The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-27

cotton mills is at this time un-
der general discussion, and especially In
the newspapers OF the north II seems
that northern mill owners are alto
gether disturbed over southern competi-
ton and attribute much OF the success
the southerners to the less rigid Ia
Dor laws of the southern states Moth
ing arouses northern philanthropy SO
enectually as an excitement Of the
pocket nerve. In b recent campaign
In Massachusetts, the republicans pledg-
ed themselves To get the constitution OF
the United States so amended as to put
the power to regulate labor into ths
hands Of Congress. Then they would
see to IL. they declared. that child labor
should be prohibited in the south But
sUme Of the Boston papers did not hes
itate 10 charge that the real desire Of
the New England factorymen Is to get
the child labor law of Massachusetts,
repealed. rather III have such laws
enacted in southern state.
In point OF fact. the chief seat Of
child labor in the south Is in those mills
owned by New Englanders. A state
tnent is made in an appeal to the peo-
pie OF New England and published in
the Boston papers. in benalf Of factory
children in the south. 10 the effect that
while the relative number OF children
In the northern and southern factories
Is about the same, yet in the southern
mills owned by northern men twice as
many young children are employed as
in the southern mills owned by out
ern men.
The Philadelphia Record says that the
child labor aw Of Alabama was repeal
ed upon the demand of the Massachu-
Sets mill owners, who eXacted 1t as the
price Of building mills in the state. II
is not creditable to the state OF Ala
bamat that it should be willing to barter
the lives and happiness Of innocent chill.
dren as the price Of industrial develop
ment. The mill industry is new to the
southern people and they DO not rs yet
fully appreciate the appalling signih-
rance OF the problem which has con-
froflted for many years the people Of
older manufacturing communities. But
public conscience in the south is arous
ed and everywhere there IS a movement
for the rescue of these innocent vic
tins Of the Moloch Of greed. MIR. L. B
Ellis. Of Atlanta, in an article in the
independent, predicts that child labor
In southern factories will he an evil Of
the past when another decade is gone.
And behind the laws prohibiting child
labor. he adds, compulsory education
bills are pressing.
The class of people IN the south who
hire their children to the mills are, as
d rule, illiterate. They do not under
stand the harm they are doing; they do
not understand the importance of edu-
cation. and that the new election laws
may in time disfranchise these white
people, while the negroes who are at
tending school at the expense of the
whites nay be the future voters. Many
parents, it is declared. put their little
children to work hat they may live in
idleness upon the fruit nf their labor.
Such parents resent laws prohibitine
child labor as keenly as the mill own
erS.
AS to the evils of child labor no pen
can fittingly describe them. No mind
Gin picture them. To realize them one
must see the sickly forms. the joyless
faces, the haggrd eyes of these little
workers. who give their lives that the
rich mill owner NAV increase his hoard
and add gain to gaIn-little children
with all the joy and grace and beauty
and hope of childhood gone. Let one
who has a little girl of eight years In
his home imagine how he would feel II
this child should be taken from home
from school, from the playground AND
shut UP within dull walls II hours z
FAY for 6 days in the week, toiling as &
slave. In South Carolina there are r.
900 children under IA years Of LEE ~
the mills. In one Georgia town, say
Mr.. Ellis. there are eight mills. n
inird of whose employees are under i
years of age receiving from 10 to 81
cents a day. These mills declared divi
dends two years ago ranging from 60 t.
SO per cent. He calls this blood money
But even with such dividends j
would pay the mill owners better t.
employ adult labor, and let the children
be educated and grow up into capabl
and intelligent laborers, than for pres
;ent gain to have in the text genera
ton a factory population Of mental
physical and moral weaklings. incaDa
BILE of honest labor. but capable of an
crime.
Come. stand at the southern factor
gates" writes Mr.. Ellis. "as Shaftes
bury stood of old at those of Lancaster
and watch the ~listless little childre
coming forth. You cannot have forgot
ten the picture which the great Eal
painted to move his parliament to &C
ton. the vivid word-picture Of the de
jected, cadaverous little ones issuin
from the walls that daily shut them j
from light and life. the numerous criI
pied. distorted forms lnong them. tn
uniform hopelessness Of the weaZene
faces."~-Baltimore sun
More Appointments by Mayor Low.
New York, December 23.-Mayor cleo
Low made public the following add
tional list of appointments tonight:
Park commissioners for the borough
IF Brooklyn and Queens. Richar
Young. republican.
Board of taxes and assessments. Sam
uel Strasbourg. republican,; William
we'll, republican,: George ]. Gillespie an
Rufus L. Scott, democrats. James ]
Wells, president OF the board, appointe
last week. is a republican
City chamberlain. Elgin r. L. Goui
citizens union
Commissioner Of accounts. Willial
Hebpurn Russell. greater New fol
democracy. -.
Park commissioner. the Bronx, Jof
e Eustlc, citizens union.
Marietta Leaves Colon