The Republican journal., 1904-12-22
A STAGGERING REVELATION.
BY REV. THOMAS B. GREGORY.

| BY KEW. THOMAS Ii. GREGORY.
Between two and three millions OF
child-workers in the United States!
Between two and three millions of the
young people of this country, between
the ages of 10 and Is years, working
from ten to fourteen hours day.
Between two and three millions OF
little boys and girls in mills, in cigar
and tobacco factories, in coal mines, on
truck farms, working like galley slaves,
| when they should be in the public
| schools laying the foundation for de-
| cent citizenship!
Such is the amazing, the fearful fact
brought to light by the national child
labor committee.
do well to call it staggering fact
fact to make us blush with shame.
1t is disgrace to the flag that flies
over us-a travesty and burlesque on
every one of our proud national ideals
"a situation with its inconsistency, in
justice and pathos, to make our hearts
sick.
1t is situation which, as we think of
future of our country.
The national child labor committee
is doing its best to save the children,
OuV OuPPOSO OAC CullOlCu d1C llOU SN GU :
suppose that, by a conspiracy of evil
feated and the iniquitous system is
maintained, what then?
The answer is anything but cheer
full one. In plain English, the answer
is simply this-if the child labor system
is not overthroWn it will overthrow the
nation.
1t is certain as anything can be in
this world. There is no guesswork
about it; it is the eternal truth. We are
talking about imperialism" ''World
Power" Destiny" and all that sort of
thing: we are reaching out to the ends
of the earth in the game of ''The Moses
of the Natlons;" but our big talk will
all 60 up in smoke, and our pound re-
public will sink into anarchy and later
on into senility and dry rot, unless we
put stop to the wholesale physical,
mental and moral degradation of our
children that is now going on.
Let us see about it. Let US face the
facts and see just what they amount to-
The first fact is this, that this coun-
try is democracy That means that
this is country where the people rule.
The people are the government, and
the government is the people.
That being SO, it follows that, like
people, like government. If the peo-
pie are what they ought to be, the gov
eminent will be a good one; if the peo-
pie are not what they ought to be, the
government will be bad one.
This truth was we'll known to the
wise men who founded this nation, and
accordingly from the very start they
planned to have an educated people, an
intelligent people, a people who should
by virtue of their intelligence, be capa-
BILE of government.
Hence our magnificent school system.
Hence our wonderful system Of free
public libraries.
Now the victims of the child labor
labor system are deprived Of the privi-
lege of going to school. Instead of go
ing to school, they are made to work
like slaves in the fields, mills and facto-
ries. Instead of growing up to be edu-
Gated and intelligent, they grow up to
be ignorant.
In word, they grow up to be not
good citizens, but bad citizens; citizens
whose votes will be cast not for law,
but for lawlessness; not for the preser-
walton of the country, but for its des-
tructiop.
But worse yet, this child labor sys-
TEN makes its victims not only igno-
rant but immoral.
Herded together, bereft of the help
full home influence, surrounded by the
evil as well as the good, with no re-
straining voice or hand during the long
hours of the day, many of them ''go to
the BAD long before they reach mans
or woman's estate.
Not only so the Internal system am
talking about undermines the children's
health, stunts their growth, disorgani-
yes their nerves, and, in many cases,
makes physical wrecks of them
New what kind Of citizens are these
blighted children going to make? Will
they perpetuate the nations power?
VIII they safeguard the nations hon
or?
10 ask these questions is to answer
them, and to answer them in way to
make every true American tremble.
1t to be hoped that everyone will do
what he can to help the National Child
Labor Committee in its noble fight for
the salvation of the children.