The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-03-28
Our Young Folks.

Child slavery obtains to a great ex-
tent in Pennsylvania In special dis
patch to the Philadelphia North Ann
erican from Shamokin Richard J. Benz
ish says that the evil effects of night
work upon children Of tender years
are so shocking that publication in de-
tail would be impossible. The silk mills
are invariably situated in lonesome SUI
burbs where land is rich and residents
few. These children fall an easy prey
to temptation, and Mr.. Bemish paints
one Of the darkest pictures that we
have ever read.
What is the matter with the good
people Of Pennsylvania, that they al
low these shocking conditions to con-
tinue? They know Of them and there
are laws to prevent them if they were
only enforced. The old idea, however,
that it is none *of their business seems
to take possession Of the people. of
Pennsylvania; and as" a. consequence
the vilest conditions existing in this
country can be found within the state
lines of that commonwealth.
President Samuel Gompers, of the
American Federation Of Labor, speak
ing before the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee Of New York in support to the
measures with reference to child labor,
said:
1--WE are unable to meet the tech
meal and legal objections urged; they
are always urged against bills or move
ments to improve the conditions of the
unfortunates who cannot urge tech
nicalities in their own behalf. This
is the history of the betterments of the
conditions Of the laboring class. All
kinds Of legal and technical objections
have been raised, but in each instance
the better sentiments of the people and
the human instincts of legislators have
triu1nphed and the step has been
gained.
1--WE are not straining at a. gnat.
We want the substance, not the legal
shadow, in this matter, and we look to
this legislature to remove the blot from
the State and shame from it's business
life; Of compelling or permitting the
babes to fight for their living on the
streets. We want our boys and girls
to become virile men and women, and
the streets and clamor of traffic are
not the schools in which to train SUCH"
The books a child reads have quite
as strong an influence in moulding his
character as his companions can have.
If it is worth while to train our child
! rem at all, it is worth while not only to
| watch the books they read, but to
study what books to give them to read.
They will read something, and as soon
as child begins to beg for stories as
soon should we begin to select. A good
plan is to enter in a diary the name
| and author Of any especially good and
| interesting books you come across. It
is surprising how rapidly the list will
grow; yet if we neglect to note their
names in some such way it is surpris-
ing how few Of the books we can re-
call when we want to make use of
them. AS to telling stories, mothers
might do much more Of it than most of
them do, with profit to themselves as
we'll as the children, if the stories are
selected with care. It is an excellent
plan to take turns with children, and
require them to tell the stories occas-
ionally.
The way to spoil a child is to begin
young by giving him whatever he cries
for. Talk freely before the child about
his cleverness as incompatible. Tell
him he is too much for YOU, that you
can do nothing with him.. Have diyid-
ed counsels as between. father and
mother. Let him learn to regard his
father as possessing unlimited power,
capricious and tyrannical, or, as a mere
whipping machine Let him learn
(from his fathers example)> to- dispise
his mother. Do not know Or care who
his companions may be-" Let him read
whatever he likes Let THE III child
whether boy on SIR, rove the streets u
1.-THE evening and let him have plenty
4 of q ,astize severely
I foible lausyh vice. These