Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-08
JOHN B. LENNON
PROPOSED EIGHT-HoUR MOVEMENT.

PROPOSED EIGHT-HOUR MOVEMENT.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-Tlrat which is known
as the eght-hour movement would be more
correctly described as movement to reduce
the hours of labor" since, while for the pres
ent all efforts in this direction are and prop
ery should be exerted to achieve the eight
hour workday, tho general plan is to so di-
minish the working time each day as eventu-
ally entirely to relieve the burden of the over
worked and find employment for the workless
workers, Since the form tlon of the Fedora
tion of Labor the cardinal point of its ac-
tivity has been to secure the reduction of
mans working time At no convention or
other gathering has this been lost sight of or
even subordinated to any other feature of
labor's demands.
In 1884 at the convention held in Chicago
the declaration was meds for the enforce
ment of a general eight-hour wcrk-day at
some date in the near future. At the fol-
lowing convention held in Washington ID. c.,
In 1885, the demand was reiterated to take
effect May l, 1886, and requests were sent
to employers generally to meet the wish Of
the workers by granting 1t without the cassa-
ton Of work-in other words general strike.
Weeks before the date named reports reached
the office of the federation that large num-
bers Of employers had conceded the demand.
1t Is well known that the bomb thrown at
the Haymarket square, Chicago, May 2, 1886,
was the death blow to tbs movement that
year. But notwithstanding that setback the
boon of a shorter work-day had bsen won for
hundreds OF thousands.
In 1886 at the st. Louis convention the de-
mand was renewed for May l, 1890. At the
Boston convention OF 1889, however, II was
decided to select one craft at tins to make
the demand and struggle II necessary, the
bsst organized and best prepared craft to be
the first, The carpenters were chosen and
won splendid victory, establishing the
eight-hour-day in ffty-nine cities, and nine
hours In over 300 others. Az their own re-
quest the miners were chosen nsxt, but,
owing to unfayorabe industrial conditions
they withdrew from the field on the very
day they were to make the demand. 1t
should be stated that as the result of the
movement the eight-hour day was generally
brought about In the building trades, and
that there was general reduction in the
work-day or the toilefs In many other in
dustries and callings such as street car en-
ployes tho railroad workers men in the iron
and steel industries printing establishments,
mills and factories and even clerks in sores.
Since the movement OF 1890 there has been
no concert OF sction on this line, due no
doubt to the industrial and commercial crisis
of the past two years, but this has not de-
TERED many Independent and isolated move
ments which have met with a considerable
degree Of success.
At the Denver convention Of the American
Federation Of Labor | recommended in the
following language that the movement be
again renewed: 1T may be true that We
nave not Deen ehulely SUCCESSFUL IN the past
generally TO establish the eight-hour work.
day. We should bear in mind, however, that
no real great reform or improvement was
ever attained by the first or even the second
attempt. The questions with MS should be,
is the eight-hour work-day a rightful de-
mand? 10 il worth striving for? Will It
prove advantageous 10 the workers and the
people gcnerslly2 IL we answer either or all
atfirmatively we should take up this great
question Of an elght-hour work-iay and make
It the rallylng cry, and the trade unions the
rallylng ground. fer its achievement In 1896.
II this convention should approve this recom-
mendatlon-and 10 ne both 1t aud the time
seem opportune-let II make the declaration
openly and boldly We can and will secure
T. both on the economic and political field
We can prepare for and insist upon:
1. The preparation for a universal demand