The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-27
CHILD LABOR AS
MINISTER SEES IT.
Rev. William Hedley Reads Able
Paper OIL One of Most Important
Sociological Problems.
C0MMERCIALlSM"
This, According to Mr.. Hedley,
Is Cause of This Crime
Against Society.

tspecinl 10 The Times Dlspatch)
DANViLLE. VA, January 26Rev.
William Hedley, pastor of this city,
recently read before the Ministerial Union
here. composed OF the pastors of all de-
nominations on Child Labor" and all
present sought Mr.. Hedley to. furnish the
paper for publication. and unanimously
decided to request space for it in The
Dispatch. They regarded it as a
very clear and able discussion OF an inn
portnnt economic and sociological ques-
ton. The paper is given here in full
In discussing this question, 1 wish to
take the broad view of the issues that
are involved. The subject is. indeed q
great one, whether considered as an
economic, a social or n moral problem;
whether considered from the standpoint
OF the individual as n Unit or of the
nation as an aggregation. So / beg that
you will not consider isolated exceptions
to the general conditions which l shall
cndeavor TO describe as being germane
TO the matter before us. There may be
good-natured drunkards, drunkards who
do violence to no man, and who do not
beat their wives and children; there We're
doubtless ndulgent Shareholders; there
may he humane employers of children:
hut these conditions do not justify either
intemperance and slavery on the one
hand. or child labor on the other. Again. |
!
every manufacturing State in the Union |
sins against its children. While l am
an ardent advocate of the doctrine of |
states rights and while l hold to
that theory from conviction and not |
heredity. do not maintain that propd-
Eanda to the seeding point. If wrongs
cannot be righted save by Federal en-
actment. am willing TO make conces-
isdons in the interest of righteousness.
" Federal law is in order TO regulate
commerce. / am open 10 conviction that
a similar law may be in order to regu-
late morals. in the way of a national
divorce law or a national child-labor
law The matter is of primal. funda-
mental Importance. 1t deserves-nay. 1t
dcmands-consideratio in broad. COM
prehensive spirit. 1t is a problem for
statesmen to solves, not politicians.
.. The American type of slavery was !
never so bad, say. as the Spanish. 1t
was not conspicuously cruel, save in eX-
ceptlonaI cases which call for no spe-
cial notice. chiefly because of their
rarity. But it was too bad TO be toll
Grated. The condition of child labor in
this country is not 10 be compared, in
respect te its shamefulness. with what
prevailed in England two generations
Ego. But II is too bad to be perpetuated.
B. There are several ways of present
lIS llilS subject 70 Your 4lnAlGe. II HOuIu
sbc possible to harrow Your feelings by
relating incidents about little girls
.arpused from sleep by having cold water
dashed in their faces that they might
be up betimes TO work in Southern mills;
about the bitter experience of little girls
and boys in New York sweat-shops;
about shocking revelations of the hard
ships of little boys in Pennsylvania coal
mines. Sentiment is a mighty power in
some quarters, and pitifu tales of suf
fering have an appealing force, Such i1-
stances are exceptional, however, in all
probability, and TO make them typical of
prevailing conditions would be 20 eXas
Eerate. The bare facts are bad enough;
there is need 10 weaken ones case by
oyerstating II, Besides, to unduly em
phasize the wanton1y cruel side of this
matter. To make the suffering entailed
the point of contention, is 10 practically
assert that II the evil features OF child
labor were aneliorated or removed. the
Institution might be permitted to remain.