The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-28
THE CHILDREN'S CRY.
Every Good and Noble Instinct Crfes Ont
For the Abolition of Child Labor.

Every Good and Noble Instinct Cries Ou1
For the Abolition of Child Labor.
| The trades unions complain to the pub
lie that nearly every machine is con
structed with a view of lessening the
number of adults employed and increas.
ing the number of juveniles. Labor
represented by the Knights of Labor and
the Federation of Labor, demands that
the toll of children be prohibited once
and forever and the rising generation OF
the nation be given leisure and school
life"
There are fabulous conditions here
OF immigration, of race mixture, of won
aerful productiveness in agriculture and
minerals, of Notwithstanding new
er before met and overcome. We have
many Scylla and Charybdis-t un-
loving and uncaring father, the over
fond and self sacrificing mother, the sick
or lazy parent, the healthy and idle child,
the educated American, with years of
industry and study behind him, the un-
educated foreigner, with only labor and
oppression in the history of mis- ances-
tors. How may the course be safely
steered?
Factory life stunts the whole develop
ment of children. Ambition is killed,
even If the physical vigor is not de-
stroyed. There are foul companions, if
not foul air. The imaginative and in
ventive faculties, all powers that lift
mankind, are dwarfed. Be it remem-
bered that these crimes against the chill
dren of the working class are committed
by the exploiting class, with no extenu-
ating circumstances, for while they coin
gold out of the lifeblood of toiling chill
dren million adults unemployed seek
in vain for work.
The trades unions, the establishment
of the bureau of labor statistics, wom-
ems unions, all have helped efficiently
in arousing and interesting the people in
this question. Now about one-third of
our states have laws directly upon child
labor. Nearly all of these have inspect
ors, who enforce observance of the law,
Recently women inspectors have proved
most efficient workers.. California seems
to be the state most lax in the matter.
From England we may learn the force
of persistent agitation; from France, to
provide schools for the training in trades
and agriculture; from our own past his
tory, that duty neglected, sins of omis-
sion and sins of commission, will bring
and cost the blood of atone
ment.
Helen Campbell tells us that sit is
with the women chiefly that the future
rests. It is women who, more and
more, are seeking to discover what meth
DDS may best alter certain social tenden-
cies and evils. The efficient persistency
Of women already has raised the age of
and provided public matrons,
and united demand that child labor be
now and forever. would at
least open eyes and pave the way for the
legislation that is sure to come in DAYS
when we have grown wiser and realize
the meaning Of defrauded and outraged
childhood. With every child in school,
11OuSC ldUOI U0COlu0S 11uDOSS1-
BILE, and women inspectors are necessi-
ty if healthier methods are to begin"
Prevent Sunday work and overtime
work. By legislation, meanwhile, pro-
tect against peril to life, danger from
unguarded machinery and from explo-
sion and fire. from vile air and from pol
luted thought.
Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is
as teaching the relation of
man to property, or to money, "the god
If the world, the image of show, the
symbol of all external things" Shylock
s not Jew only, but the picture of
what greed for money makes of any man.
Has not this lust for wealth by the
youth, the parent and the employer be-
come a veritable Shylock? And will it
lot become, as Shylock's greed became,
he destroyer of its possessor? The chill
lren's cry must be heard because it is
economy, it is humane, it is Christian.-l
Jennie Rice Ware in Donahoe's Maga- !
line.