The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-02-06

- o"oipS 'ho hcSho, LUZ ITO VIII Sct cuu
Gated anyway. Mr.. Smyth though
e the advice Of the cotton mill authori
. ties ought to he listened to in the ad
judication of questions of this kline
because they have been moro deepl
: interested in this matter than othe
people.
} At the suggestion of Capt. Montgom
= cry, Mr.. Smyth explained that while
there are three hundred children OF
the streets Of Pelzer, he did not NEAR
to convey the impression that tho
schools there are not patronized. He
produced statistics showing that the
schools there arc well patronized.
Mr.. Stackhouse, at tho conclusion OF
Capt. Smyth's remarks, asked if the
friends Of the bill desired to bc heard
further. There was DO response.
Then at the request of Col. Orr, Rev.
Vernon IAnson, who is missionary
working among the cotton mill opera
tivcs in Columbia, addressed the COM
mittec. lie favored compulsory cdu-
cation law. 1t would meet all of the
requirements for the present. The mill
companies arc trying to settle these
questions for themselves. lie cited acts
OF bcnevolcnce on the part of somo
mills taking care OF families who could
not have existed without such support.
The Richland cotton mill had taken
care OF one or more such families. He
sees crowds of negro children going to
school while the white children arc not
attending so regularly. The compul-
sorry education bill would remedy this.
Ilc avowed his friendship and loyalty
to the interests of the mill operatives.
There may be cases Of captious mis-
management, but rs friend of the
poor people he declared that the mill
authorities have been doing a groat
deal to supply the operatives with bet
ter social, educational and moral inllu-
onccs. He suggested the advisablity
of appointing commission to visit
every mill in the State.
He had referred in his remarks to
| having stood between the operatives
and the management. Mr.. Webb asked
him what Of that trouble. Mr.. PAN
son replied that trouble is all over.
Christmas eve the mill management
had given to each operative turkey,
while the humble employees had gwen
to Mr.. Whaley gold watch and chain.
He had never gone to the general man
| ayer Of that mill for material matters
to relieve the sick or suffering but what
his request had been quickly and cheer
fully granted.
Mr.. Webb asked if Mr.. I'Anson be-
licvcd that working in the mills is
healthy for children.
MIR. pAnson replied that no indoor
work, in the mill in the store or else
where, is as healthy as working on the
| farm
From his pulpit Mr.. I'Anson had an
nounccd that the Legislature would
soon be in session and he wanted the
views Of the operatives on compulsory
education. lie declared that many
had stated to him voluntarily that they
favor compulsory education, but none
spoke Of the bill now under discussion.
Mr.. PAnson paid his respects to the
collector" who hangs around the
corner grocery and collects his chill
drcn's wages and spends tho money at
the blind tigers. He is an evil whom
no legislation can reach.
MIR. pAnson told of very touching
| case. A man prostrated with Bright's
disease had been taken TO the aims
| house. His wife, q proud woman, tried
to work, but two of her three chlldron
were taken down with pneumonia, and
the head of the family became a9-ycar-
old child. He declared with feeling
that tho mill had not left this family to
suffer, although the labor Of that little
child was all, nominally, upon which
these people could depend.
The attention Of the committee was
then attracted TO the remarks of Capt.
w. A. Courtcnay, of the Ncwry mill,
who was introduced by Col. Orr. lie
charged that underneath this question
is the subtle charge of sordldness on
the part Of the mill owners, an appeal
to the emotional nature Of the people.
IIe declared that this was similar to
tho publication Of Uncle Toms Cabin
a book which had later been dcplor-
cd by it's own author.
lie then addressed himself to the
practical side of the case. lie does
not allow little children to work in the
mill. Some days ago he had found
three little girls around his mill One
was but 10 years old. He told them
to have their mother to come to sec him
The next day their mother appeared al
his Office. He asked her If her youngest
child were not too young TO work in
the mill. The poor woman declared
her husband was dying Of cancer and
the labor Of these little children is al
upon which they could depend for {
living. What was to tell her.
asked Capt. Courtenay feelrngly.
There arc today cmissarics Of New
England in thi, State, he declared, ant
they are trying to SOW discord in thi
, State. The operatives IN Southern
towns have vastly better homes, etc.
} and are better in every way than th'
operatives Of the eastern mills.
Mr.. German, the cotton mill opera
| tive who had first spoken declared tha
9 he had been through the cotton mill
l in Fall River, and the operatives ther
= arc better off than they are here
r Col. Orr asked Mr.. German wha
n proportion Of the cotton mill operative
s III Massachusetts are native Amer
n cans? Mr. German cOul1 not tell. Dl