The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-25

mittee the following,
 '' Resolved, That this Twenty-second Convention of the American Federation of Labor advise the working people to organize their economic and political pow CT to secure for labor the fun equivalent of its toll and the overthrow of the wage system, and establishing an industrial cooperative democracy"
 No direct vote on this resolution as it stood was taken. It was avoided by a motion to strike out all after the word toil' The socialist delegate. who, like the rest of the convention, seemed to fear direct vote on his proposition squarely put, accepted the amendment to strike out, and upon this amended substitute, still containing the words organize their economic and political power" which the socialist considered point gained the vote stood for 4.l7S; against. 4,SS1. The Associated Press agent took this. vote of 4.1iS, which was for the socia- istic leaders amended substitute, as rep resenting the socialistie element In that conventloh, and so wired 1t abroad.
 So aomirably successful have been our republican institutions, recognizing as they do not only the rights of property, but of labor also, that socialism has not until recently made much progress in America. But events move rapidly. 1 have seer an estimate that 4O0,UOO social tst votes were cast in the recent Noyem- Der elections? How long will it be be- fore the iapor leader who appeared at New Orleans will have behind him ma jorities in all the labor unions, casting, by the arbitrary power they wield over each other, the solid vote of all these or ganizations for the overthrow of our present ssytems 'and establishing an in- rta al aPaf tive davr1 anxtD
 The operators of the Pennsylvania mines were persistent in their refusal to recognize and treat with labor unions during the recent strike, 1t is said. be- cause, having yielded previously point af- ter point, they at last determined to make stand to test the question whether the mines belonged to the stockholders or whether they were ultimately to be con trolled by the miners. So they deter mined not to arbitrate. Now they are bitrating.
 Tendencies. aims. purposes. the Amer ican people must watch if they would preserve their properties and their l1ber- ties. Two instructive object-lessons are immediately before us-the labor iegisa- ton now pending in Congress and the an- thracite strike.
 The House last session passed a bill which, with amendments not materially changing its character, has since been fa- vorably reported to the Senate by the Committee on Education and Labor, ex- tending the eight-hour law, which al- ready applies to all work done immedi- ately for the Government, to all such employees of Government contractors and sub-contractors as may be doing work ultimately intended specifically for Gov ernment use. The power of the Govern an,af fn art to f01 kA o source whence Is derived Jurisdiction over the relations between employer and em- ploye. hitherto under the exclusive con- trol of the several States in which the labor is employed.
 The original eight-hour law applicable to Government employees was passed in 1888. Labor leaders urged 1t with the contention. never since abandoned, that
 its adoption would demonstrate that eight-hour labor was more efficient than labor for a longer period. If this pre- diction had proven true everybody would have rejoiced. Indeed, no one svmpa- thizes more than the writer with every aspiration of the laboring man not in- consistent with the rights and liberties of others, and no one welcomes more gladly than he the knowledge that in some of our industries peculiarly .circum- stanced. an elght-hour day has been successfully established. But experience has not shown in Government workshops the superior efficiency of an eight-hour day. The reverse Is. true.
 For many years this law has author ized and required the Secretary of the Navy to build Government vessels in navy-yards if he finds he can build them thus more cheaply than by contract. A very few ships have been built during this period by the Government. and these only for specific reasons As a rule. the Government has built its vessels by com tract, because the figures furnished as the result of experiments which have been made from time to time have de- monstrated to our Secretaries. one after another. that an eight-hour day does not bring the best results. Labor leaders. however still persist in their contention. At the last session of Congress they in- sisted that all vessels authorized should be built In Government yards. Congress. as a compromise provided for the con- struction of one vessel in a government yard. its sister ship to be built by con- tract. and so the experiment is to be tried again. The result will be as above.
 Tn advocating the bill now before Con- gress for an eight hour day on all work done under Government contract these labor leaders with great unanimity still insist upon the superior efficacy of an eight-hour day over nine or ten hours work. With ike unanimity every man aKer of any great industry who has ap- peared before the committees of Com gress has testified that if compelled to conduct his establishment under an eight hour law. 1t would be impossible to com pete with rivals who are permitted to work their employees for longer hours. and also that if compelled to take Gov ernment work under an eight-hour sys- tenn. he will not be able to conduct his establishment under two systems. em- ploying one set of hands on Government work at eight hours and another on outside work at ten hours; and further. as a consequence. If the bill be passed he must refuse to take Government con-