Montana labor news., 1939-08-31

demonstration of fraternity and the
harbinger of a better age-a more
~chivalrous time, when labor shall be
best honored and well rewarded.
TOiIers Are HonOred
Pagan feasts and Christian OBJ
servances have come down to us
through the long ages. But it was
reserved for this century, and for the
American people, to give birth to
Labor Day. In this they honor the
toilers 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, yea the very inspiration
of this holiday came from men in
the ranks of the working people
men active in uplifting their fellows,
and leading them to better condi-
tons. It came from a little group
in New York City, the Central La
Dor Union, which had just been
formed, and which in later years
attained widespread influence.
Birth of Labor Day
On May 8, 1882, the writer made
the proposition. He urged the pro-
priety of setting aside mi day in the
year to be designated as Labor
Day." and to be established as a
general holiday for the laboring
classes. He advised the day should
first be celebrated by a street pa
rade, which would publicly show the
strength and esprit de corps of the
trade and labor organizations. Next
the parade should be followed by a
picnic or festival in some grove, and
the proceeds of the same be divided
on this semi-cooperative plan, viz.
Each union or organization should
get as many tickets as it desired to
sell; the more sold the greater would
be the profits to the society selling
them. Each society should be allowed
to keep all the money realized by
sale of tickets through its members.
In the end each of the bodies par
ticipating should contribute to the
expenses in proportion to its mem
bership.
First Monday in September Selected
It was further argued Labor Day
should be observed as nj festal day
in the year for public tribute to the
genius of American industry. There
were other worthy holidays repre-
sentative of the religious, civil and
military spirit, but o representa-
tive of the industrial spirit-the
great vital force Of every nation. He
suggested the first Monday in Sep
TENDER of every year for such a
holiday, as it would come at the
most pleasant season of the year,
nearly midway between the Fourth
of July and Thanksgiving, and
would fill a wide gap in the chronol-
ogy of legal holidays. Many were
the cogent reasons he advanced, and
at once the idea was enthusiastically
embraced.
First Labor Day Festival
The first Labor Day parade and
festival of the Central Labor Union
of New York City on September S,
1882, was simply an imposing sue
cess. From that day on, it became
a fixed institution in the United
States, observed today in every city
of the land. The plan was next en-
dorsed by the annual convention OF
the American Federation of Labor
and the general assembly of the
Knights of Labor. 1t spread rapidly
from city to city, and from town to
town. City councils and state legis-
latures took it up, and made it a
legal holiday, until finally, June %,
1894, it became a national holiday,
by act of Congress.
Power of Organized Labor
There was a time, and it is not
many years ago, when the trade
union and the labor movement Of
America were too insignificant for
Presidents, Governors, Mayors, City
Councilmen or public men to con-
slider, much less honor. Trade unions
were of no consequence; trade
unionists were harmless fanatics.
Now, they are of more weight, more
influential, more powerful. No long
er a they be sneered down or
cajoled; they must be met, they must
be recognized. What mighty por-
tent is in their movement? In their
hands rest the veal of the worker,
his welfare and improvement.
With hands and hearts together,
with united funds and united inter
ests, to stand for one another, day
after day, year in and year out, in
good times and in bad, who dare say
what can they not accomplish? In
the workshop and on the forum, at
the ballot box and in every field of
endeavor, they can right every wrong
and eradicate every evil oppressive
to the working people.