The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-07-06

child labor reformer is the voice Of
Jacob. but his hands are the hands OF
Esau.'
Another phase Of this question, al
luded to already, is OF the utmost I'M
po1tance and should, therefore. be
pressed upon your attention, and that is
the substitution without control of mill
responsibility for family responsibility
OF children, and of state supervision and
control for family supervision and con-
troll of children. The sentiments, doc
trines, principles and virtues that must
underly all individual character are
taught in the family. or they are taught
successfully nowhere else. This is the
school in which men must be prepared.
if at all. not only for the private but for
the public duties of life. The poorest
family government, in the absence OF
vice and crime. is better for the control
and rearing of children than the best
of state supervision and control The
tendency of every movement like the
child labor movement is to disregard
the experience of mankind from which
organized society has been evolved. The
moral and social fiber of the citizen as
component part of the body polite must
determine the quality of the whole. If 1t
has been developed elsewhere than in
the home. it has been in cases few and
far between. so that they constitute the
exceptions rather than the rule. 1t was
said by Henry Ward Beecher that so
cietv was constructed like a brick wall
and could not be built Of all top courses
The truth of this proposition is sub
Stimulated by the experience of every
man. All the promises that all the dem
agogues and agitators Of every kind have
ever made In every age of the world to
the contrary have been made to the
ear to be broken to the hope The poor
child of a poor mother. if taught by his
mother that his condition If improved
at all depends upon himself, and that
the improvement cannot come except
through industry honesty. sobrety and
believe
practicing rifis precept and relying upon
himself. he cannot fail. He can succeed
In no other way.
Failure of Reform Movement.
"As the result of experience I have al
most concluded that every organized re
form movement in my day has been
failure, and for the reason that their ef
forts have been directed against condi-
tons that are normal and that cannot
be changed until human nature IS
changed | do not believe that is possible
to reform the masses at once and as
whole Whatever is accomplished must
he accomplished gardually and through
the Individual and in the family as
rule Entertaining these views. ! invoke
the wisdom justice and moderation Of
the legislature and the people of this
state against Interference by societies or
organizations of every class and form
with the natural rights and conditions
which human experience shows should be
worked out by natural laws. and | appeal
to the legislature and the people of the
sta to to put down in its inception every
movement which proposes to interfere
with natural laws in the government and
development Of our people It was never
intended when the state was formed that
it should do anything for the individual
much less for the family, unless it could
do il better than could the individual.
1t only undertook to do for every indi-
vldual that which it could do better than
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