Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-01

Before the Unity club last Tuesday
evening the Hon. X. A. Maynard read
the following exhaustive and critical
review Of the labor question:
We dc net here speak OF labor under
compulsory conditions, such a. slavery
or ssffdom, but Of free labor. or the
labor Of persons having the primary
right 70 determine whether they will
labor or not, and TO tx the compensa-
non and other conditions under which
they viii exercise such right Our ar
tlcle, dealing as IL does with freedom
TO work for . pecunIary conGdera-
ton, . right conceded only after ages
of struggle often barbarous and bloody,
must necessarily Do introduced by a
brlsf retrospective view OF the past con-
clten Of labor whether pond or free.
Michigan. in reality, hardly possesses
. Labor law history" Rich IN minerals
and agricultural wealth. sparse in pop
ulatloa, and young IN political organ
izatIon. she has just began 10 feel the
effects OF pressure upon the means OF
subsistence, aud the consequent and
inevitable struggle between those that
have and those that have not Labor
legislation 10 this state goes back
E4LCclY - Q<CA4t. VIC DCtACvG WO ~ o
ngnt IN saying that not until the rise
OF sne organization known ~ the
Knights of Labor IN Detroit in 1888, can
We De said TO have had anything upon
the statute books OF Michigan as the
result Of purely labor agitation. As 1t
= the labor laws are few, and none are
ii any great importance.
Labor she Common Lot.
Until comparatively recent tmss,
compulsory personal ssrvitude or serf-
aom appears TO have been the common
lot Of the greater portion of the human
race, not only of the class denominzted
manual laeorsrs." but largely also of
those persons skilled IN the higher
branches Of knowledge "The simple
wish 70 use the bodily powers of an
other person. says SIR Henry Maine,
''as means of minlstering to one's
pwn ease or pleasure IS doubtless the
foundation Of slavery and As old -
human nature"
In ancient Egyps . shocking picture
OF LIE in the mines and stone quarrles
IL gwen by Diodorus Slculus. "The
Doil," he says, naturally black, is
sravsrsed with veins OF marble of ex-
yesslve whitenoss, surpasslng In bril-
fancy the nAest Ginning substances; out
pf which the ovsrseers cause the gold
10 be dug oy the labor OF . vast multi
tuds Of people; for the kings of Egypt
eon1emn to the mines notorious GRIMM
&ls, prisoners of war. persons convicted
by false accusations or the victims of
resentment. Aud not only the Indivl-
auals themselves but sometimes even
shslr whole families are doomed to this
labor, with a view Of punlshing tho
quality and prohung by their toll.
work withsas lntsrmission-
The vast numbers employed IN these
mines are bound IN letters, and conn.,
oclled to work day and night without
Intsrmissloa, and without the least
hope Of escape, for they set over them
barbarian soldiers, who speak q foreign
language, 90 that there 10 no possibility
,f concilAting them by persuasion, or
she kindred feelings which result from
familiar converse. When the earth
Containing the gold il hard they soften
rs BY the application of ire and when
tt has been reduced to such . state that
u yields TO moderate labor, several
Thousands OF these unfortunate people
pick Il up With iron picks. Over the
whole work prssidcs an engineer, who
views and selects the stone, and points
u out 20 the laborsrs- The strongest OF
ehem provided with iron chissls, clcave
me msrolc-shiaing rock by mere force,
without any attempt at skill; and 10 ex-
sAvating tas shafts below the ground
sney follow the direction OF the shining
stratum without keeping \ straight
line. In order 20 see IN these dark
rIndings they fasten lamps TO their
forehezds. HAVING their bodies painted,
someti mes of one aud sometimes of an
other color. according 10 the nature Of
th- rock, and - they cut the stoae, IL
falls IN masses on the floor, the over
seers urging them To work with COM
nasnds and blows. They are followed
~ little bovs. who take away the
fragments as they fall, and carry thsm
Gus into the open air.
rh.tr N.ssas less Uncovered.
"Thosa Who ara above thirty years OF
are are employed 10 pound pieces OF
stous of certain dimensions with iron
pessles IN stone rsrtsrs, NATL rsduc
10 the SIZE Of lentii. II 10 then trans
ferred 70 ~sasn and Old men, Who
But into mills arranged IN . long row,
Two or three persons being employed AZ
TIE e&N8 mill &tl1 ~ y SfcAHo uHtA
rrauced 70 q fine powder. No attention
y paid to thar persons. They have
net even piece of rag TO cover them
sslvss, and 40 vrstchsd IL taeIr eondt-
ten that everyone Who witnesses It de-
plores the excessive misery they en-
nare. Va rest, 40 intsrGissioe from
boil. srs given - the srrk or nh N sd.
Nether the weakness of age nor wo-
mems In6rnites are regarded. All
are driven TO their work With tns ASH
all Ct asst. overcome VITA The intoler-
able weight OF their affiictssns. thsy die
N tie midst Of their toll. 80 that these
anhappy creatures always expect
korss to come than chat they endure
NJ present. aud leng for death a far
preferable 70 hfe."
~sr~sf cssasttcs % lass-.
This wss the condItssp Of What would
so- h- called sssnvict EaSoF. but let az
-. What wss the condition Of isesr
huder normal conditions, and among
sitir-ns ard laserers resting nnssr 80
civil or crinsasl Disability.
Polrrsnr wss authorised ey ssw.
Nsn Of shs lover Glasses hsd sas ons
vifs. frequently their own sister ~
pear relaflv. The ufsn ~ere rarely 81
kcrns during The dsy, snd sissonfa
the Egyptian vas stahessn. snxx -