Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-09-01
1T is LABOR DAY
The Origin and History Of the
Day.
SAN FRANCISCO HAS CELEBRATION
Greater Enthusiasm Than Ever al
Sioux City,
CELEBRATIONS IN THE CHIEF CITIES.

ebration' of Labor Day this year pos
sesses more than ordinary significance
to the ranks of the organized toilers as
it is just twenty years ago since the
observance was begun. The United
States is the only country in the world
which has set aside a legal holiday de-
voted to celebrations by the wage earn
ers. Labor Day is now almost nation
al holiday, the laws of nearly every
state and territory of the union recog-
nizing 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
ganizations of the country participated
in the effort to secure this recognition
of labor's cause, the initiative in the
movement being taken by P. j. Ma
guire, the 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 the far western state of Oregon
first Saturday in June for this observ-
ance. This law was passed February
21, 1887. Six years later to the day
this law was amended, and the present
date, the first Monday in September,
was selected. New Jersey was the Sec
ond state to legalize this holiday, an
act being passed in the legislature of
that state April s, 1887. New York fol-
lowed in May of the same year. Colo
RADIO and Massachusetts followed in
line the same year, but it was not until
after 1890 that the other states took
similar action. Ohio passed a Labor
Day law April 2S, 1890. Illinois passed
it's law June II, 1891; Indiana March 8,
| 1891; and Minnesota, April IS, 1898.
West Virginia and North Carolina did
not legalize Labor Day until 1899.
Recognition of the rights and dig
moves in the event. 1t began in a pa
rade, 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 numer-
Gus affiliated labor organizations, ar
| idHSSu a SlGdl pal vi
men were in line with floats, banners,
transparancies, badges and carriages.
1t chanced 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 September o.
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 organi
cations turned out again in 1888, only
the date was changed to the first Mon
day in September. In 1884, when the
Central Labor union met to discuss a
third performance, George b. Lloyd, q
Knight of Labor, arose and offered q
lresolution that the first Monday in Sep
tember be declared Labor Day. This
was adopted and steps were at once
taken to secure enactment by the state
legislature making it legal holiday.
bill was introduced in the legislature
the first one for this purpose-but il
did not receive favorable consideration
until 1887, by which time two othel
states had passed such law
Labor organizations in other states
made common cause with the Contra
Labor union and the movement became
general among labor unionists to ge
state legislatures to take action. II
less than five years a majority of the
states had fallen into line, and by 1906
nearly all the states had declared thu
first Monday in September legal holi
day In addition TO making displa!
OF numbers by its annual parade, unioI
labor intends this day for discussion
and public meetings. Its purpose ii
said to be largely educational
In its call for this years observance
the executive council of the American
Federation of Labor recommends to al
organized workers in national, state
central and local unions that the!
concentrate theif attention to a discus
sion of the abolition of injunctions il
labor disputes and the passage of reso
lutions demanding at the hands of cou
gress and the legislatures of their re
spective states the enactment of law
conforming TO that purpose"
At San Francisco.
San Francisco, Cal. Sept. 1.-Labo