Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-02
TIME FOR ACTION

THE Duchess of Marlborough has re-
turned to New York to give some
Il good advice to American society
women-and it is good advice. She has
said that since so many American
women possess executive ability, it is
a pity that they do not exercise 1t py
interesting themselves in philanthroplc
and educational work. She has added:
'"The sense of our personal obligation to
the community has not yet been fully
developed. The moment the women OF
this country recognize this claim, winch
seems to me so pressing, so needful, so
appealing, I feel sure they will take II
I'm with all their wonted energy and
capacity"
This is true. and the sooner they rec
ognize the claim the better 1t will be
for society. If the hand that rocks the
cradle is still the hand that rules the
world. let it be extended to shield the
children of the country from the blight
of premature labor The w. c. T. U.'
the Daughters of the King, the Y. W..
C. A., and the Daughters of the Amerl-
can Revolution should form a league
to restore, preserve and promote Amer
icanism. Here Is work for them to do
1t is obvious and it is urgent. 1t is not
a fad" 1t is a necessity. Women can
settle the child slavery question, if they
will. Women can settle the child depri-
walton question, if they will Women
can settle the education question, II
they will. Women do not sit in con-
eress, but nothing can prevent them
from holding a congress or conference
of their own. Apparently the national
congress is incompetent to settle the
child labor question, while all the best
president can do is to scold vehemently
and make belated suggestions. Child
labor first began to be in evidence sew
eral years ago, when religious publi-
cation called attention to its existence,
and said that If we criticised European
nations for putting children to work 1t
would be a case of pot calling Kettle
black. The statement made in the re-
ligious publication-but for long, long
time persistently ignored by the daily
papers, for shame's sake, we suppose
was that no fewer than two million
bows and girls who under normal condl-
tions would be in the higher grades OF
public schools and in the high schools
were at work in stores, mills, factories
and mines The statement was chal-
lenge to the benevolent, beneficent,
prosperity producing Republican gov
ernment which, accused of dereliction
in a matter most vitally important to
national life, Immediately entrusted to
an honest pedagogue of Republican po-
litical proclivities the task of making
a thorough investigation and submit
ting if possible a whitewashing report
before the (nexD presidential election.
To the CONSERVATION of the Republican
leaders-and this explains the refer
ences to child labor in President Roose-
velt's message--he submitted a BLACK
WASHING REPORT instead 1t was,
of a truth, the MOST suicidal publication
ever issued by party in power. Read
ers should procure copies of this re-
port. 1t is entitled "The Elimination of
Children from Public Schools"
illumination" The investigators
found that children were being elimin-
ated SO successfully from the higher
grades and from all education excepting
the most rudimentary that the exist
ence of high schools in some of the
greater cities-(New York and. Brook
lyn, pious old Brooklyn, were specified)
was an unwarranted and unwarrant-
able drain on the public purse. The re-
port concluded with a suggestion or