Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-06-20
CHILD LABOR EVIL
URGENT DEMAND FOR STRINGENT
LAWS REGARDING tv.

TAe Fight In Great Britain IN Behalf
Of Chtldren-Need Of LegtsaAtiou In
This Country to Check the Growth
of the PerptciOus system
In Z recent discussion OF the child
labor problem Hon. Hoke Smith, for
ner secretary OF the interior, said:
I'm 1890 the census report showed Us
that there were employed III our stores
children between the ages Of ten and
fifteen to the number OF more than
100000. Unless legislation prevents
the Increase In the next ten years Il
will be even greater. What are we
going to do about 1t? Are We to walt
or act? 1t took In England three
quarters Of a century OF fighting by the
friends Of the children before !egisa-
ton was secured 70 fairly protect them
from the factories, the mines and the
workshops. The ab!est 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.
The same kind Of arguments are made
In most Of our states today 1t took
a long time then for the friends Of the
young to overcome the influence and
power OF those who were using chill.
dren, aud 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 filed with records of
shame and suffering and misery. Be-
fore her commissions the abiest doctors
Of Great Britain testified that to such
an extent had the us>. 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.
meut has shown that In those sections
Of France where child labor exists the
recruiting officers tud not more than
haiY as many men who can meet the
requirements OF the army as in those
secttous where child labor does not
exist. II we come to our own country
VIC law dkutJtS- ~ ttlt,t1I" w t.jc III
furious effect Of child labor. In re-
port nad- Il few years back IN New
Jersey by the inspectors Of factories
and workshops it Is stated that the
average Child i1.sosueS delicate. puny,
1gnorHilt, aud that 1T the age OF thir-
teen the yase. has a little. Old. worn
expression The children cas-, no ioag
er play they do uoi ENJOY It, They do
not care for school or training ALI
their energy and vitality have been
sapped
But we need not go to the records
aud reports tor information Turn to
your own children. See what is need
ed to train them. Suppose they were
to be confined Tong hours IN dark walls
aud close rooms. without leadership,
without instruction. without direction.
at mouotonous work What would hap
pen to them1 Think OF all your loving
care and training by the best teachers
In the best schools and all that ts
done to strengthen them Then think
Of that all taken away. and put your
own children in such places as these
child Iaborers Oil. Let the president
be as kind as he may-and want to
state that so TAR 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
and to their employees-but in spite
OF that fact you will f1nd ignorant and
palitd faces, detected conntenances,
appearance which Indicates sickness
and the lowest vitality
'"The same New Jersey report TO
which I referred declares that 60 per
cent Of the children twelve years OF
age had not heard Of the United States
or Of Europe and 0S per cent OF them
had never heard Of the Revolutionary
war. II you wish information. seek the
places where children In their early
years are worked In your nelghbor-
hood and you will dnd the effect upon
their young lives"