Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-07-21
EIG4T HOUR LAW. 4 FRIEND OF LAB0RIEd MEN TALKS OF THEIR
 WOES. Judge ". S. Mccain Believes in the nlvlsion of Day Into Eight Hours for Work, Rtgh. ~ s'''s 9a1 for Recreation,
 Eight for
 sleep

Judge W $. Mccain, formerly "f this city. bdt neW one of the most prominent uttorpt}s ni Che Little Rock bar, writes the following able letIer to the Arhan~aa Guzrtte, rela liYr to the eight hour Jaw, which ,i.aula be adupted throughout the Gaited State:
 .ero The Editor or the Gazette:
 nIn the Work now iu pro Eress at the Federal buildin& in this city we have all object lesson il he practical working of th eight hour law enact- ed by Congress some years ago Having been m advocate 0f this statute and having ortasiuaaly written something for the i-ress in fapor of it's eXtension, let.l t speeia interest in witnessiSg its execution Long hours of t0il is hut oae eremoNe from slavery and the degraiing ef- feet is the same. When we are told that in Russia and iD Austria labor CTS are required te work from four teen to sixteen hours Il day, we need ask no further question as to tkeir social condition.
 aThe letter of this statute could not well be observed by our farmers, since farm work is crowded into cer- tain busy seasons, and yet nowhere is the spirit of the eight-hour law so ranch needed as on he farm. If the hoys and girls ire to be kept on the farm, farm life must be made moro agreeable. No enterprising boy will stay where he has get to get up at daylight and work till dark. This is not essential to successful farming and nothing but greed demands it.. One of the most successful farmers | eyer knew never required anybody on the place to get cut of bed before sunrise. Our agricultural interests have suffered an irreparable loss from the draining of enterprise and talent to which the farming com manities have been subjected, and this has been largely on account of the want of leisure allowed to farm laborers.
 ssThere are difiicul ties in the way of regulating the hours of labor by statute, but where there is will there is a way. There was like difficulty in the way of abolishing slavery, but it was abolished, all the same. Corporations. Of conrse, could be prohibited from allowing any employe to work more than eight hours in enc day. This would siinp- lY require three crews of men instead of two where an industrial plant is run day and night. Laborers are often greedy and want to work more hours to get more money, but this is not best for thlm and it cuts others out of employment. When work cannot be had, laborers ought to he required to divided up, so as to give every body share.
 Somebody has written an article recently in one of our magazines, in sisting that laborers should not be educated because it makesthem dis contented, but noting SO reaetionary so contrary to the spirit of the Chris tian religion and of republican insti- tutions is to be tolerated for a mom- ent. We can not have the highest degree of civilization without uni versal education. We must above all things honor labor, ennoble the laborer Ii this is to be done the laborer must have some time every day to enjoy the pleasure ofassociat- ing with lis family, in making and keeping his home attractive and in reading the newspapers. He can only do this when his hours of la5oI are limited.
 aOur professional men keep office but eight hours q day. yet there is with many of them, strange lack of sympathy on their part for the laborer who has 10 go to work be fore they get out of bed. For my own part, 1 never hear a six o'eloet whistle blow or bell ring but il arouscs my sympathy and stirs il me u sense of oppression.
 "The sin of expressing the hirelin9 is given great prominence in tn scriptures and it is the besetting siI of our day. but it is touched npol
  lightly ii not entirely ignored by tn pulpit. People who claim to b Christians will go to the store a night, and buy goods at late hours especially on Saturday night, an have delivery wagons serving thel ltntil midnight. Not a moment worship on Sunday can atone fc such q sin.
 "Te accomplish somereform in tn direction our intellectual classt , mnst become enlisted and take tt lead. The essay on strikes write by our distinguished fellew-teWn man, Judge U. NJ. Rose, was q val able contribution to the cause