The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-26
SUMTER. S. c.. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY % 7o1o
IN ENEMY OF THE SOUTH.
MIR. NELL SECRETARY OF COM
MERGE AND LABOR.
suppressed Report of Special Agent
That Was Favorable to This Sec
tlon.

Washington. Feb. 32.--That c.. p.
Neill. commissioner of labor. under
Secretary Nagel, IL a hobby-rider, and
dreamer, no one In the newspaper
business here would deny. Once set
In his way he IL hard to move. and.
unfortunately for the south. he has
decided in his own mind that thou
sands Of women and children are be-
Ing worked to death there in the mills
and other industrial plants. So that
he and others might ride their hobby
horses more persistently and more
gracefully congress has In two differ
emit lots Appropriated 100000 for the
purpose Of sending q horde OF cranks
through the country to gather infor-
nation bearing on their side Of the
labor question.
Beverodge started the BAH.
Senator Peveredge Of Indiana. it
will be remembered, in speech on
the noor Of the. senate. january 20,
1907. intimated that tens Of thousands
Of children were being murdered an
nually In the south. At the time
Senators Overman. Tillman, Ba-
con and others took him to task for
his unwarranted attack. But, 1t was
then that congress made an appro-
priation of $4,000 for an investi-
cation. and authorized the secretary
of commerce and labor to ascertain
the facts. Commissioner Neill organi-
zed about one hundred agents work.
ing In squads and sent them into the
held. Twenty or more were Dispatch
ed to Virginia. North Carolina and
South Carolina to look into the cot
ton mill situation. Others went to
glass, silk and clothing manufacture
Ing districts.
The south was pointed out az the
place where children were stunted,
mistreated generally. and debased.
Neill. 1t was said at the time. instruct.
ed his hirelings to. find these condi-
tons Later II has been alleged. that
those or shis~ agents wirUT foundsywhat
he desired them to find were promot-
ed and that those who found better
things were fred. The stories told Of
the findings Of some Of the agents
that went south sound like the tales
of Baron Munchausen. One young
woman. sociological crank from
vassar. discovered one mill with
pit cave. where children were hidden
away when visitors called. At. an
other mill. In the moutains. she
learned that at the approach Of any
suspicious looking person the poor,
down trodden boys and girls were
told to run for their lives. This crea-
ture, 1t Is said. delighted Neill so that
he boosted her to the very top of the
list.
T. II. Dawley's Experience.
Thomas r. Dawley, Jr., a native of
New York. received quite a different
treatment. He was told to 60 south
and investigate the conditions of the
mill operatives before they left the
farms. In other words he was to
compare their present state with that
of former days when they were crop
pers and tenant farmers Dawley was
not the man Neill was looking for.
He Investigated and reported that
the conditions at the mill were bet
ter than those on the farm. He de-
clared that they not only had more
opportunities. but actually improved
industrially. morally, socially physi-
caily and financially.
Dawley was told to write out his
report He alleges that Neill tried to
make him change his Impressions.
contending that he had not seen the
true conditions and urging that.
whatever the investigation revealed,
children should not be allowed to
work.
III child Is found .wallowing In
the gutter In fifth and, 1t should not
be taken out of there for better con-
ditions. IL 1t means work." Neill is re-
ported to have said.
Ordered South Again.
Dswley, he says. was sent south
again to do all his work over. He
then got up a printed schedule, COM
prising hundred inquiries. bringing
out every phase of life In the country
and at the mill. With this he work.
ed ~ districts, covering about a dog
en- counties and 200 families. 1t was
that children--"men who
were children thirty years before
had been promoted to foremen and
and In some in