Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-09-10
THE FIRST LABOR DAY.
How II Came TO he Celebrated, md
Changes Tint Have Taken

| talk with Terence V. PowderIy, the
man who made the Knights of Labor,
the greatest unionist lodge which for
| twenty years swaycd the destiny Of
American toers, is convincing that on
Labor Day. 1905. there is much cause
for congratulauon. Powderly partci-
pated In the organization of the knights
| of Labor in 1864 SAYS the Washington
| correspondent of the Brooklyn Eagle,
Then the lodges held secret meetings.
To be identified as member of the
organization Was to be blackl!sted and
| barred from the means of earning a
| livelihood. Mr.. Powderly recalls that he
was discharged from a machine shop In
Gallon. Ohio, because Of bad friends he
| had made In Scranton, Pa
| To-day all that is changed. The union
| laborer instead of being blacklisted and
| condemned for his utilization with his fell
lows Is congratulated on the success he
| Is making and on the advanced position
| he has taken in government and society.
| Speaking tho other day Of tho benefits
| growing out of organized labor Mr.
| Powderly said.
Labor has learned TO know It's own
dignity and its own worth. 1t Is to-day
| In its ranks Of mon of judicial minds md
temperament, cool. careful and deliber-
| ate. capable Of d,scu ssing and weighing
all questions OF interest 10 the toling
masses. Through the influence Of labor
organizations working men and their en-
poyers have learned TO know that while
| their interests are not Identical, there Is
a common field on which they can meet
TO decide their differences without the
blacklist or the strike.
you may have noticed that strikes arc
becoming less frequent every year. And
that the general public takes more of an
interest In labor matters than 1t ever did
before In ls9i had the record of 1877
strikes going on at the one time. To-
day there are but half a dozen II there
are that many that are claiming public
attention.
THAT demonstrates two things: that
In Dor Is we'll organized and that the lead
ers of the labor movement are capable,
honest and conservative men.
you frequently hear charges made
against n labor man OF being bribed or
dishonest. In an experience extending
back to 1863 can point to only one man
that Of my own knowledge was guilty Of
anything Of tho kind and ne. tho poor
repented when he became sober
The first Labor Day celebration ever
held was on tAe first Monday OF Sep
TENDER IN 1881 IN New York city. The
general assembly of the knights OF La
Dor was in session NJ that time and n
parade OF 10000 members was reviewed
by the general officers in Union Square.
The first designation OF tho day as La
| Workman Powderly was standing In the
| reviewing stand with General Worthy
Foreman Gr,fiiths, veteran In the labor
| movement. Robert price. coal miner.
and member " the assembly OF tho
knights, watched the parade for few
minutes and then slapping Griffiths on
the back said:
well. Jack, this IS Labor Day all
hight. isn't IT."
The remark was overheard by George
X Lloyd of the New York Central Labor
Union. who Introduced resolution In his
local setting aside the first Monday In
September as n day for the local celebra-
ton of labor's progress. He took his res
| olution to the New York Legislature.
while 1t was pending there the little
State of Oregon--ltus In population
with fewer than 100 trades unionists
passed a state law designating labor
day. New York with 10000 unionists. al
though first to propose law was sec
ond to enact one.
Now thirty-three states have labor day
| laws Tho national government In 1894
| recognized the day and In resolution
| appointed the first Monday OF September
as day when work should he suspend
ed and employees and employers get to-
gether to discuss their general welfare.
The language OF the resolution was Pc
culiarly polite. 1t stated that on mat
| day there should be no grievances
STRIKES, lockouts and boycotts' are 10
be forgotten for the day. This ofiicial
| recognition OF Labor pay prevails on all
United states territory where the federal
government has jurisdiction.
The labor unions themselves boosted
along the Labor Day movement Peter
]. Mcguire, general secretary OF the car
penters union. acted "a tho champion or
the movement among the unions ana
Master Workman Powderly put IL
| through the knights of Labor inc re-
suit has been the establishment OK
nat'ona'-wide holiday OF labor IN tho
United states. on the first MONDAY or
september In practically every center OF
population In America there Is ceiepra-
uon' Speakers of local and nhuohai I'M
portance address great crowds ana ois-
| cnss the advance and progress OF the
workers and toilers. Not altogether IL
the day ono for speeches from "oorers'
| ou' 'he'r employers contribute 'he'r
] snare TO the congratulations Ok the aay'