Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-08
A Fieht for the Child.

washington welcomes today delegates
from all parts of the country TO national
child-labcr conference, which Is to last
three days. The purpose of the men and
women engaged in this important cam
paign is to ameliorate the condition OF the
little workers in all the trades and occupa-
lions, and eventually to secure their release
from wage-earning during the years when
they should be acquiring an education This
Is noble effort and deserving of the warm
est support of all good citizens who look
ahead to the welfare of the next genera
ton.
The working OF children in mills, facto-
ries. stores and other places is bad on sew
eral accounts. 1t is bad for their health TO
begin with They are confined closely, often
in the most facilitating atmosphere, some
times engaged in positively harmful occu=
pations. at the age when they need exer-
else and fresh air and freedom from re-
straint. They are likely to be stunted
In their growth, their systems weakened.
They are robbed of their most precious heri-
tage that of a sound constitution. Great
advances have already been made along
the line of improving the conditions under
which children are employed through the
efforts of the organizations In the states and
cities whose representatives are here in ses-
sion. When prohibitive laws are not yet
possible. owing to the opposition of large
interests the ameliorative work is of vital
consequence.
The children suffer morally when they are
taken out of their natural line of life and
set to work a tender years. They are often
herded in with adults of low character,
whose language and conduct are democrat
izing influences upon the young minds.
Many a character has been permanently
wrecked by the evil associations formed in
the early days of child labor. Smoking,
drinking and other vices are readily ac-
quired in such circumstances. This is an
inherent evil. 1t is difficult to lessen it. The
remedy for It lies in prohibition, to remove
the child absolutely from these contami-
mating conditions and give it a chance for
wholesome career.
The little wage-earners suffer mentally
when they are deprived of their schooling.
They are thus handicapped trebly, their
health menaced their morals polluted, their
minds stunted. They pay dearly in after
years for the few dollars they earn as chill
aren They enter manhood and womanhood
permanently handicapped for the race. The
preferments go to the brighter, better-edu-
Gated young men and women. The boy
girl who Is kept al school until after six
teen at the earliest and given good Eng
lish education Is fitted to jump into any
business or trade and make Roadway much
faster than the dull-witted, feeble-bodied,
weak-charactcred ore who has started out
in the money-making effort at the age of
ten, or even younger.
These are facts. They admit of no dis
pute- They cannot be set aside by consid
erations of eXpediency or a wrong concep-
ton of charity. To lessen the fight for bet
ter child-abor laws because of the fear
that the poverty problem may become more
acute is TO temporize with both evils-that
of child labor and that of poverty. Much of
the present perjury of the lower classes is
due to the lack of education. and that in
turn may be traced squarely to the employ
ment of little folks at the years when they
should have been learning.
1t Is to be hoped that much good will
flow from this Washington conference, per
haps in the enactment of a model child
labor law for the District, and surely In the
stimulation OF interest in this important
propaganda.