The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-20

Pile, our kiusmen. our Keighbors and per-
sonaI friends. via have moved to the
because they could not make ends meet.
On the farm. They are the same people.
Win the came common-sense, the same
..eennSs that we have. among whom
heart-aches. for their children They are
Lar more than poor white trash" and
acquaintance withsthem would not permit
one to call them ''old factory folks"
why ieg,sIstion L 1I necessary. s' '-
bfrst--some law touching every mill In
the state 10 needed, and our Legislature
alone can give this. Individual mills may
young children from working in, short
ening the number OF hours per day, or IN
providing schools. But every mill VIII
not DO II, and we must have something
for the whole State. The owners who
object to reform surely cannot be carry
ing out the principles Of reform already
as they claim.
Second-we often condemn the strikes
OF labor unions, and we say that the
same results could be accomplished In
other ways. The great bodies Of laborers
can stand for themselves. That they are
intelligent IL result and not so much
cause, OF the proper consideration shown
them In the ir work. But who Is going to
represent the cotton mill people? Their
unions among Us are practically OF no
value. Shall we not help the defenceless
and show that we are sincere when we
say proper measures of reform can be
accomplished without trouble or resort
, to force7
Third-The best people among this class
wish something done at once. Among
those spoken to on the matter not sin
gle one but what Is anxious for relief.
There are gains that count far more than
the possible decrease in wages.
.Fourth-The number of hours OF labor
nj ha from
DAD a.. m. till 6:45 p. m. is toos,long for
anybody to be at monotonous labor, spe-
cially women and little children. 1t
brushes the life out of these people. 1t
destroys their ambition to learn. and takes
away the force from those who would
learn, and gives a sense of hopelessness
In the presence of opportunities to do
better. 1t keeps them from the privi-
leges Of open air, by making them work
both day and after dark. 1t makes them
SO tired that they can't learn much even
wnen they have the opportunity. l have
been. conducting night school among
the boys, at which spelling, arithmetic
and writing We're taught At first they
entered heartily into it, but only a few
OF them succeeded in learning very we'll,
az they were too tired to do the work.
Most OF these boys had received some
earlier training. How will it be with
children who have been in the. mill since
they were six or seven years old? The
long hours will prevent their ever learn
1
| pable Of teaching them they would still
| be too tired to learn.
Fffth-Unless something is done, we
are going to have a problem greater than
Conditions are not the worst now:
the generation represented by the
| parents is higher and they are
safeguard to the children and
tne homes. But what will 1t be q genera
| ton or two from now IL we continue at
the present rate2 Those now children will
De dwarfed In mind and body and their
children will have no hope. A class of
citizens Will be grown that are ignorant
and not desirable. The State will suffer
a just retribution in permitting conditions
to exist that produced such a class Sure
| ~ our State, while 1t is making laws reg
| ulating It's citizenship and raising its
standard, will not neglect the people of
It's own bosom. 1t can prevent these chill
dren working themselves into fixed ruin.
| The claim that there are almost no chill
| dren below IL working in factories Is not
true. Eufaula is above the average as q
mill town; yet know Of numbers of chill
dren below IL working in the mills, or
who began working when they were be-
] low IL. This very week / have incident
/ ally inquired about the ages of children
and In several homes found them who be-
/ gan work far below the age of 12 There
! Is abundant evidence that many in the
factories OF the State are as young as
sixth-The time is ripe for legislation. 1
| shall be surprised to see very serious Up-
position on the part of the owners. At
heart many of them are in favor. of a
change. Nobody knows how bad these
people need different conditions better
4 than they.
All over the State there has come the
cry for reform. Our religious organixa-
tons are in favor of it. The Alabama
Conference OF the Methodist Church held
| in Montgomery IN December, with men,
hershiD Of 2eo. representing a church
most unanimously a resolution heartily
| approving the proposed legislation. A
similar resolution was passed at the North
Alabama Conference In November.
! Seventh-The time Is ripe in another
sense: 1t Is not altogether bad that so
| many thousands have left their homes In
the country and moved into factory COM
munities in the cities. This is a very bad
step when their condition In the country
10 desirable. as the evils of city life are
| ever present. Until lately had thought
II was a bad step for any of them. But j
! sincerely believe there Is wise Provt-
deDce in II ALL The one thing needful is
| for the State to perform its part.
In the country they were far apart and
| hard to reach. But look at them in the
| cities thousands Of them are brought to-
gether by the mills. and they win prove
a blessing If the proper steps are taken.
Any plan for their uplift by church or
State can be made to touch the multitudes
in q body when before in the country, on
| ly q Few could De toucneo. purely lhel
is deep meaning in this. 1t remains for
the State to make the proper conditions;
/ prevent such long hours Of labor. prevenl
child labor and provide free schools. AND
the church and State cooperating Will
bring about the will of God.
I'd gladly sacrifice anything for the sue
| cess Of this movement. These people are
to be loved and provided for in better
| way not in condescension for they are
our brothers and friends, but In love ano
! glad service. o