The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-10-17
How the Eight-Hou Day
Would Benefit the Peop||
~ EDWIN .. BROWN. ID. %. =

vast ma Ority, have unoefthh"h "
regulate their hours Of labor by
different means than labor ever be-
fore employed.
Hsretofore, with but few excsp.
tionp. affecting but a portion OF the
workers. no attempts have been
made 20 secure a reduction IN fhe
number Of hours through political
action. The exploiters had monop-
oily in the field Of political action.
Time and time again the workers
struck. but II WAS on the INDUSTRIAL
field. Small groups Of workers.
organized according TO craft. strug-
gied 10 obtain from their employers
more equitable portion OF what
they produced. but again and again
they were overcome. Sometimes the (
workers won. but "a was at the ter
ribie cost 81 suffering. privation and
starvation. on the side OF the
erpioiterE were the Soldier. the
Militia. the Police. and sometimes
Judge would help out with an inJunc-
ton enforced by the sheriff and his
depufler. Yes. men recruited from
the ranks Of the unemployed were
hired. or gunner paid TO break the
strike. And besides the eSploitere
had the supplies. The workers hal
after several pitched battles. both
parties would settle down 10 a long
siege. and finally the Workers would
have 20 succumb owing TO lack Of
food.
Bat now the scene IL shifted: the
battle Is transferred 70 the Political
field. Every Worker t. called 10
muster--they step In line. ali sizes.
all crafts, unorganixed or organized.
both sexes. stand together and strike
political power The word OF Kan
Marx ring true. WORKERS OF
THE WORLD UNITE" The striie ,
takes on a different aspect
Workers stay on the Job. they =
20 on producing. And why7
workers are forging a new we
! Tho Weapon Of DemocracE.r
modern social tooi--the vote - Used
Where formerly groups OF Workes \
waEed guerrilla warfare ssame a44l
OF Capitalism. now there Is an army
standing together. No violence ~
required--just intelligent action
The exploiter becomes alarmed. HI
old stAndbys. the Soldier. the Ailif10
and the Gunner. like the Archers c.
old. must give way 20 a more mo1@
ern tool. The printing press U
brought into play. and like a machlG
gun IL discharges shells In the natu1
Of articles In newspapers. mAgaxtn1
and pamphlets. scattered into eve1
home. New soldiers are broug
onto the firing line. editors. wrttsa
etc.
The Workers also use the san
sort OF fire. but IL is not OF the san
pressure or high caliber IN circular
ton as the Capitalist gun. for tho
Workers are poor. The expioiter1
with their money. have the bi2geo&
and best gun. Hot shots in the form
OF arguments range back and forth.
The public, hearing only the eHsJ
ploiters' side OF the conflict. err Zoe
fair play. and soon some OF the newssf
! papers give the Workers version a.
the battle. Soon the issues become
| tightly drawn on the Eight Houf
Law. The preliminary skirmis|
takes place In the Intellectual realm
whore not superior physical force de-
termines the winner as before. buo
reason and logic. Discussion OF the
war. without bloodshed. takes place.
and men. women and children argue
Of the Science of Economics: the bat
tie RACES furiousiy. Facts. data and
statistics are hurled at one another.
Wages. profits and cost of commodi.r q
ties are openly discussed The peo.H
pie shout. We are in the Age of4(
Reason. where Intelligence dom
mates" The public listens and hserS1
both sides
II Is to keep the people ignorA
that the Exploiter Is cnabledk &
maintain his strong fortified p,SI-&
ton. And any effort on the part Of :
the Workers TO look behind the cur
tain Is regarded AS Anarchistic and
Destructive of our Grand 1nstftu-
lions. But the Workers viii learn.
And when they dc Exploitation will
THE PLArN FACTS AREs
That the highest maximum of our
civilization. ethics and law tells 10
that every person should have the
right TO labor and enjoy the fun
fruits OF his labor. but the privato
ownership of our Industrial institu>
tions and production for profit de- !
feat this maxim and render societYX
into two warning classes,
That. IL the present owning cias9
who also own the governments->x
municipal. state and national. cannof3
so adjust economic and politica1=
powers as to give the people an op>H
portunity to crystallize their human
energy Oahor powerl into food.
clothing and shelter for themselves.
then the present profit system is ne &
longer adequate for soctety's needa a
and must be abolished.
That. II an Eight Hour work day
would reduce wages. all expioitero
would be for the Eight Hour Law.
whereas they are now against II
tooth and nail.
That the Eight Hour Law win fur.
nish more Jobs, and the more jobo
there are. the smaller tho unem-
pioyed army OF workers will be.
That. the greater the number Of
Jobs. the better off are the workers.
and when labor is fully employed.
business is good. because consump-
tion is greater. and needs are sup
piled,
That. when the Workers line is long
the bread line is short. and the bread ]
line gets long when the Worker
line gets short
That. those who complain abe1,
increased expense for more city and
county employees do not complain>
about the people being robbed BY
private owned public service corpor- a
atoms.
That when there are more Jobs
the Workers are more secure. and
not so liable TO he cast aside fof
trivial or. perhaps, political disc.
hedience to the exploiting masters.
That. n any working person be-
lieves the bunk philosophy that the
eight-hour day Will make more ioba
and Increase the demand for labor,
while at tho same time Il causes
more idleness among the workera
that person IL n mental dcfunk and
his reason Is bankrupt.
That. n the Eight Hour day In.
creases the demand for domestic ser.
wants. no one but fool would din.4
charge girl because they had to&
hire an extra one. because two would 3
be hard to find.
That II the exploiting class are &
tired Of their Job. let them quit and
all OF the people can then go to WON
and earn n living.
That the Eight Hour day will heln5(
equalize the difference between th6*
overfed and underworked and tho|
underfed and overworked indiyid-
uals. so that govt and starvation viii II
not attend services so often at the
same temple.
That. the greater the number er,,~
oloyed at honest work. the smaller
he red light district will be.
That, II any one loses by the EirNfN
Hour Law, u VIII not he labor. he<>
cause labor has nothing to lose 40
should worry"
EDWIN J, BROWN. n. n. s..
A