Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-28
CHILD LABOR EVIL.
URGENT DEMAND FOR STRINGENT
LAWS REGARDING IT.

a,a Fight In Great Britain In Behais
of ChiIdren-Need of Liquidation In
Tb,. Country to- Check the Growth
- the Pernicious system.
In recent discussion of the child
,abor problem Hon. Hoke Smith, for
,ner secretary of the interior, said:
hin 1890 the census report showed us
.Rbat there were employed in our stores
children between the ages of ten and
fifteen to the number of more than
$50 600. Unless legislation prevents
4he increase III the next ten years it
will be even greater, What are we
Going to do about it: Are we to wait
or net? It took in England three
quarters of Il century of fighting 10y the
friends of the children before iegisla-
fion was secured to fairly protect them
from the factories, the mines and the
workshops The ablest statesmen of
Great Britain in the early part of the
last century began the fight. They We're
told then that the industries OF Great
Britain would be ruined, and that Ger
many and France would outstrip her.
The same kind of arguments are tuade
IN most of our states today, It took
a long time then for the friends Of the
young to overcome the influence and
power Of those who Were using chill
1ren, and the willingness TO let them
work, the Willingness not of masters,
but of idle and brutal fathers. All dur
sing that history reports 10 the English
parliament are filled with records OF
shame and suffering and misery. Be
fore her commissions the abiest doctors
Of Great Britain testified that TO such
an extent had the use Of children In
factories and mills gone that per
manent injury to the physic condi-
ton Of mankind was threatened
"a report of the French war depart
ment has shown that in those sections
of France where child labor exists the
recruiting officers find not more than
half as many men who can meet the
requirements Of the army as in those
sections where child labor does not
exist If we come to our own country
we have ample evidence of the In.
furious effect of child labor. In re
port made few years back In New
Jersey by the inspectors OF factories
and workshops 1t Is stated that the
average child becomes delicate. puny,
ignorant, aud that at the age OF thr.
teen the face has q little old. worn
EXPRESSION. The children can no long
er play. They do not enjoy it. They do
not care for school or training All
their energy and vitality have been
Npped.
"But we need not go to the records
and reports for information, Turn to
your own children. See what Is need
ed to train them. Suppose they were
to be confined long hours in dark walls
and close rooms, without leadership,
without instruction. without direction.
at monotonous work What would hap
pen to them? Think of all your loving
care and training by the best teachers
In the best schools and all that ts
done to strengthen them Then think
of that all taken away, and put your
own children In such places as these
child laborers fill Let the president
be as kind rs he may and ! want 70
state that so far as my observation
goes the large ma jority of the men at
the head of cotton mills in my section
are kind and helpful to their children
and to their employees but in spite
OF that fact you will find ignorant and
pallid faces, detected countenanees,
appearance which indicates sickness
and the lowest vitality.
"The Same New Jersey report to
which referred declares that so per
cent of the children lively" years of
age had net heard of the nited States
or of Europe and - per cent OF them
had never heard of the Revolutionary
wa. If you wish information. seek the
places where children in their early
wears are worked III your neiShbor-
hood and you will find the effect upon
vninO lives ~