The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-24

Dur readers will remember hat the
legislature of 1868 passed a bill regu-
lating the labor of children in fac
1903--prohibited the working in fac
tories Of children under the age of IL
years.
The proposed eas which Mr..
McKelway advocates, it will be seen,
is much more stringent and raises the
ages at which children can be m
ployed in factories.
While The Messenger thinks this
matter of child abor in factories and
mines should be regulated by statute
it unhesitatingly declares its opposi-
ton to this hide-bound, iron-clad law.
1t is against the interests and in OPP
position to the welfare Of the laboring
law is entirely too strict and goes too
far. It is legislation in the interest Of
pauperism and against the honest in
dustry of a large class Of u people.
1t lakes for granted that al employers
of help in our factories and all pa
rents who wish to place their sons and
tories are liars and p%erjurors and that
they need the theatened vengeance of
the law to make them act honestly.
Let this law be passed and mill
owners will be afraid to employ any
youths in their mills. The conse-
quence will be hat young men and
young girls who wish to make an hon
est living by working in our cotton
mills, even if they are above the age
limit, will be debarred because of the
clause which declares that the en-
ployment of any under the limit shall
be prima facic evidence OF wilful vio-
lation of the law by the mill men. The
vice of any young people for fear hat
they may be under the limit.
Another objection to the law is that
the age limit is put too high; and
another is that there is no exception
in favor if children who may perhaps
have a widowed mother or parents in
capacitated by age or disease from
earning a livelihood for their family.
Why there should be this crusade
against child labor in factories in the
south any more than against child
labor on the farm we cannot see.
There are in North Carolina hundreds
of families which have moved from
the farm to some mill town in order
that the children might exchange the
work Of the farm for the far less
onerous labors Of the cotton factory
and at the same time have advantage
of the factory school, which was not
their privilege on the farm or if en-
joyed was under much more adverse
conditions.
Again, as another reason why this
bill as drafted should not pass. 1t will
throw out of employment hundreds
of young girls and boys who are now
earning. an honest living and force
them into idleness.
1t does not seem right at this time
when the cry of the whole land is for
work for idle, but willing hands 20 do
that our legislature should add to that
large army of unwilling idlers-of peo-
pie who are anxious to work, who are
suffering the alg Of munger because
they cannot get the work which would
bring the pittance to keep body and
soul together. Those who have not
studied the statistics would be astound-
ed to learn of the immense numbers
in the army of the unemployed in this
country. We do not refer to the tramps
n the hobos who would not work if
they could, out to that vas humber OF
hale and healthy men, women and
youths who are anxious for work, who
seek it from dawn to night each day
and who start out in search of it in
the morning without a mouthful Of
breakfast and who go to sleep ait night
hungry because they could find no one
10 give them employment. The country
is full of such people.
Our southern cotton factories have
given good homes, have opened tn:
school house doors, nave Furnished
comfortable homes to many children
WAC otherwise would AVE gone hun
cry, wculd have grown up in ignorance
would a had no homes but the vecl-
est novels.
There are most emphatically tw,
sides to this question. We hope the leg
'islature will view them both carefully
before passing upon this question
While guarding the tender youth of the
state against overwork in factories il
should be careful not to prepare the
way for adding to the number of pow.
erty-stricken and ignorant citizens
That class is already too large in this
country.