The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1925-09-04

Il upon all wage earnerS Irrespective OF
sex, calling or nationality to observe
Labor Day until "it should be as un-
common for man to work on Labor
Day as on independence Day."
There is no need to tell how sue
cessful that appeal has been. None
will deny that that condition is here
When you return to work after
celebrating Labor Day it will be with
satisfaction that can only come
from the realization that the trade
union movement has brought bet
ter andebroader life for both you and
those dependent upon you.
The idea of Labor Day spread
throughout the nation. Although a
few of the states have not made it
a legal holiday it is observed in them
just as Loyalty as in the states where
Labor Day laws have been enacted.
AS we look back over the past
Labor Days shine along the pathway
of labor's progress like beacon lights.
No matter how difficult the strug-
giles or great the sacrifices of each
year there was always the satisfac-
tion of the gains made and recounted
on Labor Day. And the gains were
always greater than the losses.
From small handful of men who
met in Pittsburgh in 1881 and formed
what is now the American Fedora
ton of Labor, it has grown to enor-
nous proportions, and its influence
has revolutionized industry for the
benefit of both the wage earners and
employers. When it was organized
the eight-hour day was simply
dream, for in those times ten hours
was universally worked, while many
were kept at their tasks twelve, four
| teen, sixteen and more hours a day.
The opposition to the eight-hour
| day was tremendous. In 1884 the
American Federation of Labor took
the preliminary steps for universal
demand for eight hours, and in less
than two years 100000 workers in in
dustry gained a shorter workday. By
1892 the eight-hour movement had
spread throughout the nation. At the
present time those who work more
than eight hours are the exception.
The appeal which the American
Federation of Labor issued in 1890
has been answered. 1t was:
'To all who love liberty and are
loyal to the principles of free govern
ment; to all who look forward to an
increased wealth more widely dis
tributed; to all lovers of the human
. race everywhere; to union men and
.. those not now under the banner of
. organized labor, we appeal in the
. name Of justice and humanity, of in
creased wealth and diminished pow
erty, to concentrate their energies
. upon the single issue of reduction in
the hours of labor"
Organizers, who served without
compensation for years, aided il
placing the American trade unior
! movement on a firm basis.
Legislation was sought and not 8
year passed but some remedial laws
have been enacted. The first great
victory was the exclusion of the Chi
. nese While the law was enacted in
1882 it was many years later before
it was so changed that the American
people were fully protected from that
> sort of immigration.
) Then came the federal eight hour
, law and the seamen's act, which freed
the last slaves in the United States.
Many people do not know that the
trade union movement was the earli-
est advocate of compulsory education.
At the same time it demanded that
children should not be permitted to
work for wages but should be sent
to school and given every opportunity
for recreation. The years have elapsed
since then, but the struggle to edu-
cate the masses and to bring free
dom from gainful occupations to the
children has actively continued While
two laws enacted by congress pro-
hibited children at tender age from
working at gainful occupations they
were declared unconstitutional. Now
we have proposed amendment to the
constitution which if adopted will con-
fer upon congress authority to pass
statutory legislation making child life
free. Bitter and malignant opposi-
tion is being made to this worthy
cause. But the American Federation
of Labor will continue the fight until
it has made it possible for congress
to protect the nations children from
industrial exploitation.
The Saturday half holiday and the
forty-four hour week are the results
OF trade union agitation.