The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-01-21
ARE MILLS ~

UiSF6 s 50 rs g ,,I
A Claim That Factory IN q > Caniees-
ON the vitals Of 03f CIvl) l)iza-
!. tion--ls This n.e.
An appeal for legjslsI(oI to pre-
vent any cotton mill non enploying
children under IL year of age. 4aI
An appeal for legid dasi0f to pre-
vent any cotton mill finn employing
any set of hands for q longer period
than 10 hours on any one day,
In behalf of oppreseld humanity
l make my appeal; up3 ets ! base
it. q
From physiological, hfek Biological,
social and hereditary ffts that can
| not be denied, / base its
The State cannot afI6sd sto treat
lightly problem that e. pertains to
her present and fatur6 greatness. 1
When the sub.stractnre sg 81 Any instiis
tuition has been uhderH5 kh4 py
orstructure must fall. MAJ iss
State for if it is not to loe iStr the
interests of her people institu
tions? An injury to Oh 1 these is
an injury to the State, giise they
are as much part Of State as
are the individual memb5 of hu-
man body part of the hd
1t is true that the cottck mill is a
new thing in the south 1t has
scarcely been in existence ng enough
to tell what will be the fjl result Of
so many country people boxing to
these manufacturing tow Nor is
it necessary to await the sal result,
tho tendencies are enough
From physiological Standpoint
she must consider the c6ksequences
of immature children froH 8 to IL
years left in a standing Pbsition day
after day 70. II hours breathing
heated, impure and dusty air. 1t is
absolutely impossible for fhere to be
perfect physical develop1ent under
such conditions as theses TO be kept
standing constantly with the blood
fgravi.atins downwsrdSiHust nccess~
sarlly retard the development Of vital
organs in the upper regions of the
body.
The impure air must initiate
against the lungs and the publication
of the blood. While the number of
hours must tell upon the nervous sys-
TENS of adults, and much more so
upon the constitutions of children.
Already is pallor known as the
factory cheek. Too often are the
roses seen to fade from the cheek of
the country lad as he enters factory
town. Look at that listless eye!
that tremulous step!
From 4 chronological standpoint
it is net necessary to make an inquiry
as to the results of small, undeveloped,
and uneducated children, entering
cotton mill and spending u lifetime
as an appendage to machine. Do
ing work so mechanical that there is
no opportunity for developing reason
ing or logical faculties at all. Igno-
rant of what is transpirlng in the
world around them, each day they
grow more and more dwarfed. Liv-
ing an animal, sensual and mechan-
ical life, where is any intellectual or
moral development! Examine the
shapes of the skull Of those that have
known nothing but factory life. Fish
in the Mammoth Cave have no eyes,
why? Because they ceased to use
the eyes they had. Then what shall
be the effect on South Carolina, of
$4,000 or $4,000 factory population,
with minds, with imaginations, with
memories, with reasoning faculties
with all unused?
AS social question the factory
element is the greatest that now con-
fronts the State. Thousand of peo-
pie living in tenement houses in c ose
proximity without sanitary arrange
ments; hundreds of both sexes ming
ling miscellaneo ously behind the looms,
to and from the mills; tendencies too
destructive in their final results to
mention. Can these things help to
build up and purify the social life of
a State?
See 16-year-old youths marrying,
as though to marry were holiday
joke. What shall be the effect
ofanimal instinct turned loose without
moral or intellectual restraint?
From the standpoint of hercdity if
none other the State should assert
her power.