New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-11-03
THE STUNTED CHILDREN OF THE
COAL FIELDS.

Dilcher, of the executive board OF
the mine workers. conceived and
organized that procession of half
clad, half starved children in the
anthracite coal fields last week, he
swayed the hearts and stirred the
souls of his countrymen to greater
depths than could have been done
by the greatest orator i'll the world
Here was a procession Of young
little old men, from eight to sixteen
years of age. Stunted and blunted,
robbed of the playground and the
schoolroom, they knew of nothing
but work work work! The day
that witnessed that demonstration
was glad day to those children.
Somehow they felt that their deliv-
erance was nigh, and thrill of
joy and hope quickened their steps
AS they marched through the town.
In a conversation with the writer,
Thomas |. Kidd, who witnessed the
procession, said: 81 never saw such
unbridled joy as was manifested by
those boys. Two of the kids were so
intoxicated with the excitement of
the occasion, with the liberty which
it gave them to do something inde-
pendent and in spite Of their task
masters, that they danced the cake
walk all along the line of march. !"
Oh! how sad this comedy! What a
spectacle for the citizens of this re-
public to behold!
Why are these little lives dwarfed
in body aud mind?
Is it that labor is so much in de-
mand that the older boys and men
cannot supply it? No, for we are
informed that ITS days is all the
time the mines were operated dur
ing the year. 1t is because the
labor of these children is necessary
for our common good? No, every
consideration for the public veal
points the other way. Their blood
and bones are converted into gold
so that more millions may be added
to the colossal fortunes of the coal
barons and few railroad kings
who own and dominate the anthra-
cite fields, the richest coal bed in
the world, placed there by God for
the use and benefit of all. No true
American can read of this process
sion of children without feeling
ashamed that the conditions which
it exposed should exist in this re-
public.
Is it any wonder that the litter
acy of Pennsylvania is 40 per cent.
greater than that of Kansasi
When the procession was over,
Dilcher, in company with some of
his juvenile friends, approached
Mr.. Kidd and said: "Tom, these
are all my boys.'
Kidd laid his hand on little fell
lows head and asked: elbow old
are you''
"Sixteen,' was the reply
"And you?" to the next.
"I am 15.''
"Any youi" to the third.
"Fifteen."
"Well, well, how small you all
are! Why, have a boy at home in
Chicago who is only II, and he is
bigger than either of you,' said
Kidd.
"Do he work in the miner" asked
one.
"No."
"What do he worki"
"Why, he doesn't work at all /;
he goes to school," said Kidd.
"Oh!" they all chimed in, as if
that solved the mystery. "We'd be
bigger, too," said one, "if we'd 60
to school,"
No one can read of this without
being reminded of similar condi-
tions that prevailed in Great Britain
in the early part Of the century,
when women were harnessed in
chains, and on all four hauled coal
cars in English mines, and when
little boys and girls were working
in mines and factories IA and 16
hours a day. But to the credit Of
England be it said that no such
spectacle as that witnessed in the
Pennsylvania coal fields disgraces
her any longer.
l am told that during a parlia-
mentary investigation, brought
about through the efforts of Robert
Owen, little boy employed in one
of the mines was placed on the
witness stand, and among other
questions was asked whether he
knew anything about God. The
little fellow reflected awhile, and
then shook his head and said: "No,
l don't know God. He doesn't
work in our mine; maybe he works
in one of the others"