Year: 1869

libraries and presses, had given opportunities and
rewards TO workingmen, so that they came 10 reel
should be shared aud enjoyed by labor as well as
by capital. Skilled labOrers and workers III mills
and shops came to see tnat health and social enjoy
ment, and moral and mutual improvement would
come by the reduction OF the hours or toll to ten
hours, even If the rate OF wages could not be main
benefits to ALL The hours OF labor had, since he be-
came OF age, been reduced from two to three hours
daily. and wages had been Increased from three u
labor In the free States had been reduced at least
one-sxth and the wages had been Increased at
least threefOld


During the past ten years the application OF ma
chnery TO productive industries had wonderfully
Increased the productive forces OF workingmen me
farm, the mil, the workshop, showed the wonderful
III the Instruments OF labor. By
the improved forces and tools OF labor the
as much in one hour as he could formerly
in ten hours. Increased forces powers and enlarged
conclusion that eight hours should be established as
a days work. They realized that the ten hour
movement SO generally acquiesced IN, had been a
most marked success. They believed that eight
hours would be more IN accordance with the moral,
mental ply ysical and social interests OF workngmen.
4 o raise men and women with healthy bodies and
sound minds w;.s higher object than the addition
millions OF dollars To the accumulated capital OF the
world. Congress was asked by the workngmen to
make eight hours a days work In the navy yards,
arsenals and workshops OF the United States The
House. under the lead OF General Banks. their rep





with slight opposition. On motion of Mr.. COnnesi,
OF California, who. like General Banks, had been
mechanic In his younger days the Dill was taken
up, considered and passed. Every Senator supposed
that eight hours he days work Tor mechanics
and workingmen in the service OF the governments
DAYS work that was to bring days wages. There
Senators who voted against II avOwedly because
1t secured that object. No man thought Otherwise.
TO have passed the bill for any other purpose would
have been Keeping the promise to the ear aud break
ing 1t TO the hope TO have passed the bill with any
other intention would have been to make Congress
a set OF tricky demagogues. As the government had
put another construction upon the law, the House,
the closing hours OF the session. passed. without
division, a decaratory resolution. ne had striven
to get through the Senate, but could not get the
Senate to vote upon 1t IN the pressure or the last
hours. Finding that the matter was coming up for
consideration in the Cabinet he addressed letter TO
the Secretary OF War to show what the wOrklngmen
asked for and what Congress intended to give Ten
days after the letter was placed III General Rawns'
hands the Attorney General gave his legal construc.
tOn Of the act, which was adverse to the wishes of
the workngmen who petitoned Tor the measure
and asked for what Congress Intended IN passing the
bill. This construction OF the Attorney General
would stand and the government would act upon
IL unless set aside by the President or by Con-
gress. He had hoped the President would do so; he
was confident that Congress would Ut its next ses-
sion. The House decaratory act. which was III.
trOduced by General Banks. was pending


the Senate, and he had faith that that body would
vindicae the integrity OF Congress- AS IL hau been
determined to act upon the construGton q Inc
trusted that the workngmen In the service OF the
government would work the ten hours, and look TO



idence in their cause and faith IN the intention OF
Congress would give strength " their cause and
friends 1t might not be tnat the Time had come 10
day. but 1t was sure to come through The application
OF the marvellous forces OF machinery to production
lie thought there were other causes tending 10 bring
about that result. The erection or warehouses, mills
and shops In the cities tended to force the aD0rlng
population OF the cities into cellars and garrets.
iThe reduction OF the hours OF labor would enable
mechanics and workinsmen TO go further from the
centres OF the cities, and they Will thus secure
healthier homes for their families. There seemed to
him to be another reason for the reduction OF the
hours OF labor. The tendency was TO send young
men into cierkships or professions or into anything
rather than into trades. Even mechanics struggled
to get their sons into other employ ments Us tou9n
they themselves were ashamed or their callinss.
These things had most pernicious lnnuence
upon the country. Would not reduction OF the
hours OF labor tend to draw young men into the
trades and to make trades more attracNveY lie h ID
long thought that corporations, manufacturers IN
mechanical companies and frms should stlNe 10
induce workingmen to take interests, however
small, In the business IN which they were engagel.
SO believing, he made an effort In the Legislature
than twenty years ago to have the STOCK OF all
manufacturing companies made into one hundred
dollar shares, with q view to inducing workingm
to take interest In the companies Tor whlch tney
worked. He believed that II would be oetter ior
capital and labor II workinemen were Induced 10
take an interest In the companies Tor which thty
toed, and would dignity labor and produce great T
care industry, thrift and temperance, AMI develop
personal responsibility. Cooperative associations
amopg workingmen should De encouraged tn0uYh
they often failed. Cooperative action Ia winch men
are engaged OF capital and business relations and
experiences would, he thought, be far more SUCCESS.
fu ana saler. A business firm or noble men had
recently entered upon an experiment which ne
looked upon most hopefully. Having more TIL IN
hundred men IN their employ, they voluntarily pro-
posed last year to divide with them ten per cent
Of the profits OF the year. The men thought little
OF 1t as they expected little from It. eat the close OF
the year they called their together and paid them
ten per cent OF the profits which made to each man
one half hours pay each day. This was 10 the men
q grateful SURPRISE They then told them that this
year they would pay twelve and half per cent of
the profits II any, and expressed the wish that, as
they all had an interest IN the results, each one
should be careful aud see that nothing should be
wasted, and they hoped that all would strive TO be
temperate men, as drinking tended to impair their
strength. In q few days ninety seven out OF the LOO
workingmen voluntarily brought to the nrm pledge
OF total abstinence so rar that experiment had
brought forth glorious fruits Such action, inspr
by such lofty PURPOSES by capitalists and business
men, would doubtless render lasting benefits to the
employers and The employed to capital and to labor
MASSACHUSETTS, was emphaticaly manufacturing,
mechanical and workngmen's State 1t was tho
destiny OF her people to toil-of large portions of
them to labor for wages. Here capital and labor,
the employer and the employed. the rich ana the
poor should walk hand IN hand guided by tie sense
OF justice and the spirit Of the divine MASTER Then
would capital perform its highest and truest duesi
then would labor "look up" Ia the words OF DANIEL
Webster, on yonder heights, "and be proud IN the