The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-09

OF the National Democratic Convention,
/ the bill was taken up by the Senate and
passed by vote Of 25 to II. The nays
! consisted of ten Republicans and one
Democrat. 1t was approved on the fol-
lowing day by President Johnson. The
! fact that a Democratic National Conven-
tion was near at hand doubtless had very
much TO do with its passage a that par
tieular time. Senator Hendricks, in the
debate en- the bill, referred to the large
number of workingmen of the country
who had petitioned Congress fer it.
Notwithstanding the clear and concise
wording of the law and the evident in
tent and purpose oil Congress, as shown
by the debates 10 limit all Government
work to eight hours per day, it soon be-
! came apparent that many executive and
military and naval officers were bitterly
opposed to the principle involved in the
law and were determined to construe its
! provisions to suit themselves and by open
! and secret intimidation compel or per-
nit workmen to labor ten or more hours
per day or secure q reduction in wages if
they worked only the number of hours
fixed by law. The language OF the law
was as follows:
Eight hours shall constitute a days
! work for laborers. workmen, and me
charles now employed or who may here
Government Of the United States.
For the greater part of twenty-four
years from 1858 to 1892. the workingmen
of the country urged the enforcement OF
this law in accordance with its spirit ane
intent, but no penalty having been pro-
yided for its violation, their appeals were
generally treated with indifference, often
with contempt, and officers of the Gov
eminent eyaded and violated the law with
impunity. So fragrant indeed, were the
early violations OF the law that President
Grant was appealed to- and on May 10,
1863 he issued a proclamation directing
that from and after that date no reduction
should be made in the wages paid by the
Government by the day, to laborers,
workmen, ana mechanics on account o. the
reduction Of the hours to eight per day.
80 hostile were large number OF Gov
eminent officials and so persistent were
their violations of the Eight-hour law that
President Grant was again appealed to, and
on May II. 1872. he issued a second proc
lamation, directing Government officials to
obey the law.
The object of the Eight-hou law Of
June % 1868, was to limit the hours OF
labor on Government work to eight per
day, so that larger number of workmen
might be employed, and it was violated
whenever laborers, workmen, and me-
chanics were permitted or required to work
more than eight hours day, with or with'
out additional compensation.
4 Generous Policy
1t was a generous policy that actuated
the workingmen in foregoing their right
to work more than eight hours for extra
compensation in order that every forty
hours of labor for the Government might
be days work for five men instead OF
four The only relief that can come to
the unemployed is by making more days
work. Capital may well question whether
eight hours of contented labor with the
result of Increasing by % per cent tine
number OF men employed would not be
wise. and in the long run, a profitable in,
vestment.
after more than twenty years of fail
ure to secure the enforcement OF the law
of 1858 in accordance with its true spirit
and intent the workingmen of the country
petitioned Congress for the passage of
an eight hour law with penalty clause
to compel its observance. IN response
to this demand, the House of Representa-
tives on the 2Sth of August 1880 passed
an unsatisfactory bill, and the Senate
refused to make the amendments recon-
mended by organized labor as necessary
to make IL effective. In 1892. the House
then being Democratic and the Senate
Republican, Mr.. Tarsney, Democratic