The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-05-31
CHILD LABOR.
A Oisgraco to Our Civilization Socially,
Morally. Politically and Industrially In
jurl0us--It Should be Abolished.

Child labor implies there is something
wrong with the social md political or
ganization and economy Of the COM
munnity wherein it is tolerated. The
adult population should be able to sup
port and educate its offspring without
the latter being obliged to do penanco
for the marital pleasures Of their per-
cnts in daily, unremitting toll.
1t is immaterial what the cause may
be which leads to infant slavery, for,
though the removal of that cause may
eradicate the evil here discussed, it is
equally true that forbidling child labor
will compel such an alteration in in.
dnstrial methods as shall neccssitate
the exclusive employment of adult la-
bor.
/ II the nse Of child labor was a tenn
posarS cApedient to bridge over IN in
tarval between the dying out Of an effete
industrial system and the rise of SUI
perior one, it would still be open to I'M.
mitigated cens'rc for the misery and
wrong |, entails on the little serfs. Rut
the question. assumes n lar sraycr inn
portanne, iii the light of the fact that,
instead Of being an ephemeral make
shift, child labor is the beginning OF an
industrial revolution, which has for its
object the total exclusion OF adult
/ workers.
Whoever has paid attention to the
] numerous mechanical jnvnntiuns and
improvements .iiade within the past
lilly years, must have been impressed
with the fact that their constant ard
multiplying tendency is to dispense
with human strength, and in its place
substitute delicacy of manipulation. So.
instead Of the heretofore Indispensable
muscular. force of grown men and
women, the deft fingers Of childhood
! are being more and more sought to per-
form the monotonous mill and factory
work. Even the arduous labor of the
stalwart iron puddler bids fair to he
superseded by mechanical contrivanccs
that will call for only the strength Of n
mere lad to complete the process of
pudding
Every one admits that the order Of
nature cannot be reversed without en-
failing disastrous consequences, and no
one will deny that an industrial system
which enforces idleness upon the father
| and mother. while the child tolls for
their and its support. must eventually
eliminate in results too dreadful for
the most vivid imagination to cxagger-
ate.
1 Child labor accelcrales the division Of
tho masses into those two bitterly an
tagonistic classes known as the ex-
tremely rich and the abjectly poor, for
such labor commands the minimum of
wages and yields the maximum of pro-
what wages he shall pay child, takes :
not into account the real value to him
/ of the child's labor, but gauges the
amount of pay by the physical proper
tions Of the worker, although what the
child performs, could not, under the
circumstances, be better done by a
grown person; and we have the admis-
sion of sundrv employers that in many
cases man could not do so efficiently
the task accomplished by n boy; never
theless, the latter gets only from q
fourth to tenth Of the paw he ought
to receive in return for the services he
renders, simply because he is n child.
The employer, however, pockets the
saving and thereby grows enormously
wealthy on the scantly-remunerated
labor of his several hundred infant
slaves, m instance of which has been
recently given in the case of New
i In IL
cleared S72,OoO on capital of sl50,o00,
by the use Of the latest improved ma
chinery, whereby he could dispense
with adult workers and instead employ
several hundred boys and girls from lC
to Il years of age, at the magnificent
pay of Is to 20 cents for ten hours
work.
There are thousands Of mon and
women now unemployed, because THEN
places in the fields Of labor are usurpet
by children; and there are many NOR,
thousands who are obliged to accept
starving wages because of the threat
ened invasion of their places by under
paid minors. The danger Threatened
by tho influx of Chinese competitors il
being actually incurred by the gradual
sure and steady substitution Of chill
dren for grown hands in ell our large
centers of industry. The chiefs of or
ganized labor are lulled into fatal st
curity by the specious plea that tn,
work children perform is unsuited t
their parents and is besides means O
adding to the family support, 10y en-
abling the younger members to earl
something in the mill and factory. o
what advantage is improved machiner.
to the adult worker, if he is to deriy
no benefit from the reduction il bring
about in physical wear and tear? Il
consume the day by holding small
pieces Of steel in certain positions, o
by pasting labels on spools, may seel
tasks only suitable for children; but
the labor physically lighter than meas
uring delaines or calicoes or simila
work performed by dry-goods clerk,
or than recording accounts and rende'
ing bills, as multitudes of adults ar
doing from morning till night? An
if children were not permitted to wor
in the mills, shops and factories, wonl
not there be n greater demand for adu
workers, and because Of that aeman
would there not be higher average ,
prices all around for labor and thus el
able parents to earn additionally mo,
than what is now brought home /
their toiling boys and girls?
THE Michigan Greenhackers, aft
having taken little rest since the I
cent elections, are once more III Il