Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-09-06
aetiseeltaneu,1s &eading.
A PATRIOTIC VIEW OF 1T.

MIR. Edward Lehman johnson on
Child Labor.
Mr.. Edwin Lehman Johnson, Of Mem
phis, Tenn, a widely known consulting
specialist in cotton seed, its products,
manufacture and uses is spending few
days in the city, registered at the
Charleston hotel. Mr.. Johnson has de-
voted the best years Of his life to the
study and pursuit Of this calling, and
by close attention to business, coupled
with a great deal of natural ability, he
has established a national reputation
in his particular line Of work. Mr..
Johnson has many friends in South
Carolina, having resided at one time
in this state. At present he Is men,
ber of the Memphis Cotton Exchange
and prominently identified with the fl
nancial, commercial and industrial cir
cles of the Tennessee metropolis.
When seen at the Charleston hotel
yesterday by reporter Of The News
and Courier, Mr.. Johnson was asked
for an expression Of his views on the
child labor question, matter which
has for some time been one Of the par
amount issues Of the day both north
and south, but particularly in the
southern states.
II cannot claim any special knowl-
edge of child or other labor in the cot
ton mills, my experience having been
exclusively with the labor in the allied
industry of cotton seed manufacture, "
said the Tennesseean. THE require
ments in this latter calling are so Sc
we're that none but able-bodied men
can meet them, and have never seen
children in cotton seed mills anywhere. y
"The child labor question, however"
he continued, ,"is an economic one OF
great concern to the south and about
which every southerner ought to have
fixed opinions based on patriotic
ground. We will do we'll to forget all
northern criticism on this matter. Such
criticism unhappily tends to force US In
self-defense to depreciate the real evil
and it's magnitude. The right point OF
view is that we ought in the south to
bend every energy toward cultivating
force, stamina and character In our
white population, for we are all advo-
Gates Of white supremacy; and at the
rate the Negroes are advancing and
should advance, we must raise up and
rouse up our weaker white brethren IN
order to keep up with the pace. The
day of the poor white trash has passed.
We do not want and must not have any
such class in the future.
"There is absolutely nothing In cotton
mill work that weakens or abuses
healthy minds and sound bodies. 1t Is
as dignified as any other labor. That
children can be employed at it at all Is
proof that it Is not tax upon eltner
mind or body. But in this very fact
turks the danger. Except in rare cases
a child ought neither to be compelled
nor allowed to earn It's own livelihood,
still less be required to support Its ell
ders. The years of childhood ought to
he devoted to the development Of both
body and mind. 1t requires no argu-
ment to show that a race of men ana
women whose entire childhood has been
spent in working in cotton mills or any
other mills will be an inferior race both
physically and mentally. We cannot
afford to have any such race IN the
south. The public interest requires
that our white children should obtain
even a better education than the chill
dren of the north. They must quit the
cotton mill and go to school.
"The Negro child in Georgia, South
Carolina and other southern states Is
making far more of school privileges
than the white child. No cotton mill
employs Negro children or tempts them
away from the institutions of learning.
Our cotton mills are deservedly the
most popular of all our manufactures.
They have been favored above all otn-
ers in public confidence and public sup
mort. Southern mill owners should snow
some appreciation of this and carefully
guard against the very just reproach
that will be cast upon them If their in
tluence upon Southern life shall be to
lower in mind or body the standard OF
the white man, woman or child.
'It is a great surprise to me that
public spirited men like Orr, of South
Carolina. and Jordan. of Georgia, nave
not taken time by the forelock and ask
ed the legislatures of every southern
state to enact a uniform law in all OF
these states upon the question or cnlio
labor. I believe that chivalry, patrlol-
ism. common sense and business pru-
dence, all dictate such a course. II
needs only a few of our largest and pest
mills to set their faces sternly against
the abuses of child labor to arouse pup
lie sentiment so that proper and just
laws will be passed. The exceedingly
small additional profit in child lapor
will deter no just man from sucn d
course.
I'VE want more and better cotton
mills in the south; we want them IN
Tennessee and Mississippi, as we'll as
in the Carolinas and Georgia. We want
more northern capital invested in such
mills. If it is generally believed that