The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-10
WHO A THROW THE FIRST
STONE.

While the friends of the cotton mill
men of the New England and other
northern states are raising such a
howl about child labor in the factories
at the south it would be well for them
to pay some attention to the state of
affairs in regard to this subject nearer
home. If they would study the census
tables they would find That the south
lern mill men were not the only ones
|sinning in the matter OF working chill
Idren in cotton and other factories. AS
1--WE have said before: we admit that
there is too much child labor in u
mills. but it is not near as bad as these
Inortherners and some people from our
lown section would a the public be-
lieve.
The census report for 1900 shows that
the employment of children in mills
has increased in the las ten years., but
this increase has not been confined to
the south. 1t is natural chat the in
l~crease at the south should be greater
than at the north, because of he great
er growth Of the manufacturing indus
lily III LIE CStiohs u ILL
has not been confined to this section
lof rapid development in the milling bus
Iiness. There has been IN increase in
Isuch states as Massachusetts, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. TIE follow
ling figures show the numbe of chill
Idren under sixteen years of age at
work in the factories Of he states
named. In Alabama in 1880 there were
1,425 in 1900 3,474; in Illinois 5,426 in
1890 and 10,419 in 1900; in Massachusetts,
Is, 667 in 1890 and Il, 556 in 1890; in New
Jersey 1913 in 1890 and S.04e IN 1900; in
North Carolina 4,73S in 1890 and 1887
in 1900; in Pennsylvania 10 .419 in 1890
and 33.135 in 1900.
Taking into consideration The enor-
NOUS growth of manufactures in the
southern state bow mentioned In COM
lparison with that of the northern states
lin the list, it will be seer tia the for
mer are by no means the only often
lders. The evil has really Increased to
a greater extent proportionately at the
north than at the south. and this cry
against child labor in North Carolina,
Georgia and Alabama comes with poor
grace from Pennsylvania. New Jersey
and Massachusetts,. The truth is no one
section of the country can point to an
other as the only one SHINING in this
matter. Should the divine injunction:
Let him that is without sin cast the
first stone be followed there could be
no stone throwing at all.
The question Of child labor in fac
tories has been made almos. as sec
tional and as bitter as was that of
slavery before the civil war, and they
both have the same origin and were
iraised for the same purpose-New
England's jealousy toward the south.
AS the New Englanders and their other
northern allies were the first slave
lowners and rs they found ti.e system
Improbable they unloaded on the
southern people. declared slavery I'm
lawful and then went into the business
lof stealing negroes in Africa and sell
ing them to the southern planters, so
they were the first to amass riches off
lof child labor in their factories and as
tsoon as they saw that southern manu-
l~facturers were about to run them out
lof the cotton milling business by rea-
son of superior advantages they be-
lcame very solicitous for the Welfare Of
the children of the south. as they did
heretofore for the negroes whom they
had sold to the southern planters when
they found them improbable at home.
land raised the cry Of Slavery Of chill
ldren in the southrn cotton mills.
The figures above given. II will be
noticed, are as to children under six
teen years Of age. OF curse he num-
der under twelve years IF g at work
in these mills is much smaller.