The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-14

no taint of the demagogue in his nature takes up the question of child> labor in ms annual message to the Legislature of our sister State and grasps 1t with a firm hahd: what he says is as applicable to one State as to another. His reasoning is logical and in a few sentences covers eV- cry essential aspect of the case. Here is Goyernor Aycock's presentations:
 l call the attention of your honorable Dody to the recommendations contained Tn the report of the Commissioner of La DOT and Printing and commend them to your careful consideration. The time ap- pears to be ripe m this State for some leg islauon in behalf of the children who are working in textile and furniture facto- rles. Most of the States of the Union and many foreign countries have long slhce passed laws prohibiting the working or chlldren under certain ages in facto- rles of the character named. 1t has here toIore been deemed unadvisable to Iegis- late upon thls subject here. The state owes duty to her children. The contro- SerSy. II there be any, between capital and labor has nothing to do with this question. In high sense the State is a guardian to the children. A child in this State can be taken by the courts from the care of parent who is manifestlv and grossly unit to have charge of it. The llght of the State to do this is founded on tne uuty or the State to- perpetuale itself by the care of those who are hereafter 10 constitute her citizenship. This right
 NN@'NNA0Na the state to protect small cnildren against labor which tends to dwarf them phys lcally, mentally or morally.
 It cannot be denied. l think, that work m the factories named by young children. is. to say the least of it. dangerous to their health and calculated to make of them weak men and women. l. there lore, earnestly recommend to your hon oraDle body the passage of law abso- Iutely prohibiting the employment of any child under the age of l. years. This law oUEHt aIso to provide that no child under the age If l4 snall work in any such fac tory at nlgnt, and after IJOo no cnIld who cannot read and write should be permit ted to work m any such factory unde- the age of l4 years.
 T do not tnlnk that any exception should be made in the law passed. am aware that many people instsl that there are dependent widows and invalid fath- CTS who need the labor of children under the suggested age llmtt, but the commun- ity owes something to such widows and Invalid fathers, and it ought not to suf- fer any child under 12 years of age to be required to support it's parents.
 There Is great necessity for the devel- opment of our industries. 1 am glad to see them increase in number and grow in prosperity but there is not such fmpera- tive necessity for the creation and ac- cumulation of wealth as to justify us in the sacrifice of child life to secure 1t. In. deed. the State Will grow richer by pre- serving the health and developing the minds and hearts of these children than it can possibly grow by the creation of any values whicn their puny arms can wm. For the sake of humanity, there fore. and In the name of the children of the State it becomes your high privilege to secure them against the ceaseless wear of mind and body necessary in the per formance day after day and week after week indoors of labor. which not hard in ttseif becomes painful to children by It's unceaslng regularity
 The Governor o1 North Carolina ha, l beon heard from. The General Asseunblv of this State will hear tomorrow from i the Governor of South Carolina.