The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-16
CHILD LABOR IN FACTORIES

CHILD LAfoOh IN EA0IOitIEo
The Norfolk Landmark Of Tuesday
contains an editorial under the head
ing: .Sickening View of Childhood"
1t copies from The Biblical Recorder,
of Raleigh, the following extract from
a letter to that paper by Claude w.
Gore, employer connected with one
Of the cotton factories at Rockingham:
The working of children above the
age of twelve years in cotton mills Is
not an unmixed evil. 1t is a blessing
unless we have compulsory education.
OF the~children in our village between
the agss of ten and twelve. less than
40 per cent. are in school. These chill
dren that are not IN school would De
better off in the mill. I look on the
mill as superior. morally. to the aver
age graded school. and far superior
both morally end intellectually to the
streets of any town in North Carolina.
Compulsory education is absolutely
necessary 9th for mill owner and for
orerator. NV experience in a cotton
mill is limited. but in this short period
I have found hat the educated per
son makes a superior operative.
The Landmark comments at length
on the statements and theories of Mr..
Gore. 1t asks what could be more
sickening than the argument that chill
dren ten years old had better be labor
ing in factories than - spending their
time out of doors?"
We do not understand Mr.. Gore to
make any such argument. There is
quite a difference between children
spending part, in fact a large part of
their time tout of DOORS and their be-
ing allowed to III at large in the
streets with nc attempt made to edu-
cate them. Nobody, we think, con-
tends that children under ten years of
age should be confined for long periods
of time each day-whether in school
or in factory. But that they should not
be allowed to grow up in ignorance and
absolute idleness, loafing in the streets,
imbibing the infection of dissoluteness
and crime, we think, should also be ad-
mitted by all persons.
We cannot agree with all of Mr..
Cores prOpOsitions-for instance,
when he declares the mill superior,
morally, to the average graded school.
The school should come first No child
should be required to work in a factory
until it has received instruction in the
rudiments, except, of course, where ne
cnccifr conora1l~ tho a{hor oo,,ron
AS to Mr.. Cores statement that CON-
pulsory education is necessary both for
mill owners and for operatives, we
cannot go with him just yet. We say
UNFAIRLY educate the child. If it is
found that it is neglected, then as a
last resort for the future welfare and
happiness of the child establish COM
pulsory education with certain limita-
tons. and restrictions. There can be
no denial of the proposition that every
white child in this state should be
taught to read and write; this instruc-
ton should be furnished by the public
tC such as have not the means for ac-
curing it at private school. We can
make no iron clad rule though regard
ing universal education nor can such
rule be established as to child labor in
factories. AS long as we have the poor
with us there must be means provided
for their acquiring support as well as
education. You cannot say that every
child between certain ages shall'go to
school and that no child under certain
age shall work in mill or factory. Such
law would work great hardship and
cause much suffering for the necessa-
ries of life to many people.