The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-01
LABOR DAYS HISTORY.
How the Day Originated and How
1t Has Been Observed.

Washington, Aug. 31.-The celebra-
ton of Labor Day this year possesses
more than ordinary significance to the
ranks of the organized toilers, as it is
Just twenty years ago since the OBJ
servance was begun. The United
States is the only country in the world
which has set aside a legal holiday
devoted to celebrations by the wage
earners. Labor Day is now almost
national holiday, the laws of nearly
every state and territory of the Union
recognizing it.
The origin of Labor Day is found in
an agitation begun in the city of New
York in 1882. All the great labor or
CARNATIONS of the country participant
ed in the effort to secure this recogni-
ton of labor's cause, the initiative in
the movement being taken by z. J.
Mcguire, then national secretary of
the Journeymen Carpenters But it
was not until five years later that the
efforts bore fruits in legislation. Then
it was that Oregon passed law set
ting aside the first Saturday in June
for this observance.
This law was passed. Feb. 81, 1887.
Six years later, to the day, this law
was amended, and the present date,
the nTSL hOIludS III oSplSI1DSI, was
selected. New Jersey was the second
state to legalize this holiday, an act
being passed in the Legislature of that
state April 8, 1885,. New York followed
in May of the same year, Colorado
and Massachusetts followed the same
year, but it was not until after 1890
that the other states took similar ac-
ton. Ohio passed a Labor Day law
April %, 1890. Illinois passed it's law
T,Xn Jpd
and Minnesota, April IS, 1893. West
Virginia and North Carolina did not
legalze Labor Day until 1899.
Recognition of the rights and dignity
of labor-this is the spirit which moves
in the event. 1t began in a parade,
and is usually so celebrated. In 1882
a great labor demonstration was held
in New York. The Central Labor
Union of that city, consisting of num-
erous affiliated labor organizations, ar
ranged a great parade. Thousands of
men were in line with floats banners,
transparancies, badges and carriages.
1t CHANGED that the Knights of Labor
were holding their convention in that
city at the same time, and they were
invited to witness the turnout from
Union Square. This was Sept. g. 1882.
The invitation was accepted and the
occasion was a great success. The
parade from that time was referred
to as the Labor Day parade
Remembering the success of the pre-
vious year, the New York labor or
CARNATIONS turned out again in 1888,
only the date was changed to the first
Monday in September. In 1884, when
the Central Labor Union met to dis
cuss third performance, George B.
Lloyd, a knight of Labor, arose and
offered a resolution that the first Mon
day in September be declared Labor
Day. This was adopted, and steps
We're at once taken to secure enact
ment by the state Legislature making
it a legal holiday. A bill was intro
duced in the Legislature-the first one
for this purpose-but it did not receive
favorable consideration until 1887 by
which time two other states had pass
ed such law.
Labor organizations in other states
made common cause with the Central
Labor Union, and the movement be-
came general among labor unionists
to get state legislatures to take ac-
ton. In less than five years a ma
jority of the states had fallen into line,
and by 1900 nearly all the states had
declared the first Monday in Septem-
Der a legal holiday.