Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-05-16
The Veto Message.


The following Message accompanied tn
bill returned by Gov. Dana -
To the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
On the morning Of the final adjournmen
of the last legislature, bill entitled, An &C
to amend the eighty-third chapter OF tn;
laws OF ls4s, received lis final passage, and
was presented for my approval. Ihat chaP
ter contains section 9, which 10 as foilows;-
No minor under the age OF sixteen years
shall be employed in any labor for any man
ufacturino or other corporation for more than
ten hours in any one day and if any manu-
facturer or agent, or other officer of any corr
poration. shall employ any such minor in vi
ola,ion of the provisions of this section, he Or
they shall be punished by fine not exceed
inc one hundred dollars; and all mes and
foffeiturcs accruing by virtue of this act sha
be paid one halfto the city, town or plantation
where the offence was committed, the o,hel
half to the person so held to labor, or TO the
parent or guardian, on complaint to any cour
competent TO try the same The bill in
question repeats that section. Entertaining
doubts Of the expediency Of repeating this
proVlslon, and being deprived Of an oporlu-
nifty for deiiberation upon the subject. by the
adjournment of the legislature. l retained the
DILL tor further adviseneni. The considera-
ton since given it, has not removed, but con-
firmed these doubts
The dependence, degradation and want.
of the operatives in other countrles-the
mental and physical imbecility to which a
large portion of them are reduced, have ex-
cited the fears of many patriotic minds, that
the large and increasing employment of cap
tta1 aad labor, in like pursuits. in our own
country, must produce like results. While
on the other hand, the present condition Of
our operatives, well fed, clothed and paid,
healthy and intelligent, is presented as I'M
deniable evidence that those fears are unfoun.
ded. But 81 should be remembered, that our
manufacturing interest is, comparatively, in
its infancy, and that con sequeutiy its effects
upon our population are but slightly Gevel-
oped.
In other countries, the occupation has de-
scended from father TO son, from mother 10
daughter, generation after generation The
child is taken from the cradle 10 the factory ;
the only atmosphere he breathes, is that OF
the mill, the only education he receives, is
perfection in his art impure air, and stinted
mental food, forbid development of mind or
body. BY such process, gradual, though
sure in its effects. the foreign operative has
been Invested, in a great degree, of the most
desirable attributes of humanity. But in this
country, even around our most extensive
manufacturing establishments, we have not
within the strict meaning OF the expression,
manufacturing population. A large pro-
portion of our operatives, are those who have
been reared in the free air and healthful ex-
ercise Of the farmers home, participating in
all the varied enjoyments, cares and duties,
Of ordinary domestic life, aud in all the op.
portunties, which our institutions afford, for
agood practical education. With health, hab-
its and characters, thus formed, and fitted
for usefulness in any sphere, they resort to
the factory for temporary employment, and
soon return again 10 other pursuits. small
portion however, adopt this as a permanent,
occupation, and fix their homes in the vicin.
Try of manufacturing establishments. o.
these the number is annually increasing and
rapidly forming permanent manufacturing
population, which before another generation
has passed, will be sufficiently numerous Ia
perform large proportion of all the req
uisite labor. Aud the question arises, shall
they he required 10 give TO their children
full opportunity, such as they received
for physical, moral, and mental development
to fit them for usefulness and success, 10 any
sphere of action, which they may afterwards
select? or shall they be allowed to limit
from childhood, their mental, as well as nat.
tural vision, by the walls of a cotton mill
and thus make them, for life, the mere ap.
pendages oil the loom and spindle?
1t may perhaps, be assumed. that this is a
subject, which may be safely left to the discre-
ton of parents, and that therefore, legislative
regulations are unnecessary. In other coun-
tries. it has thus been left to the discretion of
parents, and a numerous, degraded population
81
and wretchedness. Again, it may be asked,
why may not a manufacturing, as we'll as any
other population, regulate the labor and edu-
cation of their children The answer is obvi-
Gus, that We have no other industrial pursuit
in which large numbers of children can be con-
stantly and proftably employed. 1t is fact
well known, that thousands of children in our
state, are absent from our public schools, mere
ly from thoughtlessness and Indifference on the
part of parents. If the well being of the chill
dren can be thus overlooked, from mere indo-
lent neglect, how greatly must the evil in
crease, when to this cause is added a constant
pecuniary reward for disregarding their true
interests. In our manufacturing towns, this
reward is offered the operative, who is a pa
rent, can make an important addition to his
earnings, by taking his children with him tc
labor, and thus the temptation is daily before
him. Hence the necessity for Legislative in.
ScStefehCe, which QOeS not exist IN relatlOn tC
any other industrial pursuit.
Here may be found the hidden cause, that
has undermined and detcriorated the manufac
turing population, in every other country 1t
Is not, that this employment tends less than
many others to health of body or activity o
mind, but because the earnings Of the chile
constitute an ever present temptation to the
parent, to impose upon him toll and confne
mcnt, inconsistent with a full development
which can only be acquired under the discipIin,
Of home, and the school room, and in the en-
joyment of the free air of Heaven. The Gauss
which has gradually produced such result else
where. must, in due time, produce the same re
suits here, unless counteracted. And to th
end, legal restraint should be given, in aid o.
parental judgment and affection, in their un
oeasing struggle with parental cupidity ano
necessity.
We are destined to be great manufacturing
people and it depends upon wise legislation
whether that destiny shall be to us, a blessing
curse. The interest is now in its infancy
and if properly regulated, the anticipations O.
evil, which many entertain, may never be real
lied. We may continue to exhibit the present
favorable contrast between the operatives o
chs, and all other countries Maine has NJ
laws regulating manufacturing labor or educa
ton, except the one proposed to be repealed
by this bill, which prohibits the employment o
minors less than sixteen years of age, NOR
than ten hours in day No one will pretend
that persons under that age, can, with impu
nifty, be employed daily, for greater length o
time. But it is said, that mills must be in op
Grafton more than ten hours in a day, and tina
consequently necessarv IN omplov ,r1