Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-07

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she certainly will in the number {
children employed, and we may expec
the next decade to show an increase
100 per cent. If so, Iowa vii have i
0 1910. not less than 1000 children EN-
ployed in the vocations mentioned, an
those enumerated in the preceding de
cade will probably become paupers, 0
invalids, surely ilIiterates, to say moth
ing of the percentage that VIII
crippled and MANNED. 1t Is true that Ii
, comparison with other states such a
North and South Carolina, Georgia, OF
perhaps, Pennsylvania, the situation 1
not alarming. but if we are to be lead
ers in regard to this matter, as we arr
now in other advances, II behooves III
to be up and doing, for many OF on
adjoining states are today much bette
equipped with compulsory education
and child labor laws than Iowa is.
refer particularly to illinois, Mime
sofa, Nebraska and others. 1t must be
remembered that when we SOW to the
wind. as we are doing in allowing
child labor to remain unrestricted ir
our state, ii does not take long to reaI
the results of our sowing in the whirl-
| wind or cyclone of illiterates, paupers
and cripples.'
Mr.. Brigham referred to the state
ment of an employer of child labor to
him to the effect that the difficulty OF
securing cooperation of the women OF
the clubs is that they are impractical
and continuing he declared this to be
unjust to them, adding:
THE trade unionists of Iowa who
will assemble in Davenport next week
are looking with anxious eyes toward
| this convention, listening with ears
tacutely attuned to catch the first
sounds that shall indicate to them that
they may expect your hearty cooper
alton. / am willing to predict that
| should these two invincible forces be
brought together and their influences
tcombined, the next legislature of Iowa,
will willingly listen to the urgent APP
peal of the mothers, wives and daugh-
tiers identified with womens clubs and
supported by the influence and the
votes of the working men of Iowa, that
they will pass a child labor law that
will guarantee to the citizens of Iowa
that illiterate and overworked children,
stunted and undeveloped both in mind
and body, shall disappear from within
forge to the very front ranks in this
respect, as we surely are doing in near
ly every other line of humane en-
deavor. Then newspapers that herald
to the world that Iowa has the finest
cattle, horses and hogs to be found
anywhere on earth, will not be COM
PEELED to silently confess that while
Iowa cares intensely for her interests
in the brute creation, the welfare of her
own children their own flesh and blood,
the hope of the race, is sadly neglected
and abused, their vital life interests
converted into a commercial commodi-
ty, thereby surely making for the de-
terioration of the race. If l We're to
make a suggestion as to the line of
action to be pursued / would say select
a good strong committee of two or three
forceful determined women from this
body. instruct them to attend the con-
vention of the Iowa State Federation
of Labor next week, and ask that body
to select committee of the same num-
Der of trade unionists and the two COM
mittees to ask for third from the Iowa
State Teachers association and at the
earliest possible date get together and
formulate plans for the work. If such
a plan could be arranged 1 am conf
dent that satisfactory results would
be had that would be very gratifying
to ALL If I mistake not, before the
next meeting of this body a definite line
of action will have been marked out
and some of the most effective work
will have been accomplished that has
ever been done in Iowa in the interests
of a child labor law"
State Superintendent Barrett in adj
dressing the convention of club women
on the subject of their duty toward
the compulsory education law took the
ground that their duty lay not SO much |
in enforcing the law direct as in assist
ing in the creation of public sentiment
that will make the law self-operat- |
.ng.
why Is there need of compulsory ed
ucation laws?' he asked. ITO this the
not made so attractive to the growing,
child as the life Of the out
side world, or to state the case more
specifically: Because school buildings
ire lacking in architectural beauty in
erior decorative art, suitable furnish
ngs, and often devoid Of proper heat
HSp HSHllHS anu NeHtilittinS. beCduSC
n too many instances the environ
nent of the school does not equal in
comfort and beauty that Of the home
n the place OF common resort. Be
,ause there is not a just conception of
he value of an education on the part
# many. Because of the failure on the
,art of both the parent and the teach
II to comprehend each others purposes.
often the parent with far less schol-
stic knowledge than the teacher con .
rolls the child's destiny regardless of
and to it's detriment be- n
ause of lack of information concerning
he teachers aims and purposes. Be II
ause of the lack of well trained eX-
erienced, successful, cultured, help {
Ill loving teachers. 1t may be in part
because our teachers are given praise
or success and not for effort made. ,
am persuaded that more credit is {
ne the boy of limited powers who ex-
rts all his energies to attain certain I
biect and fails than to him who sue 1
eeds without effort. The compulsory !
ducation law was the most important
legislative enactment of the twenty !
NTH general assembly of Iowa, and
30 much praise can not be given SEN :
tors and representatives by citizens +
Or its passage. Its friends clearly rec =
gnize it's imperfections and may be !
rusted to secure modification at the
roper time. Proposed amendments !,
l>~ ~. laft fIA WIG Il