The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-25

nine, eight, seven and SIX, ana even
five.
duced into the same employment, and
at equally tender years. Many a
struggle the honest and Intelligent
weaver must have had between his
duty to his children and his immedi-
ate Interests. The idea of his chill
dren growing up without schooling
must have cost him many a panS
but the idea of losing two shillingS
sixpence, or three shiIlings week
and paying school expenses beside,
proved too great bride even for par
entail affection, and, as might have
been expected, mamon In the end pre-
vailed, and the practice gr3duallJ
grew too common and familiar TO eS
cite more than a passing regret Chill
dren grew up without either the edu
cation or the training which the youth
OF the country derive from the school
master: and every year since 1905 has
sent forth its hundreds of untamed
boys and girls, now become the par
ents of still ruder, more undiscip-
lined and ignorant offspring Nor was
this all. So great was the demand
for draw-boys that ever and anon the
town crier went through the streets,
offering not simply two shillings six
pence, three shillings. or three shil-
lings siXpence, for the labor of the
boys and girls, but bed, board and
washing, and a penny to themselves
on Saturday night. This was re-
ward on diSobedience to parents:
family INSTRUMENTATION with all its
train of evils followed. The son, in
stead of standing in awe OF his father,
began 10 think himself a man when
he was only bT.a u-liUO irnundPnt how
On the first or second quarrel with
his father he felt he might abandon
the parental roof for the less irksome
employment of the stranger. The first
principle of all Subordination was
thus early broken up"
Our author goes on to show at some
length how the market became over
stocked with goods and with cheap
labor, with the result of permanent
reduction of adult wages, and closes
his description thus: Thus was the
employment of their children, from
five to ten, by the weavers of Paisley,
at first an apparent advantage, but in
the end a curse, demonstrating that,
whatever may appear to be the inter
est OF the parents this year or next
year, it is permanently the interest of
them and their offspring to refuse
every advantage in their temporal con-
Germs, which tends to defraud youth
of the first of parental blessings, edu-
cation; and that Providence has bound
in indissoluble alliance, the virtue,
the intelligence and the temporal well
being of society. In 1888, during
the Radical period, there were found
full three thousand Paisley-born, and
Paisley-bred, who could not read; and
the decline of intelligence has been
followed by the decline of that tent
perance, prudence and economy whicn
are the cardinal virtues of the work
ing classes. by which alone they can
elevate their condition or preserve
themselves from sinking into the most
abject poverty"
In the South.
1t has been my custom at these an.
nual meetings to give a brief descrip-
ton of child labor conditions in the
field assigned to me, the Southern
states. Every such description, found
ed on actual observation at first hand,
has been disputed and the facts de-
MED. That however denotes progress.
The ground of apology for the child
labor system has shifted in these last
few years from "a defense OF the sys
tenn as a good thing for the child and
for society to a denial of the abuses
of the system and the claim that the
evil is fast disappearing. This year
our committee has been conducting
some Investigations in three of the
Southern States. Virginia, Mississippi
and South Carolina, the first with an
age limit of twelve years, anu four
teen for night work; the second with
minimum age limit of twelve. but
with the provision that the child of
dependent parents may be employed
at any age, and the third without any
child labor law now in operation.
From all three states comes the in
dubitable evidence of the violations OF
the law, where the law exists, of ap-
palling illiteracy, apparently increas-
ing, and of the wholesale employment |
of children, with the resulting evils |
of family jisintegrationu of early |
marriages. of wife deSertion, of de. |
generate children.
1t is not too much TO say that the |
process that has been described as |
going on in Paisley is now being re-
peated with alarming rapidity in eight |
hundred communities of the south. |
Let me quote from a humane and |
manufacturer. whom we
hoped to have with us at this meeting. |
Speaking of the early marriages that /
prevail, Mr.. Garnett Andrews, who is |
in favor of a fourteen-year-age limit /
now. and an eight hour day as soon |
as competition can settle upon that |
basis, said in advocacy of legislation |
the marriage of children:
Il have this thirS- come before my |
observation frequently. Right near
my mill is cavalry post; these sol |
diers, irresponsible young chaps, |
come around there counting the girls; |
go to paying attention and keeping |
with some girl and marry |
her We have had girls married out /
of our mill at fourteen years of age. |
And not long ago there was a girl |
came over there for vor. with child |
in her arms. She was but fifteen
and had on short slIirts. That was a |
crime against civilization. against
God and against everything else.
There are a whole lot OF collateral
facts that chime in with this labor
question. / do not know OF one more
important than this, even the age
limit they are setting here
Legislative Progress.
I am glad, however, TO be able 10 re-
port progress along the line OF child