The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-09-02
THE STORY OF LABOR DAY
from The american Federafionisf-

pleted and two days later the measure
was signed by President Grover Cleve-
land. The pen used by the President
was turned over to Representative
Amos j. Cummings of New York City,
who sponsored the bill in the House.
Cummings then sent the pen to Presi-
dent Samuel Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor.
Thus, dozen years after Mcclure
first advanced the idea of special
holiday honoring labor before the Cen
trail Labor Union of New York City,
the proposal had the approval of the
American people, expressed through
their elected representatives at Wash
ingtOn.
President Gompers forty-five years
ago wrote an editorial for The Ameri-
can Federationist in which he dis
cussed the deep significance of Labor
Day Through the Spanish-American
War period is rather remote, the re-
marks then made by Gompers on the
subject of Labor Day have lost none
of their point.
mo day in the calendar is greater
fixture, one which is more truly regard
ed as Il real holiday, or one which is
so surely destined to endure for all
time, than the first Monday in Septem-
ber of each recurring year, Labor
Day." he wrote.
Labor Day differs in every essen
tial from the other holidays of the
year of any country All other holidays
are, in more or less degree, connected
with conflicts and battles, of mans
| prOwess over man, of strife and dis,
cord for greed or power, of glores
achieved by one nation over another
| Labor Day, on the other hand
marks a new epoch in the annals OF
human history. 1t is at once a mani
| festatiOn of reverence for the Strug
gles of the masses against tyranny and
| injustice from time immemOral: al
impetus to battle for the right in Oul
day for the men, women and children
of our time, and gives hope and en-
colra cement for the attainment of the
aspirations for the future of the human
family.
1T is devoted to no man, living 0l
1t is founded upon the highest prin
ciples of humanity, is as broad in it
scope as the universe.
1T was not given to but cOnQuer2,
by labor, and established as Il holida!
before any legislature, state or IA
tional, enacted it into law.
"The marching toilerS i'm the Labo
Day demonstrations Si2nalize no mar
tal glory, brutal domination, con
quests or warlike pomp. They are, il
their essence, the manifestations of th
growing intelligence of the worker
tial to successful industry and rea
progress as air is to lung-breathin!
animals; that justice to the toiler
has too long been denied; that in tn
midst of the civilization ut the clos
of the Nineteenth Century, wrongs to
gross, widespread and we'll known f
require mention here, still abound
that if man is to be free in the tim
to come, eternal vigilance must b
exercised. organization of the worker
proclaimed, maintained and extended
education of the educated as we'll a
of the masses be furthered and nul
. turcd and rights denied undertakes
/, with all the ZeSt and energy begotte
by devotion to Il cause which is Il
once holy, noble, pure lofty, just wis
and humane"
As we come to Labor Day we "a
: might we'll take time off to ponder tn
deep down meaning of our holiday
which, as GOmperS stated, lis quit
different from all others.