Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-05
CHILD LABOR EVIL
URGENT DEMAND FOR STRINGENT
LAWS REGARDING IT.

Ahe Fight In Great Britain In BEHALF
" NhiidF"h--Neeh OF Legislation LIN
rms Country t" Check the Growth
or the Pernicious System
IN recent discussion of the child
iaooF problem Hon. floke smith, for
heF secretary OF the interior, said
ia 1880 the census report showed us
}Aal there were employed tn of1r stores
1-i.4fnn between the ages Of Ten and
Hiteen 10 tie ualll.er Of more than
N59.og0. Unless legislation prevents
The Increase in tho next ton years it
VII. be even greater WHAT ar, we
-oas to do about it, Are we to wait
~ act: 1t TOOK in England three
quarters Of Il century Of fighting by the
friends Of the children before lc-lsia-
ton was secured to fairly protect them
from tie factories, the mines and the
workshops The abIest STATESMEN OF
Great Britain in The early part OF the
lASt century began The fight They were
told then that the industries Of Great
britain would be ruined, and that Ger
many and France would outstrip her
He same kind Of arguments are made
in most of our states today. 1t took
long time then for tie friends Of the
young TO overcome the Influence and
power Of those who were using chill.
dren, and the Willingness to let them
work, the Willingness not of masters
but OF idle and brutal fathers All dur
ing that history reports to the English
parliament are filled with records OF
shame and suffering and misery. Be
fore her commissions the ablest 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 physical condi-
tton 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
we have ample evidence of the In
furious effect Of child labor. In re-
port made few years back III New
Jersey by the inspectors OF factories
and workshops Il Is stated that the
average child becomes delicate, puny,
ignorant, aud that at the age OF thir-
teen the face has q little, old. worn
expression The children can no long
er play, They do not enjoy it. They de
not care for school or training All
their energy and vitality have been
sapped
But we need not go to the RECORDS
and reports for information. Turn to
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 is
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 as he may-and | want TO
state that SO far AS my observation
goes the large majority of the men at
the head OF cotton mills In my section
are Kind and helpful to their children
aud to their employees but i'll spite
of that fact you viii liud ignorant and
pallid faces, detected countenAnces,
apDearance which indicates sickness
and the lowest vitality
The same New Jersey report to
which referred declares that SO per
cent of the children twelve years OF
age had not heard of the United States
or Of Europe and % per cent of them
had never heard Of the Revolutionary
war If you wish information, seek the
places where children in their early
years are worked In your neiGhbor-
hood and you will find the effect upon
their young lives"