The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-29
Child Labor.

ldDOr III COltOu mlllB lLs Ietuaths vi LII
practical workings of the mill are accepted
as coming from a good heart and an intelli
gent head, and its statements OF fact are &C
cepted for their full face value. But wher
that writer enters the domain OF theory snc
speculation along an old beaten path, where
the tracks are not different from the foo
prints of those who have passed that way be
fore he is liable to fail in To the same errors O.
others. The piece throughout invelghf
against the employment of children In cot.
ton mills and urges that the law should pro-
hibit children from being so employed until
they are fourteen years Of age. This and
similar expressions about labor in the mills
is based on mistaken and weLmeaninl
kindness TO the children, II not In enmiiy tc
the cotton mills.
| 1t was dGcreed from very early history o
the human family that man should work
according TO their several needs and abili-
ties.
AS q rule, nobody has as much interest in a
child as its parents. And nobody is as well
qualified to care for IT,
| Nobody works because he loves 1t for the
ga ke of work Itself. We eare inclined TO Idle
ness, and, with that inclination present, 1t is
easy for the child TO learn to shun work. II
has been said that "idleness Is the devils
workshop" We know Of nothing worse
than the crowdlng together of, say, two hun.
dred boys and girls in enforced idleness
The tendency Is such cases is TO immortality,
and to the learning OF worse than idle habits.
Textile Excelsior boils It's remarks down TO
these suggestions:
1.-The legislation needed in South Carolina
| is:
"Compulsory education with provision for
| trusnt officers;
Factory inspection to strengthen the child
] labor law;
Amendment of the child labor law to in.
crease the aye limit from twelve TO fourteen
"Birlh registration; and marriage license
law.
| To all of which suggestions the Press and
Banner would dissent.
| we are not ready to accept compulsory ed
| ucation.
| We are opposed to "the strengthening OF
the child labor law"
| We favor "inspection" which would see
that too many families, or children Of all
sizes, ages and sexes are not crowded togeth.
er.
We favor law which would take care OF
the morals nd the health Of all children.
All this talk about overworking them is
tommyrot, when they are crowded, seven
| teen in six rooms. including boys and girls OF
different families. The error Of undertaking
| to keep them from work while allowing such
| pro miscuous crowding together Of young peo-
no &c, n ta ppi
one eye.
We are opposed to any marriage law. All
| marriage license laws are against the woman
and In favor Of the man, whether he is honest
| or designing.
There is no impeachment to the marriage
| contract In South Carolina, and there ia no
| spot OF ground on the face Of all this earth
where womans honor is SO carefully guarded
as 1t is in South Carolina. Any acknow.
ledgment OF marriage ia marriage in South
Carolina, whether there was, or was not,
present officiating priest or officer of The law.
To register q woman, al hotel as "wife'
makes her 80, though some men to avoid as.
| su mir responsibility Of a husband, may
register bis travelling companion as "lady."
There is nothing of which We are prouder
OF South Carolina than her lack Of laws af-
fecting the validity OF marriage. We have no
license laws, and We need no divorce law.
AS rule our families live in love and harmo-
ny.
Weoppose all laws in reference to factory
people for the reason that 1t ia class legisla-
tion. All laws which are specifically for the
governing OF factory people Is GLASS legisla'
tion.
AS @ matter Of fact, the cotton mill people
sh hould have all the tights and priviledges
that are accorded to others. To interfere
with the families Of cotton mill people is a
long step toward paternalism, and, when
properly considered. such laws must be re-
pulsive to our better sentiment.
Instead OF the recon- mendations Of the
Textile Excelsior, we would suggest: A law
TO prevent the providing together of an indis.
oriminste number. OF young people in any
house. mot to specify whether mill people
or Others
When writer's for the newspapers speak OF
l"education," they seem to do 30, as II they
they thought the mill presidents we're brutes
and opposed TO education. The fact ia that
cotton mill men are, as q rule, more jealous
about education than the people OF any other
industrial enterprise. They have built more
churches and endowed more colleges In this
State than the men Of any other profession,
and they have done more for primary educa-
tion.
IfSouth Carolina will provide against the
| orowding OF her citizens into small houses
the State need bother itself no more.
We don't want class legislation. There has
been already too much Of that.
The mill people are as good as anybody else.
They are not, however, OF one mind or Of one
| character. They are alike In only one thing,
| namely: In their lack OF worldly goods ia
| the only likeness. Their characters and dis.
positions are as varied as are the characters
and dispositions of the citizens OF any other
town.
1 AS good men and as honest women
are to be found in the factory villages as are
to be found among the people OF other cities
OF the same size. 1t Is the heart and the
mind that make the man, whether he works
in the mill, In the school house, in the store,
or In the pulpit. And until there is q law 10
| classify men according 10 the amount Of their
| money instead OF according 10 their hearts
and minds and cha racter there should be no
| class legislation against people because they
choose to make an honorable living by
honest toll. We want no paiernalism and NO
discrimination against people without
money.
Glorious things are said of Prof. Mark
Bradley, and the Sth Of September is the
time appointed.