The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-14
MIR. MURPHY AND
 THE FEDERATION
Editor of Woman's Department, The

Editor of Woman'S Department, The Advertiser:
 I note in the Woman's Department of
 The Advertiser letter from the honored president of the Alabama Federation of Woman's Clubs. bearing the title ''Presi- dent of Alabama Federation Approves Child Labor Legislation
 If this letter is correctly interpreted by its headlines, it represent an adequate oc- casion for sincere rejoicing have never supposed that the president of the Feder-
 alton was in favor of. child labor, but
 understood that she was opposed to legis- lation as remedy for it's abuses. If l now understand her attitude she
 makes but two objections to the course of the Central Committee: First that
 the law we have proposed does not pro- vide for inspection; secondly. that the
 method followed by the committee has
 unduly incensed certain of the represen-
 tatives of the mills. The latter declares
 that some of the mill-men will support
 law. but they will not join with the
 people they think have slandered them"
 Dealing first with the second of these
 objections, let me say that no man should
 allow his position upon so grave a qres-
 tion to be determined by his anger at an
 individual. If I have done wrong, why should this wrong be visited upon the chill dren of Alabama?
 But I earnestly insist that have never 'slandered" the millmen of my State. My most drastic criticisms have been direct ed at the Northern men who, in employ ing our children under twelve, have been doing in Alabama what they cannot and dare not do at home. Even here, how ever, have refrained entirely from per- sonalities. I have attacked no mans good name. I have dealt severely with some of the arguments advanced fin de- fence' of the system of child-labor, but have again and again paid grateful tribute to the men who have done so much to develop the manufacturing interests of
 the South on pp. 29 and 30 of ''The Case Against Child Labor" Ca pamphlet which I will send free of charge to any address)
 I have written as follows:
 "The cotton mill has already wrought its wonders in the development of South
 ern life. 1 have seen the transforma- tions which it has accomplished in great
 numbers of the unprivieged elements of
 our population. For many of the men who are the creators of this industry,
 and who have become the founders of it's broadening influence. I have sincere re- gard. I have not maligned these men. 1
 have left personalities entirely aside. When they point to certain families among the poorer classes of our white people. and tell me how significant has
 been their progress, how very much more
 they are now receiving for their labor than they have ever received before, l yield instant and sincere assent. To me | there is nothing more beautiful nothink
 more touchingly grateful than such spectacle of industrial rescue" And l think there is nothing inconsider- ate or discourteous in the following para graph:
 That the cotton mills of the South are bringing great gains to certain of our poorer and humber classes Is a fact; that | they are bringing these gains because Of l their toleration of the sustained and con- | fning labor of our little children is not a 1 fact The social and economic regards of 1 the cotton industry have come to the South, just as they have come to the in | dividual family, not because of child llaber, but in spite of it."
 On my table as I wirte there lies a letter from one of the leading menatn the fdevelopment of cotton manufacture at 1 the South. He not only expresses his agreement with my argument but thanks
 me especially for its considerate and tenn perate spirit.
 And yet I quite realize that it is inn
 possible to deal explicitly and vigorous
 ly with a great public evil without 'mak
 ing somebody mad" 1 can only say that
 while the chairman of the committee may be too much of an IriShman to be "a
 gentle fighter" he has earnestly tried to
 direct his warfare at a specific evil and
 not at individuals. All that l have said
 is consistent with my cordial regard for
 many of the mill mep of Alabama. If any
 one feels that l have used him unjustly,
 I beg that my fault may be visited solely
 on my own head, and not on the Central
 nr tho children of my State
 But I must not forget the first ob
 jection-the objection that the bill pro-
 posed provides for no inspectors. This fact alone should be sufficient answer to
 the suggestion that l would islander" the mill men. There could be no more practical tribute to their integrity than the assumption that they may not need the States inspection of their factories to secure their compliance with the law of the land.
 But let me say at once that if this faith is not shared by the Womans Federation or by the Legislature, there Is no reason why the suggested bill should not be changed. The measure is a merely tenta- tive proposal. I am not its author I have printed it because it's publication may prove helpful to those representatives of the people who may wish to draft law for Alabama; but 1t is not unlikely that NdIudDle improvements may De SuS- gested
 A provision for inspection may be one of them. I have written nothing to Op- pose inspection. l have contendcd simply, that a child labor law without State inspection is better than a "voun- tary agreement unsupported either by State inspection or by legal authority. If the representatives, of the mills can be trusted to keep voluntary agreement" they can be trusted to keep the law of the land
 They may not keep the law. That may be an argument for inspection. It is hardly an argument against legislation If we are to have no laws except those which are completely 'enforced,' we should have to repeal even the Ten Com mandments. Disobediance to the law may make inspection necessary; but. should inspection come, the responsibility for it's expense to the State and for any possible annoyance to the factories must be borne not by the friends of legislation, but by the representatives of the mills. There is much more that I should like to say, but I have already trespassed too far upon your space.
 In conclusion. let me again declare that I have never understood the President of the Alabama Federation to be in favor of chiId-labor. l have the deepest and kIndest regard for the earnestn"ss of spirit and for her devoted interest in the truest progress of our State. l think