The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-01-10
.INllrlNl


+. new
subss4ipt Dolla Mill
4 yptsse5Ssth,trost 5ISl t,!,, ohic'i interested
seS2E97esS'', tH',YtSl. .hc children
~ 2.IltvN&pAY, Ia IL mani manago1s lsasts as
for the children
r. Sc.nls IN ommunities,
tate. in pich his ts annual % report:
up w~.NNo THE MILL CHILDREN.
chow .. phenomenal development
ae cotton mill interest in |
HSfG Carolina now leads all the
tarn States and is second only tol
4sachusotts in the Union-has given
stbefors we fully realize it u very con
siderable population of mill operatives
whose peculiar conditions and needs
arc necessarily Ii tie known and apprc.
b ciatcd by the ma iority of our people, &C
customed to the traditional thought of
South Carolina rs purely agricultural
State. The figures OF the United States
census, not yet available, will doubtless
afford material FOR an inst uCtivc study
Of tho relative illiteracy Of persons in
and out of the mills and tho relative
school opportunities of their children
i
perintendent Of Education to investigate
this, as we'll rs all other phases and prob
LENS Of education in the State, and TO
present the facts for the information of
the Legislature and tho people. To this
end ] have wished that | could find time
from the numerous other duties Of this
Office to make q. personal inspection of
tho schools attended by mill Chi drcn
to inquire into the education and Srn
eral condition Of the children employed
aa on, ratives in the mills and To learn,
Z, through conversations, the opinions OF
the employers respecting the adequate
training Of these chi hildIcn At the age
which should be given to training rather
than to mans work for bread.
III the fields, rs well as in the mills,
there is o deplorable tendency on the
part of many parents 20 shit their own
immediate burdens and responsibilities
to the shoulders Of their dependent
young, whom they seem to look upon
rather rs servants than rs children to
bo nurturcd. Thus helpless childrcn, IN
violation of The laws Of nature, arc DC
prived Of the fruit Of orderly developed
minds and bodies and are sacrificed upon
tho al ar OF parental thoughtlcsS sci,
tishncsB love rf ease But in the mills
there is the greater temptation TO he
r parents because Of the greater TeInuncra
tion Of the work and there is the greater
harm to the children because Of the in
ovitable hygien c conditions Thus it is
the evil Of "child labor applies cspcci
ally to the mill people, y little wo X
each day in the open air and in contact
with animate nature is beneficial to the
child At what age he can begin work
in the mill without hnrm to his physical!
wcll.bCing may bc II dlilicult question ::
but he should certainly not be permitted
TO be SO employ. q before he has had
time to attend school long enough to
obtain the rudimcnfs OF an cduCH ion
Compulsory education, properly resort
dc to by many countries and by even
some Of the AmcriC III States, would be
A!arce with us, certainly un'il the dircc
tioD and supervision Of nur schools are
secured by letter organization and
system.
Without q compulsory law teachers
and school officers, il thoroughly awake
and Jealous ia thtiT duty, can iUiuct
the parents to send the children t,
school, provided there he uot stronger
argument q money consideration -tC
send the children to work The law has
always fixed to parental dist rcti"n in
tho control Of q child legal limit To
prevent cruelty. The greatest crIclty is
to dwarf g child's body and mind, and to-
liking the age at which II child may be
employed III Il cotton mill lloW much
farther the law houid go ! am not pre-
pared to suggest. jude that some Of
the mill presidents wunld welcome such
3 law. Some Of Chem have told nc how
they try to get tho mill children into the
schools, and how they cuforCc Il rule To
employ no child under - years Of age
unless ii can read. There is amovcmcnt
among tho mill manager 10 reach an
agreement making general throughout
the State Sumo Of these regulations. II
aecms that u law would bc the most Ct
fcctivc and satisfactory means.
AT the suggestion Of the Hon VIM. 4.
'onrtcn.y, president OF the mill at New
sent 10 the mill prcsid nts 4 cirCu
ofinquiry, especially as to the money
hutions which some Of The mills
y" cause Of education in their
va, disappointed III rccuiv-
''"S Some OF these, how.