Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1903-07-15

not very luminous one. He has writ
ten column after column about the
Eight-hour law. but instead of illumi-
mating the subject, he simply befogs
1t. He makes it sufficiently clear that
he does not like the law in question;
that he regards it as unconstitutional
and looks upon everybody as q poll
teal demagogue," who does not agree
with him. but II his numerous articles
have thrown any light upon the sub
ject, the light has failed to reach me.
Perhaps this IL owing to my innate
stupidity. but - have found several
others who express themselves in the
Same way, feel somewhat sustained
In my view that his discussion of the
Eight-hour law has not been either in
teresting of instructive.
In the first place Mr.. Chartz ought
to know that epithets and invective
are not argument, and If they were,
he is not in position which justifies
him In using them in attacking the
Eight-hour law and it's friends He
was himself, member of the commit
tee on Resolutions of the Democratic
convention which reported in favor of
such a law, and it is not of record, or
even in the memory of anybody, that
he uttered single word of opposition.
If he says that he favored a different
kind of Eight-hour law, | answer that
the one which was enacted covers ev-
erything specific which the platform
contained. l answer further that his
arguments go the full length of op-
posing not merely this law, but Eight
hour laws in general Although his
language is somewhat cloudy, no Of
her fair Interpretation can be placed
upon it.
Among other things Mr. Chartz
says:
''The Fourteenth Amendment
to the Constitution of the United
States, reads, in part, as follows:
No State shall make or enforce
any law which shall abridge the
privileges of immunities of citi-
zens of the United States"
THE mere reading of the fore
going ought to be sufficient to salts
fly any person who can read. Labor
is property, and the right TO labor
and contract is a civil right. 1t
is one of mans privileges to labor,
and that privilege, the Constitu-
ton says, must not be abridged.
The slightest interference with
that right is an abridgement be-
cause the word is exceedingly
broad"
Now, l claim to be able to read
not so we'll as Mr. Chartz can, perhaps,
quotation falls long way short of
satisfying me that the Eight-hour law
is unconstitutional. In fact, l fail to
see how it touches the question at all.
l might and probably would feel some
humiliation in this apparent dullness
of comprehension on my part were it
not for the fact that the Supreme
Court of the United States, the men,
bers of which presumably can also
read-a little-is equally unable to
see how the Fourteenth Amendment
or any other provision of the Federal
Constitution operates to invalidate
such a law as the one under consider
alton
Mr.. Chartz inveighs passionately ag-
law in the face of the Colorado de-
cision holding a similar law unconsti-
tutional He Indignantly asks: "If that
isn't enough to show treachery, what
is it," The trouble with him is that
in discussing this matter he fails to
see anything except what he wants to
see-or if he does see it, he says moth
ing about it. He talks about the olora
do case, but is as silent az - sphinx
on the subject of the 01Sn cases,
which the Nevada Legislature also
had in plain view.
The Utah Eight-hour law is identi-
cal with that of Colorado and also with
our own save that in ours the penalty
is little more definitely prescribed.
This difference, however, in no way at
fects the constitutional question, which
is simply has the Legislature the
right to limit days work in mines
mills and smelters to eight hours. y
The Supreme Court of Utah has re-
peatedly upheld the law. Two of these
Utah cases have been carried into the
Supreme Court of the United State.
by writs of error, and in that tribuna
the law has been declared to violate
NO provision of the Federal COnstitut
ion and to be q legitimate exercise
Of the power Of police regulation by
the State Legislature
can see no reason why the Nevada
Io1ialatnra ahnuld foal itself hound