The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-05-21
THE CHILD LABOR QUESTION.
Senator TiIlman Speaks Out on a
Grave Issue.

Washington, May E-Senator Till
man has written the following letter
to one Of his constituents and is
Idesirous that it have widest circula-
tiion possible IN South Carolina:
Ny Dear Sir: have your letter OF
May 6. The House committee has
rejected the towering resolut ution, look
ing to Consti TUT onal amendment
allowing Congress. fix the hours ot
labor, and I:am glad of 1t. No such
amendment should ever pass or become
law. The people Of the respective
States alone should control such mat
ters and they are fully competent to
/ do SO. Yonr looking at things from
only one standpoint is the reason why
YOU have been misled into advocating
such centraIizing and un-Democratic
doctrines. Suppose, for instance, that
Congress, under the pressure OF organ an
lied laborsin the cities, should pass
an eight-hour law for all workmen
/ throughout the United States? What
would become OF the agricult ltural work
sersz the countrys
agree heartily with the idea OF the
South Carolina Liegislatnr being COM
PEELED to protect child labor in our
factories, as well as prevent the exces-
siVe*h hours of labor adults, and
shall lend my support, with all the
searnestnesssI possess, before the next
Lagislaturesto to relieve the State OF the
nowSattaching tosit. The cotton
mil preside may clamor for the
privilege Of blighting the lives Of the
children who work in their. mills.
when they should be at play or at
school, and they may demand the
right: to declare dividends by bis can.
:nibalistic process, but unless mis-
take the people of our State the issue
.hassonly to be presented fully and
bravely toscause the Legislature to do
Its duty by an. oyerwhe helming majority
,Godforbidthat wesshouldsey have to.
seek relief from Congress in that or
any other proper reform OF local
consider the action of the mill
owners IN Aiken County IN locking
out5theirs emplo as the most cruel
and uniust1fabie wrong g have ever
known Of. It cannot be disputed that
menSh thesrights to strike and quit
work, norscan 1t be disputed that the
owners of cotton mills have the right
toSclose their doors and not give work,
but the effort to force the King mill
people to return to work b.. punlshingg
all the operatives in the other mills
who oshave nothi to do with it and.
living even in a different State, IS
something unheardso Of In the: South
lis would never been built
e view ozemplo Dying LABOR for
the mutual benefit Of both the owners
and workers, and when the lockout
came it was too late for the operatives
TO seekemp1oy p1oymentson the farm, as no
crop could have been planted at that
late date. I had rath herzsee: every cot
ton mil IN South Carolina burned
down and never have another one be-
built than; to have those who own
Them make slaves of those who work
Il them. The child labor business is
cold -blooded greed. The Aiken lock
outzissa proclamatio nspeakable IN
It's. Infamous cruelty and insolence-
The unnecessary suffering it has pro-
1uced and the sense Of wrong will
canse incalcnable injury There are
men IN Aiken County who, to my
have been working faith
fully Rnd cont ~ for years and
gears ia ae Horse Greek alley, with
spt the slightest friction, and it al
;hs opeFatives In that valley could
move aWay and leave the mills to rot
1own for The want of labor it would
be- nothing more than just retri button
:or this high handed and outrageous
action on the partof the owners.
. B.R: T.iillman.