New-York tribune., 1907-01-24
SPEAKS ON CHILD LABOR
Senator BeUerdge AdUocates His
Bill to PreUent 1t.

washington, Jan Ex-senator Beveridce Of In
oiana' addressed the Senate to-day on his hill 10
PlOlDit the transportation by common carriers en-
gagged IN interstate commerce of products of child
labor in mines and factories After pixinp man,
examples, supported by afidavits of children OF
'ehoeF years working in unhealthfuI or degrading
surroundings. he said, in part:
nhese children, reaching what ought to be man
spring inheriting their degeneracy. and these chill
15en & IN turn grow UP to produce other children still
T1P upon which alone this Republic, the last
e i'Sent zen OF freedom rests. is too high price to
pay for making still richer a few men who are al
me states. acting separately. are competent
10 STOP me evil First. because If passes
e. e. good law and other states do not, the manu-
oSs S.uIsIs IN me good state are at business dis,
.. eanantage with the manufacturers of the bad
and the former cannot The Manufacturers in the
good state suffer because very righteousness
bad state profit by the very wckedness of that
sIates laws And American business men should
Second-If one state enacts and enforces good
itsen nG u oter me Slales 90 not the making OF go4d
making OF bad citizens in the latter state For
which permits their ruin but also citizens of the
nation If New York produces annually hundred
York exclusively. but Of fhe Republic also. They
1t, eote nor ony at state elections but at nauonai
there become the parents of bad citizens.
a uniform law Tybitf vnIiIs ~ pIfrr,I1 enforrci
in all the states. That yet has been done in
volved- II never will be done in the matter of
child labor Twenty of effort for this reform
proves This.
Fourth-Even if it could be accomplished, it
would take at least generation But in the mean
while this systematic murder of little children and
the systematic deterioration of American citizens
would go Some say, Let US wait until the
states act" What say the American people, with
countless child graves before them. child murder
this moment being done and human lives daily
being wrecked-what say the American people 10
this counsel of death and delay
Fffth-The great manufacturing. mining and az
Inflated interests congested in certain where
this evil is worst, are powerful that they pre-
vent the passage of effective child labor laws and
II IN period OF excitement public opinion becomes
so strong 10 a child labor law, these inter
ests are so powerful that il Is not executed. In
either event the end desired Is defeated.
have so drawn this bill that the question OF
states rights is not involved. for l more
anxious 10 end an inhuman evil than l to de-
bate d governmental theory. The most earnest
adherent OF state rights" vote for il without
violating ms constitutional convictions Whoever
votes against this bill must do other grounds
than states rights
1t is all a question Of policy. and not of power;
Of he wisdom Of the law. and not of the Constitu
uonality of the law. But the wisdom, nay, the
necessity OF the law has been demonstrated by the
facts already given.
How strange that the Constitution is always in
voked to prevent every reform helpful 10 humanity
and hurtful To great financial interests, How
strange that the Constitution is never invoked
against legislation asked by railway and manu-
featuring interestsl