The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-09-02
7 HAT is Labor Day? What does


| NV it signify? What is the mean
ing of its annual celebration?
I have inquired of many but none can give
me any just reason why the working
| class should go into spasms of joy,
| once every year, on this particular day.
Feeling sure that it must have some sig
| nificant meaning, and knowing that
| history repeats itself in ever en-
! larging spirals, I searched the pages Of
history, ancient and modern, and believe
I have at last solved the problem of our
Labor Day celebration. Many enthusiastic
laboring men Informed me. in response to
| my inquiry, that Labor Day was a day
set apart in. each year for laboring men
! to rejoice. When I ask what has labor
that it should rejoice, the answer comath
not for all are willing to admit that the
| conditions Of the laborfng class is not
such as to inspire its members with any
great amount of enthusiasm. Search
the pages of history and in the records Of
ancient Rome and throughout Europe
during the middle ages when the Feudal
system was in its highest phase of le-
L
| origin of our modern Labor Day. So
Rome was based upon slave labor. AT
first we find only two classes, the citizen
and the slave. The citizens business
was fighting, drinking, carousing and
squandering the wealth, while it was 'he
business of slave class to labor and pro-
| duce wealth for the use and abuse Of the
| citizen. AS years rolled on the developing
economic conditions slowly but surely.
forced large bodies Of the citizen class
| into slavery, thereby adding to the
wealth and power Of the possessing class.
Gradually an aristocratic class was form
| ed Sout Of these citizens who succeeded
in Fitting themselves by forcing down to
slavery their former fellow citizens.
Thus a sort Of middle class was formed,
neither aristocratic nor slave, but fast
drifting into slavery. BY the old Roman
law a debtor or pauper was sold into
slavery, finally creating on one side a
few idlers who possessed the authority Of
government and a large mass Of laborers
owning nothing but the, power to labor.
who were slaves or fast becoming SUCH;
These conditions were enforced by mill
itary power, controlled by the power Of
class, also by the dense tgnorence of the
masses who were Taught to believe that
without the aristocrat they could not ex-.
list. They were taught to believe that
the aristocratic master was a necessity.
Did he not give labor and did he not give
food and shelter to the slave? If they,
the slaves, should resist the authority ST
the master who would care for them then?
AS superstition is always coupled with !g-
norence the slave class was made to be-
believe that the aristocrat was a sort Of
superior being, and derived his authority
to r,nle from the Gods, whose anger would
descend upon them II they rebelled against
the divine rights OF the artist class
to rule. 81 81. IS 5
I Thus did the aristocrats Of Rome cover
up the smmllder.ng volcano. Yet they
were as wise then as now, and were 10;
humble slave. So scheme was evolved
out Of the cumming mind of the masters.
The slave must not only be taught to
labor for them but to love them; SO Inc
carnival of Rome was made an fnstitu-
ton: Once each year the slaves were
for three days. During these
three days the slave was absolutely his1
own master subject TO no law or restraint res,
History tells US q the norEfpie excesses
Of the frantic slaves, WHO Joy q
this taste OF freedom, orlnklns
dancing, singing ngnEng anu every eAs ssss
imaginable to the already passion pnn tuil
unrestratn ted slaVe I'housanus OF SAVES -
were killed and manned IN tnese reveAs ~
lust and passion. When the three Gays
of madness were over the slaves returned
to their drudgery. Feeling grateful TO the
masters for their indulgence, they were
all the more meek ana SUBMISSIVE y 1tapoitu
the harder for their Inree Gays " u.i-
broken license, looking forward 10 :ae
next years carnival. 81 Il s
Il