The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-11-22

hours-contrary to the statute which
prohibits such extended hours Of la
Dor. In defense, the appellee claims
that the state had no authority to
enact such law; that It was contrary
to the limitations of the federal and
state constitutions; that the law i'm
pairs the obligation of contracts,
abridges the privileges and immunl
ties of the citizen, deprives him of
liberty and property without due pro-
cess of law, and denies him the equal
protection Of the laws; and that the
law is unreasonable, unjust, arbitrary
and discriminatory, interferes with
the property, liberty, rights, privileges
and immunities of the citizen, and is,
therefore, condemned by the constitu-
ton of the United States.
There has been already in this coun-
try much discussion of the laws, like
the statute now before us, commonly
known as labor laws" It seems to
be settled that the legislatures of the
states have the power to enact proper
laws to regulate and provide for the
safety, the health, the morals, and
the general welfare of the public" Ap-
pellee contends that the legislature Of
Mississippi was not within that power
when making the regulation that the
'aborer in manufacturing and repair
ing plants should not be worked
longer than ten hours per day.
In considering questions like the
present one It is we'll for us to look
at the organization of our nation. In
forming our government, "of the peo.
pie, by the people, and for the people"
the individual surrendered many Of
his personal liberties. This was neces-
sary. We could not have had govern.
ment otherwise. No society can con-
tinue without its members being re-
CURED to give up some of what they
deem are their personal rights and
liberties. We cannot imagine any sue
cessful government where everyone
has the privilege of doing what
/ pleases him. Regulations and rules for
the control Of conduct accompany as
a very necessity every organization
This truth applies not only to an as
ISOLATION Of persons but as we'll to the
individual. Every person who sue
ceeds finds it necessary to control his
life by strong rules, some times very
hard to obey. Recognizing all this.
our forefathers. in their wisdom. plan
ned to make the necessary rules for
governing the people. They bestowed
this power upon certain representa-
tives of the people called legislators,
In order to give stability to the STATE
utes to be enacted a constitution, con-
sisting of certain fundamental rules
and regulations, was ordained and es-
tahlished. The general governing of
the people was at the time and has
continued in the several states, which
together formed the Union known as
the United States. Article x of the
federal constitution recognizes this
when 1t states, 1.-THE powers not dele
gated to the United States by the CON
stitution, nor prohibited by it to the
states, are reserved to the states re-
spectively, or to the people"
/ The states when organizing ordained
and established their constitutions. In
Mississippi, the powers of government
were bestowed upon three depart
ments-legislative, judicial and execu-
tive Section 33, Article 4, of Missis-
sippi's constitution clearly announces
that 1.-THE legislative power of this
state shall be vested in the legisla-
ture." It is declared in Section 5, Ar
ticle 8, of the same constitution that
"All political power is vested in, and
derived from, the people; all govern
ment Of right originates with the peo-
pie. is founded upon their will only,
and is instituted solely for the good
of the whole"
1t Is, therefore, incumbent upon the
legislature to enact all laws necessary
for regulating the conduct of the peo-
pie and the proper use Of their prop.
erty. 1t is often true that persons will
deem their liberties abridged, or the
unlimited enjoyment Of their property
interfered with. Since the beginning
of government this has been SO; II
will continue so long as persons de
eide from a selfish standpoint and moi
from consideration of the welfare Of
all citizens. 1t is the duty of the leg
islature to consider the interests of al
what is best for society generally
Az seen in the foregoing quotation
from our state constitution, it is en-
Joined upon the lawmakers tina
Government is Instituted solely FOL
the good OF the whole" They are
necessarily the judges Of what is To-
the good Of the citizens.