The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07
by the Associated Press

out for publication today some inter
esting historical matter on the OBJ
servance of Labor Day.
Undoubtedly the first suggestion
If setting apart a day in each year
10 be observed as Labor Day." said |
Mr.. Gompers' was conceived by the
iate y. j. Mcclure, who was at that |
lime secretary of the United Brother |
hood of Carpenters. The suggestion |
occurred during the period when the |
Knights Of Labor was in existence, |
T.. j. Mcclure being a member Of that
organization.
Writing for the American Fedora
Zionist in 1902 L. j. Mcclure had this
60 say:
Pagan feasts and Christian OBJ
servances have come down to us
through the long ages. But it was
reserved for this country, and for the
American People, to give birth to La
bor Day. In this they honor the toll
crs Of the earth, and pay homage to
those who from rude nature have
delved and carved all the comfort and
grandeur we behold.
More than all, the thought, the
conception, yes, the very inspiration
IF this holiday came from men in the
ranks Of the working people, men ac-
tive in uplifting their fellows and
leading them to better conditions 1t
York City, the Central Labor Union,
which had just been formed, and
which in later years attained wide
spread influence.
On May s, 1882, the writer made
the proposition. He urged the pro-
priety of setting aside one day in the
year TO be designated as Labor Day.
and to be established as a general hol-
iday for the laboring classes. He ad-
vised the day should first be cele-
brated by street parade, which
would publicly show the strength and
esprit du corps of the trade and labor
organizations. Next the parade should
be followed by picnic or festival
in some grove, the proceeds of the
operative plan
1t was further argued Labor Day
should be observed as one festal day
in the year for public tribute to the
genius Of the American industry
There were other worthy holidays rep
resentative of the religious, civil and
military spirit. But none representa-
tive of the industrial spirit the great
vital force of every nation He sug-
gested the first Monday in September
of every year for such a holiday, a:
Il would come at the most pleasan
season of the year nearly midway be
tween the Fourth of July and Thanks
giving ana WOulu iii WlOC zap III
the chronology of legal holidays
Many were the cogent reasons he ad
Vanced and at once the idea was en-
Enthusiastically embraced.
"The first Labor Day parade an'
festival of the Central Labor Unio1
Of New York City on September
1882 was simply an imposing success
From that day on, it became a fixe
institution in the United States OBJ
IN, Of h0 1cr n
The plan was next endorsed by tn
annual convention Of the America
Federation Of Labor, and the genera
assembly of the Knights of Labor.
spread rapidly from city to city an
from town to town. City council
and State legislatures took 1T up an
made it a legal holiday, until finall.
June 2S, 1894, it became a nations
holiday by Act of Congress-
The initial action taken settin
apart one day in the year on whic
To review the activities and benefici;
influence Of Organized Labor occurre
at the afternoon meeting of the thlr
day of the fourth annual session
the Federation, October 3. 1884, tf
convention being held in Sch1oesser
Hall, Chicago. Illinois. The resol'
tion creating Labor Day was intr
duced in the convention by A.
Cameron, a delegate from the Chicas
Trades and Labor Assembly, and w;
Is follows:
=" Resolved, That the first MOnd:
in September of each year be set apa
as a laborers' national holiday, al
that we recommend it's observance
all wage-earners. irrespective of sc
calling. or nationality.
wv. J. Hammond, representing t
International Typographical Unio
from New Orleans, La. was preside
of this convention. The accredit
delegates to this convention number
only twenty-six.
The Federation held it's annu
convention at Columbus, o., Decel
ber S-12, 1856. At this session t
"fhcers reported the following:
independence Day.
At the fourth session of the Fe