The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-10

was referred to a special committee Of FIVE.
Senator'S Weir and Foulke objected. and it went
IN due course to the committee on banks and
banking. and 100 copies were ordered printed.
Senate bill No. 19I, to restrain the manu-
facture and use of dynamite and other dangerous
explosives. was taken up and passed to a second
| reading.
Senator Weirs appellate court bill was made
a special order for to-day. at 2 o'clock, and Bal
ley's labor bill for 8 o'clock.
Senate BID No. 3, to prevent the spread of
Canadl thlstles, was amended, and ordered en-
crossed. The military bin was made the special
order for 2:3O today. The treasury committees
bill for recognizing the State Treasurers office.
was referred to the Judiciary committee. with
Instructions to report at an early day. Senator
Winters bill to abolish the Offices Of city as
SCISSOR and city treasurer was amended. and the
committees report adopted and ordered en-
| crossed.
Mr.. Sellers's bill IS. 1901 for'the construction
OF fish ladders coming up in regular order, it was
read the second time. Mr.. Winter moved to
strike out the provision that each fish killed
shall constitute a separate ofense. The bill was
ordered engrossed.
THE LABOR OF aILDREN
On motion by Mr.. Bailey his bill rs. 20l to
prohibit the working of children under fourteen
years in mines or manufactures, was taken up,
with a committee amendment TO strike out four
teen and insert twelve in lien. Mr. Bailey
moved to amend the bill to stand as originally
introduced
Mr.. Hinigass-We have a stave factory in our
town employing about 100 persons, many of
whom are boys whose mothers are dependent on
them for support. Many boys fourteen years of
age are able TO earn mems wages and the COM
mittee acted wisely in proposing to amend the
bill by making the provision apply to children
under the age of twelve years.
Mr.. Mav-I favor the amendment to the bin
for the same reason stated by the senator from
Huntington tMr. Hilligassl In our county we
have a large cotton factory which employs a
| npO M nn VOWS nf ~ nA-114 d..
fourteen years of age get good wages. Some of
/ them are employed around the coal mines.
While it might be we'll enough to prevent chill
dren from overwork I don't think that boys
fourteen years of age should be prevented from
working in cotton mills and coal mines
Mr.. Bailey-My amendment proposes to restore
the bill to its original p~rovision-fourteen years
instead OF twelve, as provided in the committee
amendment. consider it my duty to bring up
the question and let the Senate decide it. It
see ms to me there can be no doubt but that
children under that age, with the provisions we
have for public schools, should not be employed
IN work to their health. They sup.
plant men with families to support and
prevent such heads of families from obtain
ing the wages which are paid to these children
at a time of life when the children ought to be in
school. L advocate this change because l was
elected upon a platform that has in it. the follow
ing cause.-the third plank in the Democratic
State platform. That is one of the things we
promised to do, and I believe we ought to keep
these promises. If We change the age from
fourteen to twelve the efficiency of the bill is
greatly destroyed.
Mr. Campbell of Hendricks-The senator has
given some reasons why he favors his bill. and
he gave the very one which I was suspicious of
when he introduced it. l was a boy once my
self. / know men sometimes get jealous of boys
when about to ~supplant them ia the workshops,
factories and other fields of labor, but I believe
III giving the boys a chance. / believe if a bow
can do the work OF a man it is not right to allow
men to procure legislation by which boys shall
be excluded from doing that work. Therefore, |
favor the age being fixed at twelve. if we legislate
at all On the subject, and not say by law that the
boy shall not have a fair chance.
Mr.. Sellers-The Senator from Hendricks has
made My speech.
Mr. Foulke-T think there is reason why
children under che age of fourteen should not
be permitted to work in manufactures and
mines. The purpose, which seems to be a
laudable one IN this measure, is to develope the
mind of these children. Although it may be a
hardship in some cases to prohibit boys of such
/ age from helping to earn the living for the fami-
ly, yet we should legislate in this matter, not
! for the present but for the future. Ordinarily
| I am in favor of letting every man take care Of
his own rights. It is within the legitimate
domain of law to establish the time when a boy
shall be in school, and during that time he shall
not be permitted to work.
Mr.. Maeee-I think as little legislation as pos
siele Is the best. While arm in favor of the
principle In the party platform, still l would like
TO vote for this bill, with an amendment making
| a discrimination. l think it ought to be left.
somewhat to thediscretion of the parents, and to
the child also. We ought not to make q cast
iron rule which will deny all children this privi-
iege. In every city a great many boys obtain
employment during school vacation, and many
would like to do some little work rather than
run on the commons. In all mechanical trades
the unions refuse to allow a man to employ only
a given number of boys, and as years roll on we
are losing that new element that should come
l. IrHfn nh 0U0rQ n 81 Ciranlr hann,oa %1A L~--
are denied this privilege. The ratio is so very
small that in a few years the trades would run
cut, ii new workmen were not imported from
Europe or somewhere else.
Mr. McClure-1t seems to me there is a strong
tendency to interfere with the rights of heads of
families and attempt to regulate their children
in this regard. There are a great MANY in
stances where a child fourteen years old, and
perhaps twelve, can earn q living. and even q
competence. 1t strikes me we ought to be very
careful how we undertake to interfere with the
jurisdiction of the heads of families over their
own children. If the purpose be to provide for
their education and to say when they may be
sent to school, how much better it would be to
get up a bill for compulsory education. I think
it is absolutely impossible to enact a law that
viii do justice to all concerned, and prevent chill
dren of that age from being employed IN the diff
ferent vocatious of life.
Mr.. Faulker-I am opposed to the bill on gen
eral principles. | was a boy once myself, and I
remember well when [ worked for the pitiful
the boy first. Last and all the time. If he can get
| ahead of me in earning his living that is all
right. The whole theory of this bill. in nay
| judgment, is wrong. I would rather vote for a
bill to make the boys work. and the men, too.
We have too many idle men and boys, in my
Judgment.
Dir. Brown ann opposed to the bill on gen
eral principles. also. 1t proposes to legislate in
a way | don't feel like sustaining.
Mr.. Willard believe every boy ought to
have an opportunity to enjoy the facilities for
education which Indiana gives. ] am not one of
those who believe a party should get into power
upon certain pledges, and, once in poweAPiisre-
gard those pledges. Upon one question pre-
sented before this Senate i have yielded my
personal convictions, because it was a matter in
the party platform-ani that was as to the
necessity OF a constitutional convention. One
of the promises it made to- the workingmeu for
their votes-and upon which it obtained a large