The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-08-15
statement FROM MURRAY

right that every class should have
special laws 70 protect their special
conditions, yet no class should ask
for a law thai would iniure the general K
public. We must keep ia mind bat
one interest-ihe public interest
.Now ,9 Illustrate some OF the pro-
visions of the labor bills Senate
Bill No "A passed the senate and I
came TO the house Article . OF that /
hili provided that no coal operator
could employ any man To dig coal /
who had not had two years actual ex- (
perienoe ia the employ OF coal miues /
When this bin came up ] called one (
Of the coal diggers TO .he speakers 7
desk and engaged in a dialogue with !
hm upop what aEecied the miners /
and what conditions ought to be met !
bv law aud as a result Of that dia-
Ilcgue H was shown hat these two Z
years experience were unnecessary,
and. as p matter OF fact, the best quai.
lfcations of minc digger Is q VIII
iEness 10 work a strong muscle, and
3, sharp pick Just like cotton cnop-
per. for have been along the cotton
row myself. II requires that same win
| irgness. strong muscle, and sharp
hoe and o good Gle 20 kecp IL sharp. u
lsiated at the time thia bin came up
lTcr consideration that while ! WAS
over willing TO give one class any law
| that would assist them, regarded the
rquest b. guy class that went beyond
| tins to the injury OF the public 10 be
nothing more than greed and selfish
ness. and that as far as WIS con-
lccrned | would OPPOSE ii. and { oh
served 90 he house that his nrOVis
Ton wonld iniure The farmers who
turned coal in Western oklahoma and
the users of coal everywhere anu
that this monopoly OF labor. the smut
ting out os any other working man or
lsJ hc farmer who occasionally might
want odig coal gave to the coal dg-
gcr q monopoly ~ that Tabor and d
is no more right 20 give labor q mon
upoly OF labor than q Is TO aEy por-
son or corporation Air Stivefs tAc
chairman OF The comWiucc on mines,
Ia coal dia2er himself. fair minded
lhan requested that rccommit fhc
bill to his committee and hai he
would eliminate Article b. aud that
lcluse Nas ellmiAa0d over ilc or.
lection q, Little PETE. and Ellis gang
lof waliiius delegates that hung around
ihc capital
Take ihe child labor bilv 70 which
secured several important amend
menis by cilmlnauons Of SECTIONS
which even then was vetoed hy the
lrmernor Section 3 Of hat bin pro
Nided that no person under rs years
of age shpdlh WORN az any "EainfuI
occupation WHO could not read and
write except farming / remember
when was n hoy without he assist
hnce of parent i3 and n years old
that I worked On brick yard be-
cause as unable 20 get farm wosk
1his brick work was my only Job /
accepted that work which enabled me
10 go TO school the following year,
and when | did that work | was un-
! able 10 read or write. Had such q
propision been in the law at tnat
time in my native state, | would
have been without a job and driven
either to violate the criminal laws or
become Il beggar Another provision
OF that same bill was "that 10 boy
under Is and no girl under rs should
I be permitted or allowed to pursue any
J eainful occupation. except farming
: and domestic services, after six
O'Clock u. m" Another provision
, provided that no person under 16
years OF age should De permitted to
W ork In eny one day more than eight
| hours and then this bill continued
; with numerous sections of like Inn
/ port. ] stood in the constitutional
, convention, and have since, for laws
that would prohibit the working OF
: children in factories, mines. and oth-
, or dangerous employment. which by
! reason OF their tender years would ex.
/ pose their lives TO great danger ana
/ believe In prohibiting The working
! pf children in places which Will cor.
rnpt their morals and these provis.
J ions went into the constitution But
= beyond this the largest discretion
must be left with the parent. All
, civilization and experience has dem
: onstrated that this parental discretion
should be left unhampered. am one
: nf those who believe that the best
+ s.rcared men and women are those who
: are trained 10 their work ia their
childhood. Parental discipline, obed.
J ience > parental government and
, parental ohasiisement along with
/ moral rrecepts, mental aud physical
: labor and self denial must go together
, 10 make up the real intelligent ana
useful citizen. No law should be
! passed TO Discourage industry ana
I thrift Nowhere In the world has
/ either the state, The law, or am officer
assumed 70 become the parent OF the
: children, and no one ever advocated
, such principles except those who be.
; heye in revolutionary socialism, when