The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-05
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
LABOR DAY.


In no country under the sun and at
no time i'm ali the history of the world
has labor been more respected than 1t is
In the United States and now. No other
nation ever set apart a day in the year
Cor the recognition of Labor's distinc-
1ive claim. The ancients had demigods
and heroes who typetied Hnsbandry
and physical strength. but Intelligent
Labor has never before had dedicated
to II this homage of Intelligence.
Labor has even yet not been allotted
Ats true place In the armament OF active
forces, bat 1t il reaching out in the right
direction. and the first step was TO set
up a standard Of self-respect to which
all who toll may rally for mutual as
sistance and reciprocal support SO
long as labor was content to be thing
apart from and claimed to be distinct
from all other clements in organized So
eiety It failed of Its purpose. because 1t
was mistaken. So soon as IL recognized
itself as a part--and very important
.part--of the social organization. it be-
came a power, working with and not
forces.
Labor still cIings to the traditional
motion that it consists only of manual
labor in certain walks Of life, but that
As gradually disappearing and it is be-
ginning to be recognized that labor is
everything that helps to produce or to
put to profitable use the resources OF
Fthe earth. Men who do mechanical
work have banded themselves together
for protection against the distinctive
interests which employ them, but there
So vast army of lahorers who are en-
gagged i'm the task of creating the de-
smand for the products of handicraft
lend In distributing those products who
are far mere helpless than the mechanic
and whose struggle for livelihood is
no less keen and nevcr-cndIng
: These who live by daily wages az the
result Of their work often have ii hard
time providing comforts, and even nee
.essaries. for their families. and there Is
much In their condition OF which they
have reason 10 complain; hut on this
day. set apart Ia the honor Of Labor.
take all possible comfort from the pros
pee. of even more favorable conditions.
We often hear Of the good cid times. =
but as a matter of fact. the condition
OF the iahorer Is better now than at any
period. There was time when. per-
haps. there was more contentment. but
81 was only because men expected less.
were content with less and had less
ambition The condition ~ Il iaborer
In Europe was infinitely Verse "a any
time back of tlfty years ago than since.
The iahorcr of the eighteenth century
never ate wheaton bread, fresh meat
was eaten only twice a week by half
the working population ana never by
the other half The laborer lived In a
novel. unSiazed and with only q
matched root of furniture he had
none excep, bench. IA plank on
trestles. AN iron Tot and Few utensils,
In the beginning ~ the century So as
thc average yearly Income ~ laborer.
BY 81 statute II 1895. every lahorer
ana ar:lacer was required 10 be 81 his
work by In the morning and 20 work
until and 5 III the evening WITH bali
an hour for breakfast. an hour fov DIN
ner. ard half an hour fer his mon
nsete" \ law ot iass made s, a punish
able ofyeusc fsr man or woman 70 de-
nand mere Than = certain sum Cor his
labor an,i employers who raid more
were fined
In she slu1e Charles Il there was a
bitter cry because slxpeace day was
al that could NJ raruc<i az the loom.
and t'sreash a., history ballads ard
rhymes sTe 20 Dc toend solcsrg she
grievance o. ghe artisan.
Untn With The past century ghe NO. K
ingram had 10 vote unless he was a
freetoiaer. except In the Unite. STAKES.