Evening journal., 1896-12-30
THE EIGHT-HoUR AGITATION.


wEDsEsD ~. Dn En~"R 80. se6
THE EIGHT-HOUR AGITATION.
There is every reason to expect that
the labor organizations win combine
throughout the country speedily and in
sist upon making eight hours a COM
pulsory legal days work. This is in
dictated by the recent meeting of the
American Federation Of Labor, which
was held at Cincinnati. President
Gompers, when he recommended agi-
tation in favor OF an eight-hour day,
is said to have voiced the sentiments
OF every delegate in the convention. It
is reasonable then, to suppose that we
are on the eve of another labor war
which is likely to be fought with per-
sistence by all the labor unions in the
country.
We have a right to expect this from
the fact that President Gompers has
heretofore been one of the most con-
servatiye of labor leaders lie is held
in more respect to-day by the llaboring
men Of the country than any other
man occupying a similar position. It
is therefore likely that every labor or
ganzation in the country will follow
his lead. and though he has never
been considered in favor Of strikes,
boycotts and lock-outs, it seems prob
able that this war will not be carried
on without them, entailing all the mis-
fortunes to the country, and the work
ingmen especially, that former ex-
perience makes us dread.
Il strikes us that it is an unfortu-
nate time to urge this movement for
ward. The country is by no means in
state of prosperity. To be sure, there
are many who have been claiming ever
since the presidential election that a
boom OF prosperity had set in. II even
looked as If this was the case at one
time. but the anticipated prosperity
has by no means materialized, and it
seems a bad time to insist upon an
eight-hour day when thousands upon
thousands of men and women are out
of employment and would gladly work
nine and ten hours daily for the sake
OF obtaining subsistence
The last argument in favor of a re-
duction in the time of labor is that the
country is suffering from over-pro-
duction, which is the result of too
much labor There may be something
in this. and at all events, it appeals
,..,ro 80 ,,,, s,,dot,apt tbo. fba forrso,.
contention that man was physically
unable to work more than eight hours
day, when within the memory of
most men now living, men worked ten
and even twelve hours A little far
ther back still. we are reminded by the
old rhyme that
MAN works from sun to sun,
But woman's work is never done.
The most subtle argument ever
urged by those in favor of short labor
days is that our mechanics and labor
ers would have more time TO educate
themselves. spend with their families
and cultivate the amenities Of life. This
seems reasonable, but in practice it
has too often been found that short
hours were temptation to the labor
ing classes to spend their time and
money in saloons and other disrepu-
table places On this account many
people who would gladly help the la
boring classes in this matter hesitate
to do so.
1t Is evidently the object of President
Gompers and the labor associations
which he influences to pass law not
only making eight hours a legal days
work but requiring that no laborer or
mechanic shall work more than that
time during a day This being the case
great injustice will be done to the most
industrious Of those whom this law is
expected to benefit 1t, in fact, insists
upon idleness. Many mechanics know
no pleasures, but those of eat
ing and sleeping outside of their
daily labor, and they cannot eat and
olaot, for civtQon hours y daV