The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-01-15

rise until after dark, is compelled by
the laws of nature to dwarf the child
mind and the child body, because it
is in direct conflict with the laws Of
nature, and will have it's influence and
effect upon the citizenship of the
future.
Even looking at the situation from
a cold business point Of view, it is
| better that we should not have child
! labor. In a good many instances the
mill owners themselves have realized
this fact, and have prohibited child
labor in their mills. Looking to the
future, they know in order to have
skilled labor in the grown up man and
woman, it is necessary that the child
Of the present shall not only not be
dwarfed physically and mentally by
close confinement and labor during the
| tender years Of youth, but that it shall
have all the advantages offered by the
schools Of the community. In some
| cases the parents who work in the
| mills are required to sign a contract
to force their children between certain
ages to attend the public schools pro-
vided. There are mill towns in this
State which are models in everything
that goes to make an ideal comnlu-
nifty. The mills contribute largely for
the education Of the children and in
some of these communities you will
find as good school buildings as in any
of the larger towns and cities. Besides,
the mill owners pay their part Of the
school tax, which goes into the general
fund, and the most pleasant relations
exist between the mill owners and the
operatives. The fact that the mill
owners, who are in the best possible
4, ! F11,ya orsa
rize by such action the Importance
OF educating and caring for these
children, is a strong argument in favor
Of the. necessity Of law prohibiting
child labor.
In many instances, however, these
rules are not required, and the mill
owners, finding child labor cheapest,
! and looking only to the present, sub
stitute the child for the man, and the
health and future happiness Of this
child are sacrificed to present gain. Is
This question is one that has to be
met in every manufacturing country,
and in every instance it has been found
| to be the part Of wisdom, looking both
to the mental and moral uplifting and
the material advancement of the people,
| to prohibit the labor in mills Of, children
| of tender age. England, France, Ger
many, and all the principal manufac-
! turing countries Of Europe, and all the
manufacturing States in the north in
/ our own country, after thorough inves-
tigation and long experience, have de-
cided in this manner. The question is
new one in the south only because the
| south has within very recent years
developed into a manufacturing section.
The manufa cturing industries Of the
| south in the near future will be COM
! PEELED to meet strong competition from
the people Of other sections Of the
| globe, particularly from the far east.
! In order to meet This competition they
must have skilled and intelligent labor,
and this can only be secured in the
| operatives Of the future by the educa-
ton Of the children of the present. And
the children Of the present cannot be
educated and prepared for their duties
and for good citizenship if they are re-
quired to labor in the mills during their
tender years.
The question is demanding solution,
and the part Of wisdom is to solveNi it
now, for. the longer it is left alone the
more difficult of solution it becomes.
! This question was discussed by you at
your last session and in one branch
| Of your body tlefea ted by a large ma
| jority Final action, however, was post
poned by a continuance Of bill in
the other branch.
After careful and thoughtful con-
sideration, it is my opinion that it is
a duty which you owe to humanity and
the citizenship Of your State to protect
these children by prohibiting their
! labor in our manufactures. If the par
ent does not feel sufficient interest in
his own offspring to look after its best
interests and to prepare it for the nigh
duties Of good citizenship, then It is
| the duty Of the State to step in and
assert It's authority by taking care of
the life and the health and the happi-
/ ness Of these helpless little ones. ]
! realize that it is a, perpleXing question
| where the authority of the parent endS
and the duty Of the State begins, but
| in a question Of such vital Importance
| to the State fine spun theories should
not be indulged, but the best interests
Of the commonwealth and its citizen
ship should be the paramount issue.
No child under y years of age should
be permitted to labor in the nanufac-
tories of this State, unless it be neces-
| Sary for the support Of widowed
mother. If you should adopt such a
measure, however, at least one year
should be given before it becomes or
force in order that all parties may ad-
! Just themselves to the new conditions.
EDUCATION.
| It is a principle now we'll recognized
that the safety Of the government it
self requires that it give its citizens
the opportunity to fit themselves for an
intelligent discharge Of their duties to
the State. Our form Of government it
self, in which every citizen is a ruler,
and every ruler a public servant, de-
| pends for it's preservation upon the en-
| lightenment Of the great body OF our
| people-their education and instruction
in the great elemental truths which
elevate the mind and purify the heart
| of man. and which render him cap
able of f-government. Subsequent
events have proved the truth of the
sentiment expressed by Washington at
the very foundation of the government,
that 1T is substantially true that virtue
| or morality is a necessary spring of
| popular government. Promote, then, as
an object Of primary Importance, lnsti-
tutions for the general diffusion OF
knowledge. In proportion as the struc-
ture of a government gives force to
public opinion, it is essential that pub
| lie opinion should be enlightened
Public opinion depends FOR its en-
+. .lightenment very largely upon the free
| common schools, and the efforts Of the
State should be directed principally to
| the improvement and perfection Of its
system of common school education, for
| it is to the common schools that the
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