Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01
A NEW HOLIDAY
The Significance Of the Celebration
on Monday.
WHAT LABOR DAY REALLY MEANS
Its First Observance and the
Changes Since Tha, lime.
A LABOR LEADERS VIEWS

Monday is Labor day, and for the first
time In It's history will be observed as a
rational holiday, In accordance with the
provisions or an act rasesd by the Congress-
Just adjourned. The purpose OF the act an
pears to have been to make the observance
CT the day uniform throughout the country.
and the labor organizations settled upon the
first Monday In September as the day most
acceptable to them a date for the holiday.
This is the date already chosen for Labor
day by many Of the states, though In Penn
sylvania the first Saturday has been named
as preferable. The act Of Congress on this
subject reads as follows:
That the first Monday I'm September OF
each year. being the day celebrated and
known as labor's holiday. is hereby made a
legal public holiday.to all intentsand purpos-
es, In the same manner as Christmas the LIST
day OF January, the I'D day Of February
The Both day of May and the Fourth day OF
July are now made by law public holidays"
ME act appears TO be capable Of several
CONSTRUCTIONS, some claiming that IL creates
an addittonai holiday in those states where
announcer date than this has been named by
oa.e leslsiatare; but IL is doubtful IL Con-
eress can annul state legislation TO this ex-
tent The courts Will probably be called
upon To settle the disputed question one
tnihg, however. is certain: In the District
jurisdiction. the first Monday in September
VIII henceforth be recognized and celebrate
cd as labor's annual festival.
Origin of the Holiday
Inc origin OF this annual holiday NAV he
said to date from the formation Of the
knights of Labor in PHILADELPHIA in lsss.
massachusetts,, which was the first in
iine with a state labor bureau of indus
triai statistics. and whose first statistician
f.nIk
the national department of labor was the
hfst state TO name a legal holiday for her
s $50 Vi t1lL Michigan and other states
rapidly followed. OLce the start was MADE
but little effort was required 10 keen ,be
ball rolling. '"e
4 sudden Discovery.
III was hnally discovered that the work..
ers were worthy of respectful consissra
tioil' and press and pulpit at once BEGAN a
discussion Of the demands of this vas, s,y,y
OF citizens From that time forward there
mas been substantial progress in the labor
reform movement. The business Community
began 10 interest itself in the objects Of
iahor organizations. The merchant soon
learned that weli-paid and contented work.
s,s, ins'hI good times and prompt pay for
himself. The clergy readily discovered why
~ was mat their church pews contained SO
lew of the workingmen 1T the Sunday and
mloweek services. and the wise and Thoughts
Iui IN both these classes began TO interest
themselves in a betterment of the condf-
lions for the producers of wealth The
knights OF Labor and the American Fed
Grafton scattered broadcast over the coun-
| try millions of copies OF their platforms and
| on the issues there laid down the people
Were asked TO pass judgment. After this
second celebration of Labor day the great
daily and weekly papers throughout the
iand published thee platforms. and thus
brought their contents before the entire
reading public OF the nation. To say that
| the labor question has from that time been
the foremost among public issues is but to
state what is Ilready We'll known and gen.
orally conceded The discussion of all the
great Issues before Congress I'm recent years
has hinged upon the supposed welfare Of
the masses. Whether the bill under con-
sheraton be that of tariff or finance, every
speaker will declare, a prelude TO his re-
marks. that he has only the welfare of the
masses at heart. Ii was not always thus,
and this change OF policy dates from the
first general observance OF Labor day.
True. most thoughtful people know very
we'll that the politicians arc more than half
of them talking TO make votes. and have
but little regard for the masses who toll.
and what they say is received with the
proper allowance Of seasoning There are
others however. who are sincere I'm their
efforts to ameiiorate the conditions sur
rounding labor in the great industrial GEN.
tiers. And the interest Of all OF these is ci-
rectly traceable to the celebration of the
annual holiday Of Labor day.
The Original Labor Day Man.
Charles H. Litchman, the original Labor
day man in the Massachusetts legislature,
was met on the street I'm Boston one day
this week by the writer of this article and
was asked this question: What has the
celebration of Labor day done for the work
ing men AMI women of the bay state?"
What has Il done?" he replied; 1T has
done pretty much everything that has been
accomplished In late years. Il has short
ened the hours Of labor and increased the
comforts with which the laborers are sur
rounded, and until the last general indus
trial depression struck this state our work.
ing people were In the midst Of better sur
roundngs than were those OF any other
state in the Union. Labor day has provided
the opportunity for reaching the people, ana
through well-directed agitation OF the la.
borers needs We have been enabled 10 Sc
cure legislation OF real value TO the masses
In many directions. What has the holiday
accomplished? Better ask what IL has not
done for the welfare Of the masses every.
where"
What is true of Massachusetts is true Of
every northern and western state and the
south, too, is awakening to the realization
OF the fact that the elevation of labor il
synonymous with prosperous development
and healthy growth. III the objects of
united labor are right and Just Il is de-
sirable that they should be laid intelligently
before the people II they will not stand
the electric light of investigation and crtti-
cism. then. indeed. they deserve repudia ton
at the hands Of the American people. Labor
Gay rs the time. and everywhere the place,
and duties of labor
A New Holiday Here.
To She workers in the District Of Column
bia, Labor day is a new holiday. and viii
be celebrated generally this year for the
FIRST tire. But 1t will do them good to come
together and consider the general welfare OF
the great army of labor. II may be a new
sensation for six-hour clerks and eiybt-bour
mechanics TO find themselves particina,inr
In national festival with tweive-hour triIi
hands, and sixteen-hour street car en-
ployes. But IL will do them good. Ana
while the workers of Washington are about
IL, IL might be well for them to discuss the
question OF suffrage for the District Of Co
iumbia and see IL they can discover why il
Is mat government by the people. of the
people and for the people is such an excel
!ent principle to tie to everywhere in tho
United states except at the very seat Of the
general government itself. This problem Is
puzzler for strangers, and an answer to
TINS question would enlighten a large num-
Der OF people throughout the country.