Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-03
LABOR'S BIG DAY.
WhatIt Signifies and How
It Is Observed.
THE TOILER'S GRIEVANCES.
Those Who Hearken Viii Hear
OF Them on Sept. S.

| Dissatisded-The Machine and the Man
A Shorter workday the Most Important
| Change Proposed-What Has Been Ac-
compIished by Organized labor - The
Happy Time Coming When the Worker
Shall Hold the Post of Honor.
| Labor day, like Memorial and Thanks
| giving days. has become a general holt
day, and the original idea upon which
it was established has been by the larger
part of the people lost sight of. 1t was
| the intention Of those who originated
the idea and who labored TO have it
| recognized in the statutes of the various
states that the day should be set apart
| as one TO commemorate the achieve
| ments of labor, its needs and prospects
| and to discuss ways and means for its
| advancement, but SO prone are the
American people TO seize upon any oc-
casion TO make q holiday that now, in
stead CT entertainment of AN educa-
tional sort being. sought for by those
who observe the day, the vast majority
go forth to enjoy themselves as upon
any other holiday without reference to
| the occasion; but the organized labor
movement of the country continues to
intended, and in all the principal in
dustrial centers of the country it is
marked by speechmaking aud other edu
cational work, as well as by parading
and picnicking.
The first observance of Labor day
took place in New York i'll 1888. There
is some controversy as to its origin, and
there are several claimants for the hon
g - Ill
that the credit belongs to p. !. Nc
CURE, now national secretary Of the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
The Central Labor union of New York.
claims tn be the organization to first
celebrate day it called Labor day. Be
all this as it may, the day N observed
in tNvo-thirds Of the states and terri
tories, and with few exceptions the first
Monday in September of each year rs
named in the statutes creating the holt
day. Oregon was the first state to pass
n Labor day law.
The ceremonial observance of Labor
day has from the first been left entirely
TO organized labor, and while in the
states where it is recognized holiday
all business is suspended and everybody
ceases from labor and most so i'll for a
characterized as Organized Labor day.
The central labor organizations in
the industrial centers with few excep-
tions have come TO consider it absolute
" necessary that each of them should
arrange for some kind of celebration on
Labor day, and generally the chief fea-
ture of the days programme is an ad-
dress by some champion of labor. Those
-i,T, Mt fhnSn
public Assem- blages of the sons of toll
may doubt the assertion that some of
the ablest speeches made in cur country
come from the Labor day platforms, but
such is the case. The organized labor
movement of the country has during
the past quarter Of century educated
men along economic lines to such de-
gree thar many of the men who work
for daily wage are as well informed
az college professors of political economy
on their hobby, and experience in their |
organizations and at agitation meetings |
has made many of them public speak !
eTs of unusual ability. Generally it is |
from these men that the Labor day ora
tor is chosen. Sometimes professional |
man who has made special study of |
the labor question is honored by the or
CARNATIONS. and unfortunately a pol |
itician occasionally gets ON the pro-
gramme.
As has been said by one who was once |
high III tire councils of labor: Labor |
day is day ON which all that is ambi
tious, noble, lofty and grand iii the ma
ture of the workingpan should be APP .
pealed to. Those who discuss the ques
tiuns of the hour before industrialists |
ON that day should be educators
preachers of the gospel of humanity and |
its needs, not MaIamOn and its greeds."
Labor. though as old as man himself. |
has 10 history-that is TO say, il has no
past to commemorate. Its grand |
achievements have been absorbed and |
have become an indistinguishable,
though by far the greater, part OF the
history of the world. Its millions Of
heroes have fallen at their places after
lives of honorable ard self sacrificing
service, their names unknown and their
praises unsung. The great edifices they
have reared stone upon stone, the grand
ships they have launched, the beautiful
creations Of their skiIlful hands stand
as monuments to the genius of the land
ed captains of industry and only oc-
casionally-there comes forward IA Schley
TO say n word of praise for ''the men be-
bind the guns" Not yet has labor dis
covered one whose birthday II feels i'm
PEELED 70 specially celebrate, nor has it
in its past any pre-eminent event to
commemorate
1t is said that until he is 40 a man
lives in the future. After 20 he lives in
the past. The labor movement in this
country cannot be said TO be 40 years Of
re 50 Il mar ne pGrdoped for falling
to tuTn often 10 the past for inspiration
or hope In fact, the important CUES
ton with tho laboring man is the pres
ent. 1t is with the present and the fu-
ture that he concerns himself on Labor
day /,
This year is no exception TO those