Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-25
GRAND CELEBRATION.
Labor Day VIII be Observed in Of
tumwa This Year.
ALL SURROUNDING TOWNS TO ASSIST

aAA ~ W AZ ubblD1
Matter Will Be Finally Voted Upon
Next "Wednesday Evenins-Enoush
is Known to Announce the Propo-
sition to Celebrate Will Garry.
1.-THE matter published in this COL
umn Is furnished by the officers of the
Federation of Labor.
[From Fridays Daily.J
Opportunity will be afforded the
members of labor organizations and
the citizens of Ottumwa in general to
participate in the Labor day celebra-
ton to be held in this city Monday,
September 2. If the plans of the COM
mittee are carried out, the celebration
will be an elaborate one. The parade
will be the largest ever witnessed on
any celebration in this city, and will
consist Of the different organizations
of this city, in uniforms emblematic
of their craft. There will be numer-
Gus floats representing the industries
of this vicinity. The visiting mem
bers of the different labor orgapiza-
tons from out of the city will help
swell the ranks in the parade to such
an extent that the parade will be a
magnificent one. Within the next
two weeks all the labor organizations
will vote by referendum upon the sug-
gestions of the committee for the lab
or day celebration. Returns to the
secretary's office already show that
the organizations having voted upon
the committees proposition, have CIV
en- unanimous consent for the adoption
of the committees recommendation.
subcommittee will be appointed for
the purpose OF organizing the forces
of labor into one Joint Labor day com.
mittee. selecting the grounds. etc. The
regular semi-annual election of the Of
ficers of the assembly will also occur
at the next regular meeting, which
will be held next Wednesday evening.
June 26.
The Eight Hour Day.
AS an illustration of the benefits to
be derived from labor organizations
by the toiler, it is but fitting here to
call attention to the eight hour resolu-
ton as passed by the city council last
| Monday evening. Many efforts have
been made to establish an eight hour
| work day for the city iaborers in the
past two years, but without avail. Re.
alizing that the movement for a short
| err work day for the city employees
would be of great benefit to the lab.
oring interest of Ottumwa, the Trades
and Labor Assembly of this city took
the matter up about one year ago, and
! thoroughly discussed the best plan to
accomplish its object, namely: Short
1 err hours and better pay. The matter
| was placed in the hands of the labo,
committee of the assembly with in
structions to act This COMMITTEES
was diligent and persistent and called
to its aid every individual organization
for assistance. And after a campaign
of one year victory has heen won, and
here is the moral: "Unorganized lab
or can accomplish nothing, organized
| all that labor can justly demand, will
! be theirs" Verify the labor organiza
lions are making better conditions fol-
| the merchants and the laboring men
of the city. When rightly understood
/ the labor union is a potent factor tol
continued prosperity. To those Out
| of the pale of labor unions we would
refer the above article for their seri
4 GUS consideration.
1 Emancipation of the Toiters.
4 The old story oft repeated that this
| workers must bring about their OWE
salvation and final emancipation or a
| better social and economic state is al
true today as it was yesterday anG
will be true tomorrow. So also is the
| statement that the trade union move
ment is the best and surest as we'll as
| the only effectual way Of bringing
about the long deferred but alwayi
hoped for better conditions There Ii
positively nothing that the large OF
small capitalist can 40 that will cir
cumyent and defeat the just aims ant
demands of the workers If they, the
aforesaid workers, will unite in strons
compact trade unions. With tht
workers once thoroughly united this
capitalist, the state, potentates or any
seen or unseen power will be impoteni
and powerless to rob the workers o
their rights. They can make conspir
acy laws and build jails to theil
| hearts content and still cannot stoI
the upward, onward march of labor ts
4 that condition so justly ours Thi,
world and this life is just what the
majority make it and it lies within tbs
power of the workers to make one /;
paradise and the other worth living
Ii we have not made progress any fast
er in the direction of improved condi
!. tons it is largely due to the masses
4 who haya fipcked by themselves an(
thus, far refused to come in to thu
great moyement--the movement Of thu
masses and the wage workers in trad,
unions to build up and maintain jus
social and economic condition. Blu
there is nothing discouraging in thu
present condition of the movement II
general; on the contrary there il
much cause for rejoicing and encour
agement. The movement is steadil.
growing. the workers becoming NOR,
and more intelligent and have bet
ter understanding of their rights AMI
how To oot tham than at any Drayiou