Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-06-06
CHILD LABOR EVU.
URGENT DEMAND FOR STslNGeA,
LAWS REGARDING IT.

The Fight In Great Britain In Behalf
This Country to Check the Growth
of the Pernicious System
labor problem Hon. Hohe Smith. for
mer secretary Of the interior. said.
I'm 1880 the census report showed us
that there were employed in our stores
children between the ages of ten and
fifteen to the number of more than
$50 900. Unless legislation prevents
the increase in the next ten years ii
will be even greater What are we
going to do about It? Are we to wait
Or act? 1t took in England three
quarters Of century Of fighting by tho
friends OF the children before legisla-
ton was secured to fairly protect them
from the factories. the mines and the
workshops. The ablest statesmen OF
Great Britain in the early part OF the
last century began the fight. They wers
told then that the industries Of Great
Britain would be ruined. and that Ger
many and France would outstrip her.
The same kind Of arguments are made
In most Of our states today. 1t took
q long time then for the friends of the
young to overcome the influence and
power Of those who were using chit.
dren, and the willingness to let them
work, the Willingness not OF masterx
but Of idle and brutal fathers. All dur.
ing that history reports to the English
parlia ment are filed with records of
shame and suffering and misery Be
fore Ter commissions the ablest doctors
OF Great Britain testified that to such
an extent had the use Of children in
factories and mills gone that a per
manent injury to the physical condi-
ton Of mankind was threatened
"A report OF the French war depart
ment has shown that Ia those sections
OF France y here child labor exists the
recruiting officers find not more than
half IS many men who can meet the
requirements OF the army as In thoss
Sections where child labor does not
exist If we come TO our own country
we have ample evidence Of the in
furious etiect o! child labor In a re-
port made. a few years back In New
Jersey by the INSPECTORS o. factories
aud workshops il ia stated t,lat the
average child becomes delicate. puny
ignorant and thai at the age o.. thir
teen the face has a little. old. worn
expression The children can 40 iong-
Or play. They do 40. enjoy it. Th"y do
not care Tor school or traning All
their energy and vitality have been
sapped
But we need not go 10 the records
and reports for Information. Turn to
I'd to train them. Suppose they were
to be coudued long hours In dark walls
aud 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 ali that Is
done to strengthen them Then think
Of that all taken away. and put your
own children In such places as these
child iaborers ill. Let the president
be as kind as he nay-and want to
state that so far as my observation
goes the large majority Of the tnen at
the head OF cotton mills In MY section
are kind and hei2fui 90 tceiv children
and to their employees In spite
Of that fact you wilt ind ignorant and
paliid faces, detected coEntana aces.
appearance which Indicates sicknass
and the lowest vitality.
"The same New Jersey report 20
which | referred declares that 10 oec
cent of the ch!dren twelve years OF
age had not heard OF the United States
or of Europe aud o5 per cent OF them
had never heard OF the Revolutionary
war II you wish Information. seek Tue
places where children In thel- carly
years are worked In your neishbor-
hood and you will dnd the effect upon
their young lives"