The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-15

f. has s% Joined prosperity and righteous ness, in the long run, that man fs s,s for all his trying, sunder them. n ai- lowing the exploitation Of these cnilaren ho,,ea of mo account wbfte parents, AlapahsS Is imperilling her industrial future. .u She has been gifted with perfect clI- mate, extraordinary facilities Tor cgtton manufacture. cheap. a,s s,;si Msii Good luck fa- vors her with land and water uanslt ana the prospect of the Nicaragua Canai, bringing her 1000 miles nearer by Waser ern manufacturing states; and best of all she has abundant white lapor' nai.uw .S~ for generations but capable of all the development which is Inherent m ths if she acts wisely now she may be among the great est cotton manufactur- ing centres on earth. fet she a,Iows nsi self to be persuaded to aud ner s,,s, napy of capitalists, many of them Eastern. whom the law will not permit to expioit childhood in their own States, whose only become of the industry later. If its pros poets fade they can clear out or HI ahe'f ] mills with emigrants; In the future Alabamas place as manufacturing State wdll depend on heT skilled and intelligent operatives. HOW will she find these among +he mental ana physical wrecks child labor produces! | Over all hangs a darker cloua or Nenressf past than other countries have known. Fast every mill in the South where White cnli, dren are toiling with hopeless, unneeaeo tears, the little negroes run relolcins with their school bags in their hanos; Long before the mill child drags itself wearily from work the negro chitdren have run home again and are at piay. 1 watched, percharce, with enVious ese99 o9 by these little factory slaves many oI whom it has been proved, do not HnoW ,e,s how to play What will a languid, flit- crate white industrial population sur
 rounded by educated n negro'ees r'e meant t>o This industry is the first chance the Alabama "hill billy has ever had If his ignorance and helpiessn are not taken children. To save and develop them means much to the State. 1t would not | he the first time that 1t has actually proved good business polsy, to Nassrare t,sse .o l will not then the parents of Alabama spare n moment this Christmas tide; rom | their own bright and beautiful children, l factory babies who. have none of the | freedom the Child of Christmas came to | bring? =,
 I fully believe that the mill mems hearts are not as hard as they seem. II
 those mill presidents who spend thou | sands of dollars every wear defeating child labor bills in Southern legislatures
 were to get their arms nr 9rouna n,ao one asy w
 
 for a week I believe their dollars would rcur in to help the puhic consciencc ana obtain protection instead Of blinoins IL and obstructing natural legisiatlon as they are now doing. The spirit or fath-
 erhood is a mighty power when awaken ed by the unconscious nestling up Tor pro
 lection with which a child responds to
 kindness. s ,.
 But it is an abstract question with
 them, they trembIe lest they lose as cent
 of their dividends Since they then have
 no time to spare from money maRing te
 be humane or wen economicaHy Wlse
 will not the parents of Alabama deinant
 humanity from them, and throw the
 aegis of the law between the baby and
 the monster Mammon who would devoui it?
 The day of pleading will not last for | ever The hour of reckoning follow:
 hard upon the Great Refusal. Tht
 Babe who pleads for justice anc compassion this Christmas saying, 'ln
 asmuch as We did 1t unto the least o these 70 did 1t unto Me may some day
 utter words as stern as those which hay
 echoed down the centuTies-"Wh hosoeye | shall offend one Of these little tobes
 it were better for him that a mill ston
 were hanged about his neck and that h'
 were drowned in the depth of the sea. If she will not. at this late and favore'
 time of the worlds history learn iron l the experience of others, Alabama may 1 have to mourn over the ruins of an in
 dustrv that might have been great. ol
 gnash her teeth over factories manned b,
 strangers grinding out wealth for othe
 States. to which her own people. mad