The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-02-13
VOL. XVI.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.


SENATE.
The bill to prohibit child labor j
the cotton mills was taken up, an
Senator Henderson, of Aiken, was tn
first speaker. He SAID in substance
This is surely an interesting, mo
mentous and irreprcssible question
Hence, it is our duty as Legislators L
approach it calmly and dispassionately
and in whatcve: we do to endeavor /,
act in conservative AID prudent man
ner. 1t is simply the question which
has assumed so many phases, shapes
and forms in the unnatural struggle
between labor anil capital which has
always existed and always confronted
the lawmaking power ever since tin,
first law was smadc-unnatural, because
labor cannot prosper without capita
and capital cannot thrive withou. labor
Nevertheless, it is before us, not only
for the first time, and am sad to fear
not for the last time, and hence it is tC
he met. That the legislature has the
inherent right to regulate and control
the manufacturing industries OF the
State, | have no manner of doubt.
They derive their franchises from the
State; are creatures of 1t and ale sub
.jcct to its notifications. But it is un-
questionable that any restrictions or
regulations which may be placed upon
such praiseworthy institutions should
be prudent, moderate and conscrv,l-
tive. We should look not only TO the
interests Of such members Of the gen
eral public who are associated in the
discharge of labor with such corpora
tOns, but to the interests of the cor
rolations rs well, and always Keeping
that the best guide in legislation is the
greatest good to the greatest number.
Railroads have been regulated: tele-
graphs regulated; express companies
regulated; and every phase of corpor-
ate life, which has been created by the
representatives of the people, when
they infringe upon the riA hts of the
people, should be regulated. But a
due regard should be taken to the
rights Of the creature, as well as those
who are flung with them in the dis
charge Of the multiform duties which
come upon the human race.
There was time when we had very
few railroads in this State. In the
old days before the war, when the
South Carolina railroad from Charles
ton to Augusta was the only railroad
i'll existence, when il took day and a
half TO make The trip, with its peculiar
shaped engines and cars, the traffic of
the country and the number of people
employed thereon were too small to
demand of the Legislature its interfer-
cnce for the protection of those asso.
ciated with it, but as in after years,
that great industry progressed and our
country began TO be travcrsed by the
steam power to such ali extent that
the entire State became interested, and
TO Il certain extent involved in this
enormous business, 1t became neccs-
sary to establish railroad commission
for the protection of the people and
for the regulation of the railroads.
a great hue and cry was raised when
this was attempted, and it was claim
cd that such a step would be dcstruc-
tive TO the railroad interests of he
country, but we did not hesitate to
put the legislation INTO effect, and no
one can doubt that railroad com. ;s-
sion, properly conducted, is of the m.J IT
beneficial effect to the people of the
country at large. We are to be con-
graduated that in this enlightened day
and time in which we live, our grand
old State stands inithe front rank as a
manufacturing State. The increase of
cotton mills in our midst is prodigious.
When William Gregg first founded
the old Graniteville mill in my own
county many years before the war, the
advance which we now perceive and
realize would hardly have been pre-
dlcted. The mills have come to the
cotton and all of use realize the fact
that they are Of the greatest advantage
to the people of the State of South
Carolina. Building up our waste
places, rehabilitating our towns and
our cities, increasing our taxable pro-
perty, giving ccupatlon and homes to
our own country people who were not
doing well in the sparsely populated
agricultural districts of our State. But
the very fact of the marvellous increase
in this grand department of human in
dustry and human development brings
with it the necessity of protection to
the vast number of human beings who
are connected with this great industry.
That should be administered by the
Legislature, not in any spirit Of hos'i-
lity, but with a kindly hand and q
fostering care TO these industries.
Nothing rash should be done, nothing
hostile should be enacted; but at the
same time proper measure should be
taken to insure that the laborcrs and
the corporate powers are kept in a
friendly attitude, and with every temp.
tatiOn and invitation to the enactment
of strikes and turmoils, to which other
States and other countries arc sub icCt
should be kept down.
The bill for discussion is one of the
many questions which Will inevitabl,
arise out of the increase of this gran(
industry in our State. favor the sub
stitute proposed by the minority of thu
committee. That is not drastl,
measure; it is not radical; it is no
sweeping. 1t is unquestionably con
scrvatlve in its tenor and effect. |
simply provides that during this year
after a certain date fixed, all children
under the age of 10 years should b.
prohibited from working in the coltol
mills. That next year all under |
years should be 80 prohibited, and tn
next year all under 2 years. 1t furtll
er provides that no children should b
nprmiitpu IN uprk in tho t,,;Ilo % ~. -