Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-09-08
Origin Of Labor Day.

N"A WIN thilihS Inc IuhllSllcr OF
newspaper knows good deal of every
thing, with all the details. This tim,
he wants us to tell HIM somethin.
about the origin OF Labor Dav ant
how 1t came to be designated by oul
general government As legal holiday
Since this is Labor Day week ant
the festivities OF the occasion hay,
Just terminated, it may be somewhat
opportune to give few facts bearin.
on the subject.
1t is now nearly two decades since
the General Assembly OF the secre
order OF the Knights of Labor helC
their famous first picnic in the city Of
New York. On that memorable day
Tuesday, Sept. ), 1882, many labor
organizations Of the various orders il
and about the great city met in joint
assembly for a good time. A big
dinner, appropriate speeches, mutual
congratulations, constituted the order
OF the festive proceedings. While
these various bodies were essentially
secret organizations, the sentiment.
they promulgated bearing upon the
great mission OF labor and the rela
tions properly existing between the
laboring and non-laboring elemen o.
society, were publicly discussed
throughout the country.
At the above mentioned meeting
on September 9Th, among other com
munications, a letter was read from
Matthew Mcclure. Secretary of the
New York Central Labor Union. In
this communication the members
present were invited to repair to the
grand stand at Union Square and Oh
serve what was then rather incidentally
designated as "the first Labor Day
parade" A recess was duly ordered
and the parade reviewed amid grea,
eclat and rejoicing.
While the procession was passing
the grand stand, among other noted
members seated upon the platfor m
Robert Price, of Homecoming, Nd, and
Richard Griffiths, General Worthy
Foreman of the Knights, were con.
spicuous figures in the front rows OF
seats. Just as the ebullition of his feel
ings reach the acme point, Mr.. Price
shouted to General Griffiths, "Well
Uncle Dick, this is Labor Day in good
earnest" That memorable ejacula
ton is generally supposed to have
coined the term" Labor Day."
On the following year, 1883, the
labor organizations OF New York held
their parade on the first Monday in
September, which day occurred on the
third of the month. At a meeting
of the New York Central Labor Union
in 1884, the question as to what day
should be chose for holding their an
nual parade came up for spirited dis
cussion. George X. Lloyd, a dis
tinguished Knight, finally settled the
matter by Offering a resolution de-
claring that the first Monday in Sep
TENDER should ever after be celebrated
as Labor Day." The resolution was
adopted and the Legislature at once
memorialized to have bill passed de-
claring the first Monday in September
to be legal holiday, and known
throughout the empire State as Labor
day. Many other States fell into line
and the general sentiment among the
people became so strong that Congress.
took up the matter and made tina,
suspicious Monday a national holiday
Despite the action of Congress
there are nine States that have moi
yet ratified the law, and these are a
follows: Mississippi, Louisiana, Ken
lucky, Arizona, Arkansas, Vermont
Nevada, North Carolina and Nortl
Dakota. Practically, however, thu
holiday is to great extent observed
in these remaining States.