Montana labor news., 1950-08-31

Day be made a state holiday. The
EOrcgon Labor DAY law was signed
by the governor on February p.
lSSl. The legislatures oi Colorado.
Massachusetts. New Jersey. and
New York. also made Labor DAY a
state holiday in 1887. Connecticut.
Nebraska. and Pennsylvania iol-
lowed IN 1889. Iowa and Ohio in
1890: Georgia, Illinois. Indiana,
Kansas. Maine, Montana. New
Hampshire. South Carolina. Ten
nessee. and Washington in 1901
Alabama, Louisiana. Utah. and Nir-
einia in 1902, and California. Della
ware. Florida. Minnesota. Rhode
Island, Texas. and Wisconsin in
| 1898.
In the meantime the officials ri
the American FederatioN Of Labor
sought congressional legislation to
make Labor Day a legal national
holiday. in conformity with the re-
solution OF the 1894 convention. The
bill became a Law 10 years later.
It passed Congress on June %. 1904
On June %. $780,. President Cle,e-
land signed the Labor Da, law in
the presence oi Amos !. Cummings.
Representative III Congress from
New York City. Mr.. Cummings pre-
>ented the pen and pcnholdcr used
by President Cleveland to President
iompcrs. who still cherishcs them
IS a lasting mcmento To one oi the {
most signal achievements oi the
Nmcrican Labor movement.
In his annual report 10 the 1894
american Federation oi Labor con II
President Gompers an b
bounced the victory Tor labor
National Labor Day
II affords me pleasure to be able
0 report that the demand made by II
he American Federation of Labor
or making the first Monday in Sep
ember OF each year a legal holiday
Congress and was made a .,
aw on June 2S. 1894. Il
rs a national holiday, Labor la,
As a profound significance
1t typifie> the struggles oi the
to Tree themselves. y,
Free themselves from their cruel .,
unjust environment. Free them =,
from the operations OF the
D-called natural economic laws"
nder which the owners of industry
tie the labor power OF the workers IN
a commodity subject to the art III,
cial law Of suppl. and demand and ,a
the other influences ii the com
odit, market.
Free themselves from the tyrann,
the employer autocracy i'll the -.
dustry. Free themselves from the \,
ranny OF the employer state in >,
~
Free themselves from their own
understandings and prejudices ril
that as one united host they NAV lo'
arch forward as labor Tor the at 'u'
inment OF liberty Tor themselves ere
ii automatically Tor all others. !.
.abor Day IS significant for its iea
inception OF life and the standards la'
lie. La
II stands for a lie lar above the ~
I've standard camouilaecd as cost rs
living wages. MI
II stands tor an equitable share 10
the wealth IN the production oi va
'ici It's own energies are the most 'dl
elements.
It stands Tor a lie not limited BY uo,
mere necessities Of existence. Se'
1t stands for a fuller childhood. a We
bier womanhood and manhood -sdii
HE unblemished with the constant 'ei
'rrles Of threatened economic Sc 'hi'
fity III a world overlooking with IA,
tual or potential wealth. '.''
-abor Day signifies the JOY Of wa
que
III the numerical strength of
'or ) increasing organized num-
5 leads to the economic unity Of ',
workers, without which labor's !
! anhltions must ever lack their ~,
Al. !
oN IN the consciousness oi labor's va
pose Tor the cause oi labor * wa
failsp az tnrpl-,,J Nd
oy IN the knowledge Of the ulti- ,
te victory Of labor's efforts ior :
tlce. and right, and liberty must wa
ally triumph over the cohorts Of '"'
%iSlicc, and wrong. and TYRANNY. 80,
Tor labors' victories ALREADY :
Tor victory engenders new en- y"