The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-06-28
OF the Times Wantony Sacrifices Child Life in it's Mad
Rush for the Almighty Dollar
WILL DEsIsT ONLY WHEN COMPELLED TO BY LAW
o'ke Down the system Of Unjust Taxation Revoke Special Prvi
lsges Unfasen the Choking Grasp of Monopoly and Child
Labor Will Not Be an Economic Necessity.

Objections are urged against pro.
hibiting child labor, and they are
OF the same general character as
those urged against the compulsory
education of children, the princi-
pal of which, and the only one
worthy OF notice, is that the child's
earnings are necessary to support
itself and to assist in caring for y
large family. The logic of this OBJ
!lection amounts to this: That the
child is in the world by no fault of
Its own, and has II large number of
brothers and sisters also by no
fault OF its own, and that its father
is Il poor wage Garner and cannot
earn enough in wages to support
the whole family, hence the chil
dren ought to go to work, and. in
helping the family support, sacri-
flee their education.
This is not the true objection to
prohibiting child labor. 1t never
was and never ought to be Il justi,
lication for the necessity of throw
ing child labor into commerce
because some parents are blessed
with large families. This is quar-
reling with an ordinance Of God.
and before this excuse should find
justification as an established fact
serious attention should first be
given to the glaring inequalities in
the industrial and economic system
under which we live and to the
causes which prevent the parents
from sending their children to
school and educating them.
The real reason is that child
labor is cheap labor and the COM
mcrcialism of the times in it's mad
rush for trade and profit does not
or will not stop using it, even when
it secs the child life sacrifice i'm
printed on the products un less it is
compelled to desist by the force of
law
The demand for labor in our in
duStlial system must, is and can be
met by adult labor, and if the sys-
TEN was read uSted on the lines of
the greatest good to the greatest
number of the people, with special
privileges and advantages to none
under the law, the Industrious and
sober father of the largest family
would be able to earn enough
money in wages 10 buy enough OF
the necessary things of life with il
to take care Of and educate his
children.
If the employers of child labor
must have child labor on account
OF It's chcapneSS, and there, can be
no other commercial reason, then
why do they not say this and not
base their opEo ition to the pro
hlbitlng law upon the somewhat
novel reason Of furnishing employ
ment to children for charitable
purposes.
The real reason causing the ina
bility of the wage earning father of
the large family to provide for and
educate his children will the more
clearly and unmistakably appear
If we but state his real situation in
our present industrial condition.
His good health,' his ability to
labor and to earn wages are his
only assets i'll life. He must sell
labor i'll the free trade labor market
of the world. and, if permitted, in
competition with the cheap labor
of his own children or of some
other fathers children situated
like himself, he must accept the
wages offered him without regard
10 their suiliciency for supporting
his family because the policy of our
industrial system as affecting him
keeps two men, or more, and one
child from running after his. job.
He must buy everything he CON
sumes himself, and in the support
of his family from the christening
to the obsequies in "a highly pro-
tected and monopolized market
which not only permits tire raising
and keep abnormally high of the
cost of living to him, by control
ling production, of controlling his
employment and to limit his rate
of wages by controlling his EN- mploy-
I ment.
+ he is between the upper and
neither stone of the industrial sys-
TEN. He has no opportunity in
| this system of recouping himself