Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-09-10
ADDRESS BY
{. K. CHEADLE
CONTINUED from first page.)

coal breakers of Pennsylvania? We
are bringing up the future citizens
of this republic. What kind will they
make? In the name of humanity,
what kind OF citizens can they make!
Nothing but the greed of mankind is
responsible for such a condition OF
affairs-the greed of unnatural par
ents-the greed of inhuman employ.
ers. II there eyer was a case In
which the government should inter
fere with a strong hand and wipe out
an evil, it is in the case OF chlld
labor. A child deprived of its birth
right before half the time has been
spent which would bring il TO matur-
ity and make the child a useful, hon
orable citizen. a comfort to himself,
a protection to his country, spent
solely in debasing, deadening toll,
stunning the body, s~hriveling the
soul, distorting the mind! 1t is enough
TO bring the blush of shame to every
American check to think that that
exists in this country, even today.
Not so bad as it was, however, three
quarters Of a century or a whole cen
tury ago. but the fact that it exists
at all calls for the strongest condem-
nation OF those who have permitted
il. A system is wrong, radically
wrong. which permits such a thing.
In the first place, it is undoubtedly
the fact, or should be the fact, that
every man who possesses citizenship
In this republic should have the op-
portunity to work and receive there
for sufficient compensation to enable
him to support himself and his chill
dren until the age OF maturity, to edu-
cate them and bring them up in such
a manner that they may realize their
own best development and make use
full citizens of our great republic.
And on occasions like this, ladies and
gentlemen, those thoughts should
come home to our minds, and we
should ask how far. il at all, we are
responsible for anything Of that kind.
This is a matter upon which every
state should legislate and legislate
speedily. Il Is but a short time ago
that | read in one of the daily papers
that a certain cotton manufacturing
company was about to leave the state
of Connecticut and transfer its oper-
atoms to one OF the southern states
becausc-and. now, mark you the rea-
son-beCause child labor was not per-
mitted in Connecticut and was per-
mitted in South Carolina and Georgia.
Imagine the man who will assign as
his reason for the moving Of his bus
mess operations that he can hire
child labor. and thereby crafty his
greed, because it is nothing less than
that. gentlemen, the desire TO satisfy
inhuman greed. that makes a nan
willing to employ that sort of labor.
am aware there are apologists for
this condition of things, but do not
think they can defend their case sue
cessfully.
Another matter that especially on
Germs laboring men land in concern
ing laboring men concerns alb is the
compulsory education of the rising
generation. | do not believe We can
leave this solely to the choice of par
onts. Unfortunately, there are too
many inhuman parents-parents who
are willing to hire their tender chill
drcn to work in factories and to keep
them from the privilege of education.
Most wisely, il seems to me. has the
government of each state undertaken
the education of the young. not to the
exclusion of private agencies, but for
the purpose and with the effect of
providing for all a suitable education.
Private enterprise is not excluded,
but il is too important a matter, it is
of too vital interest to the welfare of
this country to leave it wholly to pri.
vate hands.
And there Is another matter which
| think | may touch upon incidentally
and briefly, and that is the question
of the labor of women. When wages
become low, when times are hard,
the women of this country are some
times forced into the factories and
mills to do work which should be
done by men and paid for competent
ly. and that. | believe, is a matter
which needs regulation. They are
employed. so far as my experience has
gone, simply because they will do the
work cheaper. Probably ii Is desir-
able 10 get work done cheaply, but
there is such a thing. my friends, as
getting it done too cheaply. And
believe that, If il becomes necessary
for one to labor in the mills and
factories. that they should at least
receive the same compensation as
men, and thereby be placed on an
equal footing with the men, and in
that case the necessity for the labor
OF in such places would be
largely done away with.
On" might go on and mention in