The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-15
"THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN

her work in the mill His first footsteps
lead in that direction, and like his broth
ers and sisters, he begins work as soon
as the law allows him, often before.
Then he is swallowed up in the system,
his life becomes a part of 1t and he pre-
pares to follow in the footsteps of hun
dreds of others who have gone the same
road. His vision may be little broad at
first, but the utter defeat soon STILES it..
His individuality is gone. his spirits are
broken, and there remains nothing but
the loom and the shuttle. He trades at
the company store. lives In the company
house, goes to the company church, re-
ceives medical attention from the COM
pany doctor and Is buried perhaps by the
company priest in the company grave
yard. The system sucks the life of the
individual and merges him into the mass.
Ambition dies, hope fees and the laborer
becomes piodder. The depressing of the
individual In the man bodies no good for
the society of which he is a member.
The labor Of the child debauches the
parenthood of the father. The father
reaches the point where he is willing to
be idle and live upon the wages of his
children Those who have been much
around mills and factories know that the
men are often idle and depend for their
support upon their sons and daughters.
In cotton mill villages especially, the in
habtants are from the class known as
poor whites. Many Of the essentials of
good citizenship are lacking and the men
are not only willing, but eager to live
upon the earnings of their wives and chill
dren. The dependency thus created de-
bauches him who is dependent. He be-
comes a useless member of the communi-
ty, one who takes but gives not, ore who
oon hut mi
Not alone Is the father debauched. The
example he sets has its influence upon
the family The boys grow UP with his
ideal before them, to become like him
when they are men, while the women set
tie down to an existence that is slavery
in everything but the name. Such a
condition of the family life may approach
near to the pictures that are given us of
early historic times or of savage races
where all the men are kings and all the
women slaves, but the ideals thus erected
are strangely out of place In civiliza-
ton that has reversed the ancient order
and enthroned its womankind upon a
lofty pedestal of purity and of holiness.
But the greatest evil of child labor
lies not in the suppression OF the individ-
uality OF the worker not in the debauch-
cry of the father, nor in the inefficiency
Of the laborer. The life of little child
is the most beautiful thing In all the
world. 1t ought to be free and happy.
The world of play is its domain, and sor-
row has no entrance there. The soul OF
the man Is in the making, and by the
freedom of his childhood the manhood
of the man Is measured. The child at
work knows nothing of joy and play.
The ceaseless hum Of machinery takes
the place of the call of companions; the
he, oh 10 moi hfa world The
cravings of his young nature are stified.
his life repressed and In full maturity he
presents the spectacle of what might
have been the highest expression of
Gods noblest handiwork dwarfed in
body and soul 80 as to be almost beyond
recognition. When a mans worth is
truly recognized> the world is going to
realize that not all the towering facto-
ries, not all the great shops, not all the
gold of Ophir nor the riches of Sheba
can atone for the dwarfed body. the sal
low face, the narrowed life, the listless
spirit, the starved soul Of even one little
child that but for these could have been
developed into the full fruition of a per-
feet manhood.
The question presents ITSELF why does
the evil of child labor exist? Why such
a state of affairs SO palpably wrong and
SO injurious to the state? The labor OF
the child Is not necessity. The cases
are rare where such Is true and excep-
lions can be made. The labor of the child
is not right as a moral matter, nor is It
advantageous from an economic stand
point Then why IL 1t continued? Two
causes can be ascribed-man's avarice
and slumbering public conscience. The
avarice of man has not just begun its
work in the world. The Christ himself
was sold for 80 pieces OF silver and to-
day the same spirit that prompted Judas
to betray the great friend of mankind is
at work In the hearts of mill owners
factory superintendents and parents. The
labor of the child IL cheaper than that oil
an adult. The cost of manufacturing IL
lessened, and the profits increased. Divi-
dends are swelled; fine carriages are pur-
chased, magnificent mansions erected
family names are made, great fortunes
are created, silks and satins are worn
and milords and miladies tour the world
in their mahogany Furnished private
yachts, and ride by bedecked with jewels
and adorned with gold and. silver while
the little child plays his humble part In
the tragedy--little and humble enough
when viewed by the side OF the wealth
| he creates. but as sure as God is ir
His heaven and ID merciful and kind al
men say He Is, Vengeance is mine,
will repay, said the Lord The very
| helplessness OF the victim to prevent tht
sacrifice will increase that vengeance
There Is a Chinese fable which tells Of
| maker Of bells who received an ordel
| from the Emperor for set of wedding
chimes. The bell-maker loneed to PRO
duce the sweetest-toned bells that hat
| ever been runs and so into the pots o.
boiling metal he placed the body of hi
.,o..~r 6auvhfor ttNat she might land thu