The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-01-15


For Sale by tho Laurens Drug Com
paDy, Laurcps, S. @.
of the present shall not only not be
dwarfed physically and mentally by
close confinement and labor during the
tender years Of youth, but that it
shall have all the advantages offered
by the schools Of the community. In
some cases the parents who work in
the mills are required to sign con-
tract to force their children between
certain ages to attend the public
schools provided. There are mill
towns in this State which are models i'm
every thing that goes to make an ideal
community. They contribute largely
Tor The education of the children and
In some OF these communities you will
find as good school bull iings as in any
of the larger towns or cities. Bcs idt 8,
the mill owners pay their palt of the
school tax, which goes into The general
fund, and .he most pleasant relations
exist between the mill owners and the
operatives. The fact that the MIL
owners, who are in the best possible
position to Judge by experiences, recog.
nize by such action the Importance of
educating and caring for these child
rena is n trong argument in favor of
the necessity Of law prohibiting child
| labor.
In many instances, however, these
rules are not required, and the mil
owncis, finding child labor the cheap.
est, and looking only to the present,
substitute the child for the man, and the
health and future happiness of this
child are sacrificed to present gain.
This question ia one that has to be
met in every manufacturing country,
aud IN every instance it has been
found TO be the part of wisdom, look
ing both to the mental and moral up.
| lifting AMI the material advancement
of the people, to prohibit the labor of
children of tender age. England,
France, Germany, and all the
principal manufacturing countries in
Europe, and all the manufacturing
States in the North in our own coun-
try, after thorough investigation and
long experience, have decided in this
! manner. The question is i new one in
the South only because The South has
within very recent years developed in
TO manufacturing section.
The manufacturing industries IF the
South In the near future will be com.
PEELED to meet strong competition from
the people of other sections of the
81 Jbe, particularly from the far East.
In order TO meet this competition they
must have skilled and intelligent labor,
and this can only be secured in the
operatives of The future by the educa-
lion of the children of the present.
| And The children of The present cannot
be educated and prepared for their du-
Ties and good citizenship if they are re-
quired to labor in mills during their
tender years.
The question is demanding solution,
and the part of wisdom is TO solve i
now, for the longer it is left alone The
more difficult of solution it becomes
This question was discussed by you al
of your body defeated by large
ma )rity. Final action, however, wa,
postponed by continues Of bill il
| the Otner DranCn.
After careful and thoughtful consid-
Grafton, it is my opinion that 1T is .
duty which you owe to humanity and
the citizenship of your State to protect
these children by prohibiting ,ir la
Dor in our manufactures. Ii the par.
ent does not feel sufficient interest it,
his own offspring TO look after its bcsl
interests and to prepare it for the high
duties Of good citizenship, then il is
The duty Of the State to step i'm and
assert its authority by taking care o.
the lie ard the health and the happi.
ness of these helpless little ones. !
realize that it is perplexing question
where the authority of the parent ends
and the duty of the State begins, bu
in question of such vital, importance
TO the State fine spun theories should
not be INDUCED, but the best inter ests
Of the commonwealth and its citizen.
ship should be the paramount issue.
No child und,r IL years of age should
be permitted TO labor in the manufac-
tories of this State, unless il be neces
sary for the support of widowed
mother. If you should adopt such q
measure, however, OF least one year
should be given before it becomes oi
force in order that all parties may al
Just themselves TO the new conditions
EDUCATION.
1t is a principle now well recognized
that the safety of the government it
self req hires that it give its citizens
the opportunity to fit themselves for al
intelligent discharge of tn IL duties Il
the State. Our form of governmen
T, itself, in which every citizen is a ruler
and every ruler public servant, de
pends for its preservation upon the en-
4 lightenment Of the great body of on
: people-their education and instruc
: tion in the "great elemental truth
Q which elevate the mind and purify tn
d heart of man." and which render hil
: capable of sels,goveinment. Subsc
L. unppt aVapta hovR nrnVp1 tho iruih