Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-24

vice PRESIDENT Genera1-eIect.
tries. BY preserving the American type
of intelligent democracy 1t is blessing ali
peoples. Much conflicting testimony Is
tien of child labor. 1t Is defended by
some on the ground that poor parents
need the help of their children; that chill
dren should be taught habits Of industry;
or shop than in the street. final and
supposedly unanswerable argument is
sometimes made by elderly gentlemen in
aff1uent circumstances, who when they
were boys worked on the farm or in the
country stores. studied at night by the
light OF the tallow dip or the blazing pine
knot. and-well. here we are: we were
not hurt by the labor of our childhood.
One feels like replying that, even IL all
these boosted claims are true Of some
men, there is no record kept of the worn
out, cast-away lives which were burned
out early or never shone brightly enough
to make glmmer to light other lives
Responsibility Discussed.
In discussing who are responsible for
child labor Mrs. Foster continued: par
ents who. through ignorance or shiftless-
ness. permit their children to labor. and
who gladly receive their children's earn
ings; legislators who do not enact laws
against child labor and provide the NEAR .
for their enforcement: the careless public.
which does not intervene to save the
child and educate the future citizens: cap
Etalists. VINO desire cheap labor and en-
ploy children because they are Cheap
Social wrongs are always complex -
she continued. 1T is difficult to fix re-
sponsibility. Popular government is al
ways mass OF compromises by which the
greatest good TO the greatest number is
secured.
Child labor as whole is dreadful evil
In some instances and under some condi-
tions it has doubtless been the slave OF
good. There are perhaps at this very
hour villages in the north and in the south
where children under fourteen years Of
age are better off worked by a sort of
generous feudal system, where the mill
owner is kindly lord. and the admins
oppressive. than those particular chill
dren would be under any other conditions
which could be given them, and which
they would accept
Standards Possible.
Relative to standards. Mrs. Foster said
AT this time 1t is pretty generally ac-
cepted that certain conditions are pos
sble of attainment in the near future.
These have been attained in whole or in
part in several of our states: Minimum
age limit for children i'm mines and
factories. sixteen years. except in cases
where a special permit has been granted
by competent authority. No child under
fourteen to be employed in mine or fac
tory under any circumstances. Chill
dren under eighteen not allowed to work
more than eight hours per day. Age
limit for night work. eighteen years. Age
certificate and documentary proof OF age
required Efficient factory inspection for
enforcement of the law.
District Without Remedy.
Great advances are being made" she
said in conclusion. "Only one state-Ne-
vada-and the District OF Columbia, the
seat of the national government. are
without more or less effective anti-child
labor laws. Means of enforcement are
defective in many states; active public
sentiment is also lacking. Auxiliary legis-
lation such as marriage license laws
birth registration and parental support
laws are needed. particularly in the
south On the whole, the outlook Is most
encOura ging.
The Son of Man. who took little chill
dren in His arms and blessed them. said
He that would be greatest among YOU
try the Daughters Of the American Rev.
olution have come. Let us not fail or
be discouraged. He shall set judgment in
the earth
Election of Vice Presidents General.
The election for ten vice presidents
general of the d. A. r., yesterday after
noon resulted as -ollows, as stated in The
Star:
Mrs. Truman H. Newberry of Michi-
gan.
Mrs Theodore G. Bates of Massachu-
sets.
Mrs. Egbert Jones o. Missist ippi
Mrs. W. +. Stanley of Kansas.
Mrs. S. NJ. Hardy of Kentucky.
Mrs. ID. W. Bushnell of Iowa.
Mrs. William A. Smoot of Virginia.
Mrs e Gaylord Putnam of New Jersey.
Mrs. Ira Yale Sage of Georgia.
Mrs. John T. Sterling of Connecticut.
The election is considered to be a great
administration victory. These are all
administration candidates except the
last two. Those who failed o. election
are Mrs. James NJ. Fowler of Indiana
Mrs. NJ. B. e. Clarke Of New Hampshire.