The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-02
Cosol liaated Aug. 2, 1881.
CHILD LABOR LAW.
1t is Dead Letter in South Carolina
and Throughout the. South-Gen-
eral Organizer Leonard Of the
Federation of Labor Inter-
viewed on the Labor
Question.

this state OF afIa1rS Is nKely TO cOnllIl-
ne for some time to come" This is
the emphatic manner in which Gen
eral Organizer Leonard of the FEEDER
alton of Labor expressed himself to
the Daily Items correspondent today.
Mr.. Leonard is a New Orleans man
himself, and he has just completed
an official tour of the south. He
came here from Anderson where he
has been spending many days, and
where his observations and investi-
cations were confined mostly to the
cotton mill operatives.
"Both the spirit and the letter Of
the law are violated every day IN
every section Of the State, and in
every section Of every other State
where such law is on the statute
books continued Mr.. Leonard.
"These laws are drafted by lawyers
who purposely inject flaws so as to
get fat fees knocking them out on
constitutional grounds. Nothing is
to be gained Dy prosecution of viola
tons. Out ofSseventeen cases I push
ed the law in in my own State, fifteen
were thrown out of court, in one the
mill owner confessed and was fined
$50, and in the single case where a
conviction was secured the mill owner
won on appeal. The parents had
made false statement and the mill
owners were held unaccountable.
Through there is better oppor-
tunity Of securing the passage Of laws
limiting the hours Of work, still the
labor people are losing time ana
money trying to get relief through
legislation. The labor unions should
make their own laws. The Inter
national Typographical union is go
ing to give you an example Of what /
mean, when they pass a law in order
own union making eight hours a
days work"
1t may be of interest to note, along
with these comments from MI.
Leonard, that though the law is be-
lieyed to be disregarded in many mill
sections, few complaints have reach
ed the governor. The two or three
cases brought to the attention have
been promptly corrected. There is
not a single instance Of a mill being
brought into suit for violation Of the
law. Though of course it is to be ex-
pected that there are frequent cases
of child and parent deceiving the
foreman.
The Rev. H A. Mills, a Presbyterian
minister of North Augusta, appears
to be at the head Of movement to
form a central committee on child
labor, whose principal object so far
seems to be to increase the age limit.
He is sending cut circulars asking for
suggestions.
Is any effort being made, or is any
about to be made, to organize the
cotton mill operatives Of the South, "
I asked Mr.. Leonard.
mo; none is being made and none
Will be made in the near future. The
Southern cotton mill operatives are
too illiterate, and the transient are
of them that moves from mill to mill
Eon false representations Of mill agents
is too large. These mill operatives will
have to be educated before there can
be any effective organization"
care the labor organizations sup
porting the efforts which others are
making with apparent good motives
to secure compulsory education, laws
throughout the South %
Education is all right; it helps the
interest of labor. But we don't care
for the education the cotton mills
schools are pretending to give the
operatives. These schools supported
wholly or in part by the cotton mills
are run in the interest of the cotton
mills. Only such children as can
be spared from the mill are allowed
to go to school; in family, for in
stance, of six or eight children Of the
school age, only one is allowed to go
to school,
1.-THE science and philosophy of un-
ionism sounds nice; the enunciation
Of the fundamental principles Of or
ganized labor makes good, elevating
reading it is good to swell up with
noble sentiments perusing; but won't
YOU admit on the ssdeIthat the worst
enemies Of organized labor are in
your own ranks. those WHO do vio-
|1a,.o ~ anforoo hovootts and other