Blue-grass blade., 1907-06-09

, children. He replied, but, instead o.
agreeing with the lady he took a firm
!. stand in favor of working of the
children and | presume 1t can only be
on the ground that it insures the pay
ment of interests and dividends.
am content to let the Blades readers
Judge for themselves if you can find
room for the letters, which are as
follows
Mrs Bowen's Letter
Dear Mr.. Bowen: Do you know that
thousands OF our little, undeveloped
children are working for wages in
sweat-shops, glass factories textile
mills and coal mines. Will you be
one OF the 1000 persons in the United
States giving $25 each to help eman-
cipate them?
The national child labor committee
has undertaken an immense task. The
Endorsement of President Roosevelt,
ex-President Cleveland and hundreds
! of our foremost citizens proves the
worthiness of our cause. We are lead
is growing so rapidly we cannot keep
up with it unless we have more funds.
State after state is appealing to us
for direction and aid in local cam
paigns, and we cannot respond. If
the American citizens, believing in
protection to the helpless, do not aid
us, most of the good lready done
will be lost
twenty-five dollars invested I'M
der our direction will 10 more than
| $4,000 spent in unorganized effort. We
are prepared to strike blows which
will be felt for generations to come.
VIII you give us your help to the
extent of s25, payable anytime you
desire within the next six months"
The reply 10 that letter. Mr.. Bowen
replied in part, as folIows:-
You say do you that thousands
of our little undeveloped children are
working for wages in sweat-shops,
glass factories, textile mills and coal
mines?" VIII you be one of one
thousand persons in the United States
giving, S25, each to help emancipate
them The national child labor COM
mite has undertaken an immense
task. we are leading in an ans1hild
labor movement that is growing so
rapidly that we cannot keep up with
it unless we have more funds. Two
million boys and girls, under 16, in
this country are working while other
children play and go to school,"
Now, | will venture to predict that
more useful men and men who will do
things in the interest of the huan race
will grow form these 1900 900 workers
than will from 100000 of the same
age who do nothing but play and go
to school. judge from my own ex'
perience ami observation, and from
the testimony of many successful
men. | know that | spent much of my
| time between the ages of 10 and 16
working in a bank, a stone quarry.
warehouse and at various times other
things. sometimes for wages and some
times for wages and sometimes with
out, and not only think it was no in
| jury TO me on the whole, but a great
benefit toward developing my mental
and physical powers. | have seen and
talked with many successful men, and
so far as / know, they have generally
learned habits of industry. long be
fore The age of 16.
Look over the history of the sue
cessful men of NewYork, the men who
are doing things worth while. for
themselves and others. See if they
have not worked and worked hard
for long hours, before they were six
teen years of age.
There seems to be a feeling work
ed up amongst n large portion of the
people of this country that everything
should be regulated by the legisla-
lures. In my opinion, there are far
] wv many tiON anu iiipNN VI 'ANAii
made by impractical men, but few of
them enforced. and it is good thing
that they are not, for it would take
an army of people to enforce them
and the result would be detrimental.
My observation and experience
would lead me to believe that most
people are reasonably honest and
have good intentions, but there is
more misery and poverty and vice in
the world because boys and girls are
not taught habits of industry and use
fulness at an early age than all other
/ causes combined.
"While there are exceptions to the
rule believe that employers generally
are Interested in the welfare of their
employees and do more for their real
interest than most of their critics
would do if they were in the employ
er's position.
If it were practical to pass laws to
compel every child in the country,