Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-11-11
CHILD LABOR.

1
South SO long that we're glad to see
somebody get to work, fits only the
children"
These two remarks, the first by the
Rev. Anna Garlin Spencer, of Provi-
dence. the second by Charles E. Vaw-
ter, of Virginia, seemed to indicate the
two classes of thinkers at the Congress
for boys yesterday. One class wishes to
eliminate the child wage Garner The
other has in mind only the bringing OF
social and educational advantages to his
command.
Mrs. Spencer spoke convincingly on
her theme, "The Boy Laborer, and
What He Means TO Society"
The hit of the day was made by Mr..
vawter, president of the Miller Techni-
cal School, in Albemarle, Va, DR..
Forbush introduced him as "ColoneP'
Vawter, a soldier on "the other side
in the civil war. The soldierly old
man. white haired and military in bear
ing, paused before he began his ad-
dress.
"The president has made mistake,
he said 81 wasn't a colonel in the
war. | won the rank of captain under
Stonewall jackson. It's odd that
should be made a colonel by Boston
man in New y York."
There was roar of laughter and ap-
plause. and then Captain Vawter pro-
ceeded to prove that the South is the
home of oratory.
The Miller Technical School was
founded by son of the ''poor whites, "
boy born in poverty and disgrace. IT
was the first manual training school in
the South, and admits both sexes.
"They thought Mr.. Miller must have
meant to leave his money for boys
school," said Captain Vawter. 'But
throughout the will Only the word
children was used. The lawyers stud
led over it for months, and finally de-
cided that a girl was child. 50 the
girls came in, and | thank God they
did. can't tell you the uplilt there
has been from the clean, well bred, well
hammered. intellectual association of
girls and boys in that school; and today
the ideal of every young man at Miller
is to be loved by the girl whom he
loves"
Continuing, Captain Vawter gave
most interesting description of the three
classes of poor boys in the South.
"There is the colored boy, who is
Door; the white boy whose family was
rich, before the war, but is now poor,
and the white boy whose family has al
WAYS been poor, The curse of the
negro boy is that slavery made his
race feel that all work is degrading, and
regard education only as means of es-
Gaping work. This idea was fostered by
the system pursued by the devoted but
misguided persons into whose hands his
education fell after the war. The thing
the negro needs today is to be led along
bright, sunny paths to honest, competent
work, purity of life and cleanliness OF
body; not to try to be white man. but
to be good, honest, competent, healthy
negro. With this ideal in view be-
lieye the future of the colored boy oil the
South is now very bright.
AS to the second class, the speaker
said il contained more dependency than
any other class of the South. The sons
of long generations of wealth and afflu
ence found it hard to look forward in
stead of back, and they lacked power tC
adapt themselves to present day
$ conditions.
. eBut they have been trained by noble
a mothers. In their veins runs the bes
{ { blood. Shown the possibilities of thu
present and future, given an oppor
: unity, helping hand, an atmosphere
of hope and encouragement, they vii
= develop into bulwark of this nation.
He mentioned one such pupil, th'
son of Confederate general, the grand
son of an ante-bellum governor, onc'
wretchedly poor and respondent, nov
superintendent of an iron foundry a
$15, 900 year.
The third class, the mountain white
whose fathers were divided between the
two sides during the war. "He hac M
J. slaves to fight for, and his hatred FOL
the Negro WIS Ouil tANONNNN ~
negro's hatred for him. The negro calle(
:. him poor white trash, because he owne'
no slaves, and was therefore unworth
of respect. Originally of good blood
- his ancestors lost their energy on com
ing from colder climates to the South
They sat down to rest among the mount
aims, and have been resting ever since
The typical poor white is lightheartec
rollicking fellow, happy in hut an
honest over crust. Occasionally h
rises into energy, and then he is capabl
Il of greatness; witness Abraham Lincoln
Andrew johnson and Andrew jackson
have colonies of those boys in Ne
York and all over the North, and the
are earning quarter of a million a yea
y. more than If they had never gone to III
- Miller school. Ou.of 600 0such boys VIII
"' graduated from the school, only six ev,
= went wrong; and one of those came
'e New York and became Tammar
= chief"
At the close of his speech CAPITA