Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-02
ORGANIZED MOVEMENT DEVELOPED
IN so YEARS TO MIGHTY POWER AND
IS BACKING UP THE LADS IN FRANCE

Labor day this year Of 1918 will
belong to the whole world 1t will
cease to be associated solely with
organizations representing 3,OOO,OOU
wage earners- for all who are en-
listed IN the nation s immense army
Of industry VIII claim II as their
own. 1t VIII have a new sign1h-
canoe 10 all workers IN the United
States and they are now counted as
about % ,o0g 600.
For the FIRST time, Labor day will
be celebrated in Europe. Thou
sands Of men in uniform, who have
marched In holiday professions,
Will be fighting in desperate battles
and for them the day viii have an
added glory, since il viii remind
them that. in Offering their lives
Tor liberty, they are realizing the
IDEALS IL eSeDts-ideals that a
generation also inspired q few
progressive men to marshal a pa
Iade that was 10 start an endless
procession Of progress.
The first Labor day is marked on
the calendar Of the past as Sept .,
1882 Great days are stepping
stones in history Sometimes they
are not recognized by the men and
women who pass oSer them and
sometimes they come heralded,
bringing with them a sense of their
true significance. This Sept. 5,
1882 Was one OF the days not rec
0guiZed as great The newspapers
ChroaicIc5 quite casually two events
+--r- rTTR4s>4r Of
iEgUeu had paraded in the streets
Of New York and Thomas A. Ed
son had caused his newly perfected
ncauiesceut lights 10 be turned on.
The second event was arranged in
honor of the first and was destined
10 furnish q fitting celebration of
the beginning of a new era in in
dust--. Thirtv-siZ years since then
labor has gone forward, gathering
70 its growing forces tens Of thou
sands. until today finds the multi
tUCe, which would have been indif-
feTerr or uninterested in 1882, en-
listed under the banners beneath
which II. 90 600 marched so Ions
ago.
There had been other labor pro
cessieus before the one that proved
70 Doe a stepping stone in history.
IN 1927 and for three following
years labor societies had paraded
On the Fourth Of July, but 1882 was
destined 10 be an epUcbal year. The
knight Of Labor were holding
their general assembly in New York
City. Terence Y. Powderly was the
genera master workman. The cen
tral labor union an Independent
Organization containing many
bodies affiliated with the knights,
had arranged TO have its annual pa
Fade when the knights were in ses-
sion and had invited the officers TO
review i-.
From the grand stand IN the Tn
Ion Square Mr. POwdeTly and the
other labor leaders watched the
moving l.-e for more than three
lourE On the platform was a
young coal miner, Robert Price, OF
Lonaror ug. Nd Leaning forward
10 touch Richard Griffith, the gen
eral worthy foreman Of the knights,
ca tl= arm. he said. This is La
Tor day 5E earnest. Uncle Dick"
thus Ee marked the stepping stone
md in q sentence gained fame as a
Ran whose vision revealed some
ming ri what the DAY might mean
IL the future.
Mr Fowderly has counted the
gains that each Of the IS Labor
says have measured since then. He
stlll working for the larger lib
5rty q humanity and can be found
every day in his Office in the de
gartmeLr Of labor building in
Washington, D. c. He seldom has
3Lne TO look back. for the vista or
ne future is so eugTOssing, but
-dbor day-ah, that recalls many