Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-04-17
CHILD-SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH.
Infants Work Long Hours at the
SpindIes

of children in factories
in the southern states, relates some
facts which should shame those states
into legislative action for the protec-
ton of their infant toilcrs. The shame
however, is to be shared by the north
for many of the employers who have
prevented the enactment of laws for
the protection of factory children are
northern men. Writing of factories
which he visited in Alabama. the
correspondent says:
Alabama ranks fourth among the
southern states in the manufacture
of cotton. In the wholesale en-
ployment Of little children she is en-
titled to be classed with the leaders
for the conditions that | have en-
cOuntered here are by all means the
worst | have yet seen. ! have talked
with children whose names are on the
pay-rolls OF the mills who are scarce
ly more than babies, yet they are
working - and 1915 hours every day
at the spinning frames for 10 and 20
cents a day.
Children OF and 10 in the mills
here are common, and | talked with
several who made no claim to be
more than eight years of age. Their
statements were verified by those in
authority, who made no attempt
worthy OF the name TO defend the
brutal practice. Alabama, like
Georgia and other cotton growing
states, has no law compelling the edu-
cation of her youth, and she vies with
all Of them in her opposition to a law
prohibiting the employment of chill
dren of tender years. The cotton man
ufaCturerS have so far been unable
to see their way clear to permit the
measure on this subject | say per
nit advisedly, because Secretary
Treasurer Tanner of the Montgomery
City mills, after referring to the move
mout i'll behalf of the children as
''SickIy sentimentalism, said that lin
the legislature it was simply a ques-
ton of money, and, as the manufac-
turers' interests were at stake and
they had the money, it was easy to de-
termine who would win; the other Top
pOnents of child labor would find
themselves up against a stonewall.'
It is admitted that the defeat Of the
child labor bill in the last legislature
was due to tie active and effective
opposition of the representatives of
Massachusetts capitalists, who are in
terested in Alabama cotton mills. Re
ferring to the means resorted to in de-
feating this bill, a citizens committee
OF which Rev. f. G. Murphy is chair
man and eX-GOV. Jones, member.
made the statement that Mas
sachusetts capital is doing here what
it dare not do at home"
l secured entrance to the Peoples
mills Of Montgomery, which manu-
facture sheeting for the China trade.
In the spinning room, where most of
the children are employed, there were
125 persons of all ages at work. Of
that number between 40 and so were
children less than II years old.
Those who had ever been in a school
house were rare exceptions. In this
room l saw boys and girls SO small
that their efforts to perform their
work were absolutely pitiful. In
reaching up to join the ends of the
broken threads they were obliged to
strain and stretch every muscle and
sineW of their frail bodies and some
were so small that they were com
PEELED to stand on their tiptOes. This
was repeated every five minutes or
Oftener for II long hours. | called
the fOreman's attention to several lit
tie ones who | was sure could not be
over six years old and was told they
are not working" which meant that
they were not on the payroll but
were helping the parent or older
brother or sister. or learning the ma
chimes, so as to be able to take their
place in the mill.
In the cotton mills of Georgia the
as bad. Children ranging in ageI
from less than 10 years upward are
working 1912 hours day for as low
as 10 cents a day. They are often
brought up in the mill, lying in i'm
provised cribs behind their toiling
faces and long before they
can lisp the name Of mamma" The
work of the little children is largely
confined to the spinning-roOm, where
attention is required in !
stead Of muscle or ripper intelligence. !
The children have to be on their feet
almost constantly and always on the !
watch for broken threads. The doors
and windows are always kept tightly !
closed and. as a result, the air is bad /
and filled with flying particles Of cot /
ton The majority Of the children
employed at the spindles are girls,
and the effect of the long hours OF
work and being constantly On their
feet is especially noticeable on their I
health The health OF the children is
affected in more ways than one, and /
heir growth and development are
;tunted. The general rate OF pay is
10 cents a day for one side of a frame.
The child is paid nothing for the two
1r three weeks that it takes to learn
% do the work. When the little one is
able to watch one side of frame she