Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-03-21
SHALL THE CHILDREN WORK.
From The Live Oak Democrat.

as rnbbish the crusade in certain guar
ters against child labor in this country
Srntimentali'm, pure and simple
which ia generally an enemy OF good
s"und sense when the former invaded
the field Of practical affairs, Is un.
doubted y the strongest impulse be
hiud the crusade, and IL IL especially
% be- distrusted when il IL New Eng
'9nd s+ntimsntslism sticking its i'm.
pertinent nn,e into purely Sou,heru
matlcra. The question At bottom 4.
what kind % ed ncation do the chill.
dren OF this country most need, and IL
what proportion should school attend
suce be mixed with healthy labor fo'
the child outside the school? We are
breeding fearful crop OF young loaf.
ers sni oilers all over this country
youthful degenerates sre everywhere
/ Incrsss ng in Dun bers. and that, too,
I for no other reason than because their
pa'ents no longer compel them 20
work. As = result they are growing
up with fired aversion TO the habits Of
steady industry out Of which alone
virtue, seli-reliance, manly character
and good citizenship can come.
That splendid Southern periodical,
| The Msnufar turers' Record. 10 discuss.
ing this vital question in the virile and
searching way in which il goes &C every
subject OF importance, and the dis-
eussion 10 bringing in letters from ell
psrts Of the country, North and South
Here, for instance, are the views OF
the principal OF Chicago public &C hool
on the question, published in The Rec
ord, and We strongly commend them
to parents charged with the solemn
responsibility Of training up the boys
who are TO make the law.sbiding, use
fol. successful men, or the vsgabonds,
criminals and jailbirds OF the genera
tion TO follow US:
II am in favor OF child labor. Ev.
cry child ought TO work every day IN
his lie. Child idleness 10 worse than
child labor. When the boy IL given
no chance TO accomplish anything, IL
il any wonder that he takes to the
residing OF blood-and-t thunder stories
ard attempts TO practice the acts Of
villsiny h. resds sboulf IL il any
wonder that we are nation of graf
tiers? -Four hours Of school and four
hours Of work alternating will make
every child self-sustsiniDg after the
age Of 10. With a peculiarly,
devilish inielli rence society and the
law have prevented the boy from get.
ting work that really Is work. He
may run messages and cit on a bench
with a crowd OF vitiated youths
larger than himself He soon absorhs
their vices and quits WORK. IL
is q mirscle that all Of them DO no, 90
down to perdition right there. Bot
there 10 such good stuff in our boys
that they have, in spite Of the folly OF
lutlT ~ ttdl W
reputable citizens. This strong de-
sire saves some; Others 60 10 ruin.
Every child ought 10 WORK every day |
OF his life. He 10 born into a world |
which requires work. and he ought not
70 be permitted TO form habits OF idle
ness aud sinking. Child idleness 10
worse than child labor. Com
ing 10 in idleness, the child 10 COM
PEELED 10 seek unnatural and secret |
means OF gratifying the desire to sc-
complish something. So lying and |
cheating are carried on in and out OF
school, crnelty is prscticed, depreda-
tions are committed against life and |
property in the streets near home,
peddlers are assaulted, helpless ami
mails are tortured, and in most neigh
borhoods the adults admit 10 you with |
that the children about
there are 90 full OF the very devil a.
they can stick. Il it any wonder that
We have q nation OF grafters? We
have been subjected to years Of train
ing in the devils workshop where
these things are concOcted."