The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-05
PATERNALrsM RUN MAD,

some sharp Yankee would seek out some governmental means of counteracting the growing activity and importance of the South as a cotton manufacturing section. When you touch the pocket nerve of genuine Down Easter you are touching omy. and he is sure to squirm. That is why Congressman Lowering of Massa- chusetts has introduced the following, which we give entire so as not to do him injustice:
 Whereas. Under State regulation there now exists and must always exist great diversity in the hours of labor in manu- featuring establishments, as fixed by law or custom in the several States of the United States, the present variation in the working week being from fifty-eight hours to seventy-two hours; and
 Whereas, This variation in the length of the legal working week creates condi- tions of discrimination as between the Union. which operates to the disadvan- tage of both labor and capital in many localities, resulting in unequal earnings for givenS amount of capital. and un- Dor, which unequal conditions are con- trary to the fundamental theory of the constitution of thes United States which eontemplates equal rights and uniform States. irrespective of the particular state in which they may happen to dwell; and
 Whereas, This lack of uniformity in the hours of labor is the outcome of State the States, acting through their leeisla- lures. to make uniform. by reason of the decision of the Supreme Courts of sev- eral States to the effect. that all laws regulating hours of labor are unconsti- tutional in those States: and
 Whereas, Unequal and partial restric- tions disturb the equilibrium of industry, and are serious obstacles to national progress; therefore,
 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two- thirds of each House concurring therein). That the Congress of the United States do recommend to the several States of the Union the adoption of the following amendment to the constitution of the United States. to wit:
 Article I6-The Congress shall have power to establish uniform hours of la United States.
 Of course this astute Congressman knows that the Federal government has no power under our present Constitution to enact or enforce laws regulating the hours of labor in the various States or in any place not exclusively under govern ment control. so he seeks to go to the fountain-head and have the Federal Con- stitutlon amended in the interests of the New England cotton mills. for 1t should be plain that that Is his object. q
 For years the business of manufactur- 'ng cotton has been tending Southward, and New England sees its monopoly of the business gradually but surely sltp- ping away from its borders. The conti- guilty of raw material gives us one ad- vantage, but a much greater one Is found in the fact that our temperate climate makes it practicable to work more hours and to do more work. This is the cause of the movement inaugurated by MT. Lowering. If there can be some legal method of cutting down the hours of la Dor it is plain that the warm South will lose one of its great advantages over cold New England, and the former may regain some of its ascendency, or at least retain the power it now has.
 But If it were possible for such an out rageous amendment to our Constitution to be adopted does any one think 1t would stop at the cotton mills? The word "manufactories'' used in the pro- posed amendment means "a place where anything is made" and under the above paternalistic legislation 1t would be but short while till no kind of shop. m'll, factory or any other mechanical or in- dustrial pursuit could be carried on ex- cept under an iron-clad law which would absolutely tie the hands of both employ CTS and employees and force all of them to- adopt such length of work day as seemed good to those who make and en- force the laws, without regard to circum- stances or exigencies.
 The truth of the matter is that any att tempt to regulate the hours of labor by law Is an outrageous interferences with the rights of both working men and em- ployers. We fully endorse any law to protect children and prevent soulless cor porations working their lives out when they are too young to protect themselves, but no such plea can be advanced in support of a law which will give tho Federal government the power to say to both workers and employers: Thus far shalt thou go and no farther.' With just as much equity the government may fix our hours of retiring and rising, and of taking our meals. It is paternalism run mad, but our Down East friends will not block Southern cotton manIfactur- Ing in any such way.