The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-24
A Poor Mans Measure.

Richmond Times Dispatch.
 It has been argued against the bill to regulate child labor in Virginia that it is hardship on the poor people. On the contrary. the bill Is for the benefit of the poor people, and it Is a strange thing to us that any poor man should object to it. The children of the rich do not have to work. and this bill is certainly not in- tended for their benefit. The children of the rich are sent to the best schools; they are given time for play and recrea- tion and healthful exercises; they are given opportunity to develop in body and mind and spirit; and every provision Is made to educate them for business and professional life and the duties of citizen ship. Therefore these children, when they grow up will have better chance in the world than those children of the poor who are made to work and who are de- prived of the opportunities of develop ment.
 This sort of thing tends to make two classes of people-one highly developed and the other stunted. The tendency is to. wards aristocracy on the one hand and peasantry on the other, and that tendency Is contrary to the spirit of democracy We boast that all men are created free and equal. and while that Is not literally true, 1t is our business to make 1t as nearly true as possible. We boast that ir this country all men have the same chance, and while that Is not literally true, it is our business to make it as nearly true as possible. In order to give all men the same chance, all children must have the same chance. But if the children of the poor are made to work ir the factories during the formative pc riod of life, and arc thus stunted in phys ical growth as well as in mentality, while the children of the rich are educated, il Is quite clear that in manhood and wo- manhood the one class will not have the same chance that the other class has tc succeed.
 We despise everything that smacks oi government paternalism but there are certain duties of government in relation to the upbuilding of the people which can nounced Democracy. The strength oi this republic Is not in its factories, ir Its railroads, and in its money. but In It's people. Wherever there is manhood suf- frage, there must be education; and edu- cation Is a. very broad term. It Is the duty of the State to provide the means ot education for the children of the poor because this is in the interest of society and good government. For the same reason. 1t is the duty of the State to pro hbit factories from working childrer when they should be at play or at school developing their minds and bodies. The selfish rich would be quite willing to sec the public schools abolished, and to sec the factories operated largely by the children of the poor, for that would give lllt IICu all uuNdIlldBc over lllc pOpT uHI tend to make class distinction. There fore, it is of vital importance to the poOl to have good public schools, and to have such re 'ation of labor as will give theil children an opportunity of development and prevent them from being dwarfed.
 Taking broad view of this question looking to the future of the State, look ing to the improvement of our citizen ship, The Times Dispatch Is in favor ot public schools and in favor of reasonable xxFf1 children of the poor from being ground nn in the factories.