The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-01-27
EIGHT HOUR WORK
I. DAY IS THE BEST 4
Elevates the Masses and Il
Good for the Re
public.
Shorter Hours Lift the stand.l1
ard of citizenship for
the Workers. .,.'1 -.s

the workers. . .,t.@
Inc national movement of the print-
ers Tor an eight hour day is another s.
manifestation Of that growing insolence
OF labor which causes stout old gent-i {.
1e1nen IN easy circumstances to be-si
come apoplectic. Nevertheless, It ouRhta
10 succeed and doubtless WILL for tt1e3
printers are we'll organized and there q
ls nothing SO efflcacious an orEaniza-i# 81
t1on to extract money from the capital -E@5
istic purse. .ses
Eight hours is quite long enough for 3
any white man to drudge at manuafia e
work. Half 2 century or so from now.
II the world in the interval shall pro-l
eress Instead of going to smash, the
workday will be much shorter than
that, for the clipping of hours andI
the rise of wages constitute an inn
portant part of the process by which 8 4;
falrer division of the good things OF
life is being achieved. s
About the only argument ofnered f
against the eight hour day for print-
ers Is that the employers don't like it'll
NO widespread betterment of work. e
1ngmen has ever been accomplished 4
With the approval of the employers. &
Every advances has been the result Of
Won battle. Capital and labor as1
the political orator who wants the sup.a
port OF both and fears either tells u.s.
are necessary to each hother-partners.a5
So they are in production but when It'll
comes to separating into two piles what
their common energy has producedI
they are antagonistic in interest and
therefore enemies. Labor gets fronl1
capital only what it can extort andta
the more labor succeeds in extortingA;
speaking largely, the better it is forf
everybody concerned, which means the I
whole community, including the capital-aa
list in the long run. National wealth
In it's political and social good effects
is not to be measured by it's total, but11
by its distribution The more handsi
1t is in the greater the country's pros-4
perity and the higher the level of our 4
civilization.
1t is necessary to view the eight I
hour movement broadly, to considerj
general effects and not to fasten the1
eye of hostile. criticism, upon detaiIs1
upon the workman who wastes or vilslyS
misuses his time, The industrial his S.
tory lsof the past century proves ttfsf
s66Ftsf E6lfs ana Ri6 SsssiiYf1 i
the standard 81 living zof intelIiE
OF morals, Of. citizensh1p. In Countries
where the long day prevails So do
low: wages, and so do ignorance, c1ass4
hatred and the most promising ele-N
ments for revolution. The surest way
to create dangerous proletariat Is toaI
press the people down and force Ess|
h1~ 1~oS~
in Russia, for example.
The American printers have behind
their movement their sympathy of alf
other trades unions and their f1nanclafs5
help should it be needed. Every trade
which has fought for and compelledN
the eight hour day will feel that thsia
printers cause is their own. So VILE
every trade that has not yet won it, buff
wants it. And every trade should have
IT. Any. business that can't prospect
on the eight hour day or on payinRa
overtime on the eight hour basis ougttis
to quit. It is not suited for the Unitad5;
States. The community has the strong-5i
est kind Of interest in the matter-a33 {
deeper interest than that of the em-l.
ployer who affirms as employers int
every line have SUCCESSFULLY and mis.j
takenly done, that eight hours wouldl
ruin him. 1t is bad for the repubiio3
to have masses of men, as in the coaIi
regions and the sweat shops, who are I;
brutalized by a harrible struggle fort
bare subsistence. Imbruted masses1
breed men like Baer who sincerely res
gard themselves as born to leadership
over their less lucky fellow creatures. &
And there should be no room for an:
order of nobility in a republic. especial
ly for a nobility without a tradition of &
public responsibility II Mr.. Baer has
serfs, even though they are, as he
thinks, gift from a heaven which is +
too busy to do Its own work and there-;
fore needs deputies on earth, Mr.. Baer,1
serfs can't possibly live a life that fit8sI
them to vote. az 5Ss.Ss sS.s
Trades unions have their defects, like ].
other human Institutions. r. They are
not always fair or tolerant or humane s
They may at times be enemies Of fro6I
speech and resent the truth about them
selves and condemn the law In seeks &
ing their selfish advantage. They mas.
In brief, be as business, like and tys b
rannical as the Standard OIL Trust
itself. But on, the whole the trades
unions have been the most socially
benef1cient institution that. has arisen
in modern days. They have opened to Ii
the worlxingman the secret OF his
strength and taught him to fight hil
own battles; they have lifted the laborss
er to the status Of a citizen, to that
Of a being who feels that he has ca
right to decent share OF what he earnsvs
and have rid his mind OF the notiorsss
that others are born to guide him and
guard him and provide for his wel-a
fare, they have made q man Of him and
placed in his hand the most stellin&
weapon yet forged for fighting againsti
the curse OF poverty.--Art Arthur McEswer1i
in san Franciscos Bulletin. s
BANKER AND CITY
OFFICER ARRESTED 81
ALBA A IA. Ian n ~. . e. f3arbef is IS