our philosopher is; he would lust
turn the screw little more, say twenty
five hours days labor. My friend,
your promised silk dress in that case
would take on the form and appearance
of a shroud, in which poor humanity
would be laid away in the grave, there to
enjoy that rest denied by our present
system of spoliation of labor. Our phi
lospher has forgotten to state who would
reap the benefit of the increase of hours,
and having thus failed IL is but reasona-
BILE to supply the Necessary information so
as to round out and complete the propo-
Sition thus: ''Some get wealth by the
labor OF others; 4. e., the drones are the
reapers of the accruing benefit.
now take up the second part of his
proposition, Eight hours day" in con-
nection with which he puts the following
question: us the remedy, therefore, not
to be found in the eight-hour move
answer: II answer, No. The eight-hour
movement does not approach the root of
the evil" And after spending much
time pointing out that the loss accruing
by reason of the introduction of the eight
hour work day effects some one, he
finishes his proposition by adding the
following rule" which to the worker
is short and full of meat for him: This
necessitates the rule therefor: More
labor, more wealth; less labor, less
wealth." This rule, it seems, is formu
lated to meet the vantage ground of those
who, by combination, have been enabled
to shorten their hours of labor. Why,
Mr.. Editor, it is fresh in my mind that
just prior to the present eight-hour move
ment that this country was suffering
from the effects of ''over-production, +"
and that the worker was told that in
consequence of such oVer-productionp
there being too many coats and other
articles OF clothing created by labor, as
also food products. the worker was called
on to go hungry and naked, presumably
because those that get wealth by the
labor of others" had not disposed of the
same for the measure of values, i. e.
money Consequently the result to the
: worker of want of opportunity to create
wealth by reason of the monopoly of land
and the tools of production in the hands
of those that get wealth by the labor of
Others"
IL ,ras this featnra of Isnrer-rrod,,n