Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-12-08
CHILD LABOR.

The position referred 10 In the ~
ticle below from the Indianapolis Sen
tineI. has been greatly strengthened
by the u%ttorances by President Roob.
eyelt in his recent message. The
Sentinel says:
When three noted Americans like.
Cardinal Gibbons, President Eliot
Of Harvard and Grover Cleveland
unite on a committee organized 10
fighl against child labor there Is
every reason TO hope that reform II
that direction Will soon be forthcom
ling.
Americans jlptly pride themselves
on the i2,00000n children in the pub
lie schools, but are APT TO forget
that In this favored land more than
1000 600 children between ten and
fifteen are compelled 10 work In
mines. fields, factories or domestic
service. IN other words about one.
fifth Of NIL the children In the land
between those agea are working for
wages, Stunted. mentally, morally,
and physically, with little opportunity
for play and less for education. these
unhappy little ones drag out a wretch.
cd existence in the coal fields of Penn
%syivania. the factories Of the east the
cotton mills Of the south and In sweat
shops Of large cities all over The land
The child lahorers Of the United
States represent G per cent Of the en-
tire working population
Several states seek 10 minimize this
evil by legislation: few succeed In
preventing II altogether. In many
states the laws on the subject. ade
qnate " enforced, are dead letters
The committee referred to will seek
10 rouse The public conscience and
point out the danger which the exist
Ing condition presents. II proposes
that labor practically be prohibited
to all children under fourteen who
cannot read aud write the English
language; that night work he prohibit
III Tor all girls under sixteen or eight
cen, and that all children under the
age Of sixteen, except under special
conditions, be allowed To do only q
limited amount of night work. aud to
see that legislation along these lines
IL adequately enforced" Such Is the
program as explained by DR.. Lindsey
Of the university OF Pennsylvania
Further. the plan In to cooperate with
state and local committees, school au
thoritics and aif other agencies that
work for the betterment OF children
In securing the enforcement of salts
factory existing laws and working for
new laws when necessary.
The question Of child labor agitates
the country periodically, generally as
the result OF the exposure " such con
ditions as exist In the anthracite
fields, the southern cotton mills or
the swca.shops of great cities, Prob
ably lasting and general reform can
be secured only through the agency
Of some such body as that now NOV
Inc In the matter Only persistent m
~itation viii avail Though the evil il
80 VIGOROUSLY and SO universally de.
plored Il win be no easy task 60 do
more than mitigate It. and largely be.
cause OF opposition on the part of pa
rents OF children whom It Is hoped
10 rescue Most of these parents as.
surt that their own poverty makes g
necessary for their children ~ be
bread winners, and though there Is
some force Ia the contention aai
though doubtless the proposed reform
would work hardship in many cases,
the welfare OF the state ia such mat.
tiers Is paramount and the real Or fan.
eied necessities OF parents canno be
permitted 10 prevail against II.