The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-10-26

are frequently made under pressure of
necessity. 1t often happens that through
mining accident or other cause, widow
will be left without any means Of support.
She, to maintain herself and family, is COM
PEELED to send little boys into the mines or
breaker, where they receive in wages from
forty to seventy-fve cents per day, accord
ing to age and efficiency. The violation Of
the law is not denounced, but is positively
encouraged by many OF the miners. Those
who have been reared in q mine from
infancy you may say, can see nothing repre-
hensible in permitting Others follow
ing their footsteps. Those who under
stand and appreciate the evil ar, controlled
by custom and public opinion. 1t is not
the widow alone who sends her boy to the
mines, but in many cases it is the father
who takes his boy with him, either for the
purpose of assisting himself or others. He
is willing for immediate profit, to sacrifice
the present and future welfare of his Off
spring. The child is not alone deprived of
education, but oftentimes suffers from
course and even brutal treatment, which
results in an undeveloped growth. In
finitely worse, what is equivalent to the
murder and the liberation of these little
innocents, frequently results in the pursuit
of their employments.
If my readers could see the mine inspec-
tors report to the Bureau of Industrial
Statistics at the end of each year, they
could form some idea of the extent of what
might Justly be called "The Murder of the
Innocents."
Statistics show that not less than two
hundred thousand children in the common
wealth of Pennsylvania, between the ages
of six and fifteen years, are not regular
attendants OF school, public and private.
Statistics also show that no considerable
number Of such children are to be found in
prisons, warehouses, reformatories or
other public or private charitable institu-
lions. The constitution requires IA
thorough and efficient system of education
for all children above the age of six years.
In conformity with this requirement, pro
vision is made by law for the education of
such who may apply as are over the age OF
six and under twenty-one years. Whilst
the means Of education are provided no
compulsory school law existed during the
writer's residence in Pennsylvania. Either
by reason of necessity or neglect on the
part of guardian, no advantage is taken OF
the means of education provided, and hun
dreds of thousands of children are growing
to years of maturity in ignorance. Whilst
the means are provided by which education,
if desired, may ne obtained, nevertheless
employment of children above the age OF
twelve years in and about the mines is
legalized, and owing to the fact that boys
two or three years below this aye are often
represented to be twelve or more. The
mines and breaker is the school in which
they will be educated while this law exists.
With the above description of child life in
the coal mines you will readily perceive
the rare possibility of miners sons ever be-
coming future great men. So in leaving
the subject to your care, l will let it rest
for this week, beginning next with brief
description of the miners homes after
which we will begin to explore some of the
dangerous places down in coal mine.
TO BE CONTINUED.