The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-23

:
Interfere for their protection.
i alludo to the children on the farms
all over the United States. Many whose
parents are we'll to do arc really beasts
Of burden. They 1ro made m; TO ,' toll .
early and late when they arc little more
than babes. II boys they have to 80
out In tho sunshine and storm to per-
form labor that Is enough for men to
do They are stunted in their growth
ana their health is Undermined by their.
being overtaxed; half OF them are mar,
row -chested and stopped -shouldercd and
In every way bear the marks Of over
wrought little bodies.
G With bare feet and scarcely enough
clothes to cover them. they are In the
sun all day long In the heat OF sum
mer, and with Insufficient clothing they
brave the storms OF winter. They
drive the COWS to pasture, fced the stock,
drive the horses to ca .Hnnd wagons
work Il in the garden and tho fields, put
out plants, bending their young backs
all day long; they handle q hoe and ~
rake and do all the pyramids that are to
be done on the farm. They are going
from in the morning until s and ut
night. They must cat the same food
the mon eat and are so weary that they
lie down anywhere and go to sleep with
out bathing before retiring.
Generally they sleep In the clothes they
have worn all day. regardless OF the per-
SEPARATION and dirty condition. which make
them unfit TO wear In the day out III
the open air, much less atrnight In tho
house. They are required to chop wood
before they should be allowed to handle
an axe They have no recreation and
II their parents go to market or have
ia ~ f.li- Ifot,h 1,4no ND
younger rise Mt four In the morning and
are off on the road sometimes al -.
to reach the market on time and deliver
tho milk to the customers before FIVE.
E1,hese daily drudgeries they repeat three
hundred and siHty-flve days In the year.
Their school days are few and far De.
TWEEN. 81
THE girls fare no better They have
to help their weary mothers with the
housekeeping, care Of the dairy, cnurning,
cooking, cleaning. End. worst OF all. must
children being compelled to amuse and
look after their baby brothers and sisters
when they are only babes themselves.
~ The wives Of tho farmers nave to work
tho hardest of any other class or
women In the world, as they must pc UP
ut in the morning and work TIL very
late at night to have the meals. ready
on tho farm. Most farmers hire some
ono to help them, but never seem to
think it necessary to furnish assistance
to their wives with mnl tipied cares anu
often large families. for whom they must
provide three meals each day and 30
through the Same dlsh-washng after
each. The adago MANS work Is from
sun to sun, but swoman's work ~ never e,
done" applies to the farmer GLASS; anu
their helpmates,
Tho criminal careessness 70 which
allude is simply been OF selhshness anu
want OF appreciation Of the fact that
labor which grown people f ia a, nMs1,ne
and hard is too exhausting for children,
and thew should not be made to 90 TOO
much u,,n labor Or have too much care while :
they they are growing, do not mean 70
argue mat boys and CIR c waaa s' i1
' ~ should be instilled and cultivated
fl ali children, 50 that they may ,l be-
come useful members ofssoclety' l3's-