The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-06-02
THE PEOPLES FORUM
CHILD SLAVERY IN THE

Ola v En- Nv AAA
SOUTH.
The recent failure OF the MISSES
sfppi Legislature to enact law re-
straining the employment of chill
dren with unmatured minds and un-
developed physical strength, was a
blot upon the records OF that august
body, and it is to be hoped that the
efforts of the w c. T. u. and the
Kings Daughters to create a un1ver-
sal opinion IN favor of protecting the
young mind from drudgery of mill
life. where the body is drained OF all
attributes that should accompany It
to manhood. When one stops to
think of the I.752,I87 children admit
tedly employed in the United States
and the many subterfuges practiced
To evade the laws-viz., child of ten
or eleven years gets certificate,
taken out in her name by an older
sister. perhaps, III which she is de
scribed as fifteen years OF age. She
needs only to work a year to be
classed as an adult over sixteen years
OF age, so no one knows the full
strength OF army OF child slaves, but
surely two millions or more little
ones that are daily selling, not only
their labor, but their life's blood as
mere pittance: and the situation IS
appalling, and we are not true to our
instincts of higher woman and man
hood If we fail to rise in our might
and petition oIr Legislatures for de-
cisive action There are no limits tC
child slavery, and it is an outrage
on humanity, traversity on justice
to employ d girl of tender years in a
sweat shop, mill or factory, rObb1ne
| them of all opportunity of education
of morality and of refinement, and
when they outlive usefulness to turn
them out on the world totally unfit
morally or physically to fill the duties
of motherhood Deprived of all
chance Of becoming men and women
as God intended, they are taken a,
time when their souls are being
born and submitted to a life that has
only one ending, the destruction OF
their souls. far worse fate than
death itself.
II you do not realize what the ex-
generation, | say to you, 60, you
who waste the rich opportunities that
life extends to you; go and study
the faces of those toilers, as daily
they leave the prisons in which they
were confined for the last twelve
hours see their pallid faces and look
if you can into their lungs and see
the poisonous dust, saturated and
clogged with blood. that they inhale
all day long. 1t Is true that many
OF them suffer from horrible form
of Dropsy, and ten per cent. OF them
contract consumption III the first five
years OF employment.
Interest yourself further; follow
them TO their homes, and as they en-
deayor TO learn something of life olt-
side the mill, study them in the con
flict between fatigue and interest, be
tween WEAKNESS and longing for
knowledge. who, as the night wears
on. drops one after the other to sleep
overcome after twelve hours of toll
but determined nevertheless to stand
fast by the one chance given them
They are paid in amounts varying
from two to three dollars per week
of sixty-tive to seventy hours, and
wonder that the clothes we wear dc
not cry out to us, I'VE cost the JOY
| that was in.mothers eyes the bloom
that was upon children's cheeks; we
| have cost all the beauty and sanctity
OF motherhood, all the hope and glory
OF childhood Could you but see 1t
there is bitter tear woven into
every thread Of the fabrics of which
| they are made You should cry az
| did the poet. Hood-"Oh, God, thai
bread should be SO dear and flesh ano
| blood SO cheap
And yet the Mississippi Legisla
ture says "the time is not now op
perfume; we have no cotton mills
| hence we need no such law Effort:
are energetically being made to bring
factories and mills to Greenville, ant
| il successful We will have practica
| demonstration of what "child slavery
means. The writer has seen the fruit:
! of the the child labor law and com
i puisory education too often not t
| realize the need OF both here, ane
would like to see the next Legisla
ture demonstrate that they stand fol
morality first last and all the time.
| heartily commend the action O
| tie NJ. c. T. u. and Kings Daugh
tiers to provide for and against al
evil Of great magnitude that dali,
confronts us. and | wish them hearty
success III their noble efforts.
w. s l.. attache Times
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