| Show FIRST PARADE IN 1882 knights of labor of new york inaugurated the march as a a celebration oi of the day in the eastern metropolis that year V other holidays that are UNLIKE observed by the american people U labor day did not have its beginning in the commemoration of any great event in the worlds history and for that reason there Is considerable doubt as aa to who was responsible for its birth there aro are many who lay claim to being the originators of labors national holiday and there have been many chronological tables produced in support of each ones claim authorities ties however are almost unanimously agreed that the celebration that has haa now become one of the national holidays was given its first impulse by the knights of labor in new york in 1882 those who took part in this first movement did not they say at that 4 from a newspaper Newe sketch along the line of march time dream that what to them was merely an outing for the of the metropolis would in the not distant future assume worldwide world wide proportions it la Is a coincidence that the men who laid the tha foundations tor for labor day selected the first monday la in september why they did so BO they do not know except tir the tact fact that at that time of the year most of the industrial institutions of the country are either about to resume operations or have done so and with a year of steady work and good wages as the prospect the felt more in a mood to jubilate the first celebration in new york took the form which has been the accepted one for years namely a parade of the union forces of the city following this another feature speeches by leading labor orators was also found on tho the program following the new york outing in 1882 the same organization encouraged by the success of the first affair held another one two years later the wage workers in other parts of the country started celebrations of the same kind in 1886 the american federation of labor veit went on record as favoring a day of this kind and instructed the delegates to work among their constituents and secure as early as possible legislative approval of it this gave the movement its real start to colorado belongs the credit of first putting patting the stamp of executive 7 rr r irom a newspaper sketch forming the parade approval on labor day on march IS 16 1887 the bill which had bad passed both houses unanimously received official sanction following closely after came new jersey on april 8 of the same year while new york fell in line a month afterward the trade unionists of pennsylvania observed the holiday some years before 1889 when the legislature of that state made it a legal holiday the act of 1889 merely set the dato date as an tho the first monday in september in conformity with that of other elates every state in the union except arizona mississippi north dakota and louisiana has baa adopted a law letting this day adart |
