The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-12
CHILD LABOR AND PUBLIC.
An Address by Rev. Edgar Gardnel
 Murphy.


 To the People and the Press of Alabama.
 During the period of convalescence. af- ter a long and serious illness, nave tried. with my pen, to aid the cause of child labor legislation.
 I fufiy realize, however, that the real work in behalf of such provision must come from the great masses of our peo- ple. from their churches their schools, their homes. The people themselves are the ultimate conscience and power or democracy.
 aou are familiar with the names of the Cehtral Committee on Child Labor in A&harna. These are, in addition to the uriaersixned, ex-Gov. Thomas G. Jones, JudxesJ. B. Gaston and Gordon Macdon- ald of NMontgomery; John Craft of Mo- bile: Al J. Reilly of Birmingham and pr. J. H. Phillips, Superintendent Of scnools. of Birmingham. Additional members or the committee will probably be announc- ed at an early date.
 am sure, however. that I speak for all of. my associates when l say that this committed wishes to make no ex- elusive assumption of the duties of lead ership The committee will be powerless save in so far as 1t may be aided by the cooperation of the people and the press of Alabama.
 I venture to suggest, therefore, that there are four ways in which this coop eration may be manifested: CD Through the organization of local committees; @ though the circulation of the literature of the subject. (0 through courteous ex- pressions, written and personal, to tho members of the Legislature, asking for the enactment of child-labor law; D through correspondence with the mem- bers of the Central Committee, conveying A. fa,.f ion na n as may come within your view and free ly expressing to us your own suggestions and advice.
 ' Yhe discussion of such a question should be conducted without acrimony. without the employment of personalities, without the imputation of bad motives upon either side, and with supreme re- gard to the broadest and deepest well fare of Alabama and her children.
 We have proposed the passage of some law prohibiting, save in few excep- under twelve in the factories of the State Similar legislation has already been adopted in Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. It Is pledged by the Demo- cratic Party in South Carolina and Tex as. In Georgia, The Atlanta Constitution (July 23) has declared: Tt is idle to think that the matter of factory legisla- ten against child labor can much longer be excluded from the Southern mill prob- lem" In North Carolina, The Charlotte Observer. a paper owned by one of the leading mill men of the South, has ex- pressed itself August ID as follows: | "The agreement of the mills, a year and . half ago, to discontinue the employ ment of (the younger) children has not been lived up to. Legislation will there fore be invoked and some measure hay fas foryits purpose the eradica ton of this evl will pass"
 The above list includes all the leading e4tton manufacturing States of the South. I cannot believe that Alabama will be the last of our Southern States to act. If the manufacturing industry can thrive everywhere else without the use ofs the younger children, it can certainly do so in Alabama. where we have the rare advantages of local cotton, local fuel, local power and surpassing eli mate,
 Literature, giving the facts of the case and the arguments bearing upon the sub ject, may be had free of charge on ap. plication to the Secretary of the Child Labor Committee, P. O. Box 347, Mont gofnery, Ala. Earnestly asking that the press of the State will kindly copy this letter, I am sincerely.
 Edgar Gardner Murphy,
 B. Chairman.
 Montgomery. Oct. 10.