The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-15
CnILD woRKERs

CHILD WORKERo
According to census figures just pub
ished, every fifth cid in the country
between the ages of 10 and Is years is
a greadwinner. OF these juvenile wage
earners every third child is a girl.
There are 1,750,17S children regularly
employed. This is an increase of 80 1-3
per cent in ten years. Alabama has
the highest percentage Of child labor,
finding work for 27.2 per cent of her
children, while Massachusetts, has the
lowest, having only 05 per cent of her
juvenile population at work.
Victor Hugo said: "He that sins
against child sins against God.o
Think of it. One out of every five chill
dren of the tender age Of from ten to
fifteen years is a breadwinner. And
then think further One out of every
three of these little children is a girl.
Think of it., mothers and fathers of
this land. And then think still further.
These figures show an increase in the
number of these little toilers for the
past ten years Of 33 1-3 per cent-one
third more children of these tender
years pushed out into the world to be-
come breadwinners' than we had in
the preceding ten years. And OF these
ten years, mind you, eight have been
years OF ''unexampled prosperity" full
dinner pail Mckinley booms,"
standing pat" letting well enough
alone" etc. Well enough, indeed, with
these appalling figures confronting us.
These figures say that in Alabama
more than one out of every four (27.2
per cent? Of her children of this age
are at work, while in Massachusetts
one out of every two hundred CO.'S per
cent? OF her children of this age are
toiling. But the figures do not say
that in Massachusetts largely live the
kings who own the cotton mills OF the
southland where these little cildren's
lives are being confiscated to mammon.
They do not say that while these little
infants are earning dividends for idlers
in the north these idlers with pious
faces sit in the pews of fashionable
churches, and plead for contributions
from these same little children to send
to the little heather children. who
know not Christ" And while the lit
tie ones in the orient learn of Christ,
through the sweat of the little faces of
our own balmy southland, who do
know him. our own little ones starve
Think of the playtime Of these little
ones stolen away; from home and ten
der influences divorced; education de-
MED; health broken, and life crushed
out, and then say that you trembie not
for your country. Nations can no soon
er violate the laws of God with i'm
punity than can single man. The
avenging sword will be swift and sure,
for "he that sins against a child sins
against God"
&SSSS&S&
The United States government
charges 5000 per cent more for carry
ing package through the postoffice
from New York to Brooklyn than the
German government does for carrying
the same package to the remotest part
of Hungary, and the German govern
ment does it not at loss but at
profit. The enormous charges of the
United States government make it pos
sible for the privately owned express
companies to get all the business and
pile up enormous fortunes for the priv
ileged few. That is the result of gov
eminent by corporations for corpora
ton and a condition that the peo-
pies party was organized to overthrow.
$S$S&
A SCIENTIFIC RAMPAGE
J0hp priShin Walker has cOu,awhora