Year: 1866




lation of master and slave, and the South
ern plea was very bad taste under the pres
ebt condition of things. sE f1.


Mr.. CRITCHFIELD resumed: lal


The labor.ngman is the best and the only
proper judge of this reform, The diminu-
ton of two hours labor might reduce the
wages, might reduce production and de-
prive the. laboringman of the comforts OF
life to that extent. The principle is well
mentioned by the writer quoted above,
"lOoking only to the enjoyment of material
comforts, the common interest of man
kind obviously demands that labor should
be so employed as to realize the greatest
production. The more of such comforts
produced, the more easily can each
individual procure portion of them."-
But it is not. likely that the wages
would be reduced for any consld-
erable period. We formerly had the
twelve hour system. The change to
ten hours did not, for any long period, di-
minish the wages nor reduce the amount OF
production. Both wages and productions
are better than under the twelve hour sys-
tem.a The principal causes are, the better
quality of productions from less ex-
haustive labor and the consequent
increase in the value of labor. Eight
hours will produce better work from
the elastic labor and determined pur-.
pose of the laborer, than ten hours; the
production will be more finished, and of
greater value, and cheaper in the end to the
purchaser, and the wages OF labor will find
their level in the value of the production.
There is a minimum in all such estimates;
but solong as the supply of labor is not
scnsibly lessened in quality and quantity,
that is, so as to affect the amount of pro-
ktD., s,,k kl,nh Of Ia
Dor will have but little apprecable effect
upon the labOrer or upon society. The in
creased qualification for invention, i'm
provement in designing and drawing, and
the increased facility for accomplishing the
purposes of labor made by fresh muscular
energy and vigorous intelligence, will more
than make up for a temporary change of
the time of employment. All these con-
siderations the workingman understands as
well, If not better, than We who are asked
to grant their request.


Mr.. TIBBALS inquired what necessity
there was for any law upon the subject?-
Why not let the laborer make his own con-
tracts?


Mr.. CRITCHFIELD said: There are
cases where a contract cannot be made. as
in cases where the law imposes labor and
in cases of minors who are incapable of
contracting. And further, the reason for
adopting former statutes was no doubt well
founded The people have become ac-
customed to a law upou the subject, and
frequent omissions would occur in con-
tracts; and besides labor needs protection
of law as against capital. The necessities
of some are greater than others, and what
is imposed on some unfairly and received
from necessity, ought not to incumber in
dependent labor or exclude it. Nor ought
the labOrer with no disposition to seek in
formation fix the rule for those who desire
it, Nor ought the single man to impose
the same terms which he may except, upon
the man. of family. The law and the
labor associations tend to fix a common
standard-and the law Is received, gener-
ally, as a nDper estimate and rule for all
to 20 by. The author above quoted gives
an additional reason: "But the individual
employer may overlook the tendency of
excessive toll, or may not deem it his inter-
est to foster the permanent efficiency of la
Dor by accepting shorter days. work, and
for immediate gain may sordidly become
accessory to the deterioration of his tel
low men. He may do this with the con-
sent of those most directly injured. By
high wages he may bribe the laborer to
work himself, or what is much worse, to
cause his children to work more hours than
is compatible with his own or the public
interest, or with humanity"


Laborers, under the bill proposed, may
contract for any number of hours, and this
will be done in the country, and it is not
supposed that the law can or will be made
available except in such places as working
mems associations may regulate their own
interests. As to minors, the law is impera-
tive, and should be. Eight hours labor is
enough for all persons, more particularly
those who are immature in body, and this
class being easily overreached, ARE protected
against cruelty.


Some objections are raised to shortening
the days labor. 1t is said that since ma
chinery has been introduced, labor is less
burdensome. Machinery may dispense
with the supply of labor or it may not, ac-
cording to the amount of production. But
wherever i. labor is required to assist ma
chinery it is more rapid and toilsome, as,
for example, in the making of bar iron or
wire, which must be handled as swiftly as
the machinery runs it off. Indeed in all cases
machinery would be Improbable unless
the laborer who assists it, labors as steadily
and swiftly rs the machinery itself. 1t is
objected again that the surplus of time will
be passed in idleness and drunkenness





lection says: 1T is urged that laborers
waste, or more than waste, the time which
short working hours leave at their disposal.
No class of men employ all their leisure
more wisely; but there is, perhaps,
a good reason to believe that none
more nearly do so than laborers,
when libraries, lyceums, and other means
OF Improvement are accessible to them, and
especially when they are properly encour-
ragged and directed, or even not misled, by
those whose superior advantages should
make them the eXemplars of society.
Though much of the laborer's leisure time
may be wasted, yet that which is well en-
ployed will probably be in proportion to
the whole quantity at his disposal; and if
more is given, more will be devoted to in
tellectual pursuits or moral cultivation"


And when tits reflected that this objection
would interfere with quite an amount of
liberty in this country in other professions,
though it Is very kind to raise this objection,
it will hardly be deemed insuperable in this
case. 'H rE


The eight hour system has been put in
practice In some sections of the globe, aud
its effects compare tavorably with the eff
tects of the system in the factories of EuA
gland and America. Iuse quotation In a
letter in the Cincinnati Enquirer of Feb. l2:


'sThe following history of the practical
working of the eight hour system in Aus
tralia, is copied from the Miner, published
at Belleville, j. NJ: .naAao e.l7l 2l4'a =


sSThat in Sidney, the stone masons, an
organized body of workingmen, comment
ood tho aarnaet agitation Of raduointr fha