The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-06-19
CHILD Labor
IN COTTON MILLS.
REV. B. ID. CLAYTON DISCUSSES
ITS REGULATION.
Union for Practical Progress In
Columbia.

L
q prolific theme; but infliction Of
human wrongs has been an almost uni
versal practice in the worlds his
tory.
The Declaration of independence
holds as self evident truths that all
men are created cqual-not physically
or mentally, of course, but in regard
to natural rights and that they are
endowed by the Creator with unalien.
able rights, among which are life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness.
Blackstone AYERS in his commenta-
ries that in n state Of of nature every
o.c has the right to Judge in his own
case, and the right also to enforce his
| decision. But lack of power by the in
| dlridual to enforce his decision, led to
the formation of the social compact,
In which the individual surrendered to
"thc body politic' the right to Judge
for him. inGsmuch as through his ina
bility to enforce it's decision he might
secure the enjoyment of his rights.
This investure of society with high
ly important rights also imposed upon
~ SfuohJ ALL pOEtuuG uutleb. ouC Ol
these supreme rights with which socio-
ty is invested, is the right to demand
of evory individual member that he
shall, to the utmost of his ability, con-
tribute to the promotion of the COM
mon good.
Another is the right to demand of
every member that he shall contribute
in every manner in his power to the
promotion of good citizenship.
A third is the right to enforce tho
other two demands by every judicious
and judicial means at it's command.
AS to the duties of society. If it has
the right to demand the promotion Of
the common good; and also the pro-
motion of citizenship, it follows that
one OF its most important duties il to
place within the reach of every one
the aids necessary to the satisfaction of
these demands. Inseparable from tho
performance of this duty is the pro-
lection of the mentally and physically
weaker from oppression by the stron-
ger.
An important question is "What
bearing these rights and duties named
should have on the social conditions
already operatives to considerable
extent among us, increasing operation
svents" ft" hopefa111syh tf11f1sh" saiIdspaiea 6y our
people as soon to occur?"
That portion Of the "body polite"
embraced within our State boundaries
should see to it that no individual,
combination or corporation shall place
any impedlment in the pathway of any
>e
society, the tendency of which is to
hinder his progress towards the goal of
good citizenship.
A self.evident proposition is what
ever tends to weaken or dwarf the
physical system or the mental power is
hindrance to tho child's progress in
the race for the attainment of good
citizenship.
think it a sound proposition that he
who most nearly approximates the per-
formance Of every duty he owes to
society is the best, because the most
useful or profitable member of society.
This being so it follows inevitably that
he who il best equipped, physically,
mentally and morally for the perform
ance of all these duties can best exem-
plify all the qualities of good citizen
ship. This being SO necessitates the
conclusion that society forbid that OBJ
structions or hindrances be placed in
the path of childhood, the inevitable
result of which is the prevention of
those thus handicapped of the attain
ment of the qualifications essential to
the enactment of the role of good citi-
zenship.
If these statements as to duties of
society be sound, then my conclusion
is that society is in duty bound to for
bid the Initiation Of any course of ac.
ton, the inevitable tendency of which
Is to the propagation of evil. That
which is wrong in tendency is wrong in
principle. and hence cannot be right.
fully reduced to practice by indiyidu.
Ais nor by communities.
That the employment of children in
factories, especially for long hours, is
deIeterious to them. and hence to the
public good, has been made too plain
by investigation to admit of donbt IN
the minds of anyone who has taken any
trouble to inform himself, or who has
had any observation relative to it's Of.
fects. Having no room for extensive
array OF statistics, I will just give the
result of one examination of children
thus employed. The examination was
officially made by committee ap-
pointed for that especial purpose. OF
l35 children employed in one estab-
lishment, only 72 were found suffi-
ciently normal to be allowed to con-
tinue work. Health certificates were
refused to 1916 per cent. of the
number employed. OF that "a there
were IA with spinal curvature, 12 with
heart murmur, 6 with lung trouble "a