The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-14
in a rational and natural movement.

in a rational and natural movement
And what the purpose? That In the
destruction of the only genuinely pro-
teettvo organization of the working peo-
Pile they may become ah1ectly powerless.
either to protect or promote their ecO-
nomic interests. The fool hope is enter
tained that In their desperation the I'm
poverished worknen Will inaugurate y
physical force revolution and confiscate
all property In another way 1t Is n rcpe-
tfton OF the appeal and advice to the
workers TO ''be content with their lot
here and now and postpone their EFFORT
for material Improvement TO the sweet
bye and bye of the hereafter. Quite
apart from the consideration OF either
the unsonndness or inipracticability OF
their philosophy and doctrines, the whole
history of man tcstiiies to this one fact,
that the more Impoverished u people AFRO
or become, the less capable and the less
inclined are they to defend their interests
and their rights; the less qualified are
they to conceive them, defend them or, If
necessary, contend and fight for them.
There are but two hypothesis upon
which can be explained the conduct OF
those who cndeavor to engineer the
that they are incompetent derelicts on
the Industrial sea, a constant menace to
tho trade union crafts; or second, that
they are in league with the worst ec-
1nents or antagonistlc capitalism ito rem
der as effective service us they can 70
try and confuse, diffuse, pcrvcr and make
trade Union activity the least possibly ell
fectlvc.
nuous and unnecessary to defend the
trade union movement Time he's proven
this Il mistaken course. Men under all
circumstances must defend tho faith thlt
espouse. and particularly Is this trte OF
the trade union more-.cnt, which mas
aroused bitter, relentless and ignorant
antagonls,n, and has been assailed on
every hand by sordid greed, py the t uiii.
wood of professionalism. and the scuttlins
of pirates and buccaneers. Fortunately,
the trade union movement, OF our eoun-
try. though by no means as fullS deVni.
oped as We may hope tor,. IS suItlcientls
well-establshcd and fortified, has earned
and deserved the confidence and goodwin
of our fellow workers. has done 50 much
for the material, moral and social ad-
yancemcnt of the tollirg masses, Is 50
thoroughly respected by all the people
generally, that it can look With disdain
and defiance at the pronunclnnentoes OF
antagonism uttered, whether by the Far
rvs the Posts. or by the palpably false
political prophets and prop1'Iga, q! = !
that one may do more injury than ten
can do good and that It is easier to
demolish than to construct, that atteh
ton is called to this last declaration ana
effort made at Chicago. IL is puI Y, lepn-
tition Of numerous Others gone before
and shows the attitude and betrayal or
ia,hnr.s interests by some Of those who,
under the garb of sympathy FOR the
,toilers. aim a blow at the very l, leo, o.
n1ent. Though the effort prove abortive.
1t discloses the intent. This matter Is
referred to here for the further PURPOSE
NOT only that the facts may DE Known
but that all our fellow un.onists and fel.
low-Yorkers may more clearly understand
our movement and the purposes OF our
opponents; that the faith and the con-
Edence OF the waEe-earners may DC
strengthened. to the end tnat aovana 81;
progress and success may ,Rttend us an
in the great work for the upllft OF the
entire human family.
The trade union movement which mas
been assalled as no other lnSututloh
!stic opposition as we'll as governmental
tyranny which has grown great ana
strong numerically and Is an Important
Influence for good; the trade union move
,nent which has increased waees. nHoit,
ened hours of labor, and made conditions
of employment far superior to those
which have obtained in any period IN the
history Of man: our movement, Wh,cn
has compelled better conception ana a
more enlightened public opinion regard
ing the wrongs from which labor has
suffered and the rights to which the
toilers are entitled: that movement "h!ch
has given our fellow-workers the oppor-
ti1nltv. the right and the power TO stand
erect and look the whole world in the
face and declare themselves men. Win
ali the8attrtbutes of manhood; the labor
movement, which has taken millions OF
children from the factory ana WoI OF, 81
the mill and the mine, and placed them
in the home the schoolroom. and upon
the playground that movement when
h as done so much, and whose mi S. on II
is to accomplish more IN the interests
of the workers and of the human fam
iiy-that movement cannot and VIII not
he successfully assailed or It's existence
threatened. It has high pur.
pose and mission to fulfill, which beyond
peradventure OF DOUBT. VIII trlui nPn.
Eight-Hour Workday.
There is no field of action which, II we
concentrate our greatest activity, there
will result SO great adyantages 20 a AL
as the movemenrLto reduce the hours lot
daily labor. the establishment of nor
NAL work-day OF eight houfs
From the Inception OF our fsd 1sp eon
we have voiced the demand Of labor LOT
a shorter workday. In 1884 we called
upon and urged all labor TO endeayor TO
establish the eight-hour "orK-oay, ~
possible, BIZ agreement with the employ
ers. We have been helpful TO many crafts
In establishing the eight-hour day; the
hours Of toll for all have been red uced.
with the wonderful Improvement in
machinery and the application OF steam
and electric power our workers are PRO
uucinS wealth. SIX PthssiiiS e'St' W.
nation, much less the expectation. OF
Living In a land fertile and abountiful
as ours, with It's ingenious and Industry
GUS people, there cannot be any good
reason assigned why in our day the
tollcrs should be expected or required 70
give 10 labor more than eight hours in
q day.
1t is untrue to say, as our opponents
assert. that wealth production would d.
n1inish with the enforcement OF clgnt
hours as a normal working day. In tho
report Of the Secretary Of Commerce and
I.tlbor 10 the House Committee on Labor
Is Incorporated testimony OF employers
who for series of years had tested the
practicablity OF the cight-hour day: In