The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-10-24

question what they were paid, but that
form of industrial peonage or indus
trial slavery which arrests intellectual
moral and physical growth of the la
boring men of this country, that which
deprives them of the associations
necessary for any man or any class
of men, that which deprives them of
the association of their families and
which destroys them physically as well
as intercepting their growth mentally,
viii in the end undermine the repub-
| lie Just so surely it continues You
remember when England was prepar-
ing for the Boer war and she called
the sons of the sires who had made
England famous for examination, and
called in the young men from the CEN
ters of English industry 1t was found
that 7S per cent of them were unfit
to meet the physical examination to
go forth and fight the battles of their
country. A condition of Industrial
peonage which destroys their physic-
al well as their mental and moral
development will undermine the strength
of this republic just so surely as that
condition is permitted to continue for
any length of time.
Now. l want to say to you In con-
tinuation of that story, that after this
report came in l had the honor to
draw an eight-hour bill providing that
every industry contracting with the
United States government could only
contract when they were proceeding up
on an eight-hour basis, and that got
the steel industry for the reason that
it is selling thousands and millions of
dollars worth to the government every
year, In building ships and furnishing
supplies for ships: and that bill be-
came law, and today those men in
stead of working twelve hours work
ing eight hours a day and six days a
week. and under system which per-
mits them to enjoy some of the privil-
eyes of American citizenship.
Now, my friends, again / call your
attention to the fact that the gentle
men who are asserting to the voters
in your community that j talk one
way and vote another are laooring
under mental delusion. That is the
kindest term that l have for that other
word
Again Mr. Gompers says: ION jan
uary TO- 1911, he voted for a federal
boiler inspection bill, safety appli-
ance measure. On June IL, 1911, he
voted for an amendment to the consti-
tuition providing for popular election of
United States senators, measure
which he had personally introduced
and which he managed upon the floor
| of the senate On August 8, 1911, he
voted for the admission of Arizona as
a state On January IS. 1912 he voted
for the right of petition to the United
States senate. On January 81, 1872 he
voted for the creation OF federal
children's bureau" Mr. Gompers stat
es that / voted for 1t. Some writer
over here in Latah county, another
distinguished editor some Pulitzer in
disguise--said that Senator Borah was
| entitled to no more credit for the
child labor bill than If he had contrib
uted five dollars to a county fair. Now.
those things / suppose are all fair
during a campaign. But they don't
feel any better during a campaign
than they do after the campaign is
over to the man about whom 1t Is be-
| ing said But l do that gentleman
also the honor to say that / think he
was mistaken as to the fact. l drew
the child labor bill and had the great
pleasure of urging it through the con-
gress of the United States, and it is
now a law. l just want to say a few
words to the mothers of this aud
fence. 1t is impossible to conceive of
a condition of affairs such as we
found with reference to the employ
IiitHt Vi CfliuTcn III tfle cOltOn n1iflS
of the south and the cotton mills of
New England. l went and made per-
sonal investigation. / had seen photo
graphs which were repulsive and hor-
rifying, but l went myself to investi-
gate and found in more than one in
stance fifty or one hundred children
from five to twelve years of age, stand
ing in dirty and tattered garments.
half -naked, in dirty, dingy and unsan-
itary mills and saw them in the early
morning even before he sunrise wait
ing for the dawn to enter the mills
where they would be employed upon
different kinds of machinery until sun
down when another shift Of children
would come on for the night work. To
see those old faces upon young bodies.
| with their broken and often mangled
hands and limbs by reason Of coming
In contact with the machinery with
which they were trying to work, with
their pallid and worn faces, simply
battles description; and any man who
would say to the intelligent. thinking
people Of this county, in this the
twentieth century of civilization, that
to frame and pass measure which
would throw light upon that infamous
outrage Is no more creditable than con-
tributing five dollars to a country fair
is either mistaken as to the facts or
II knowing the facts he is a moral
leper that ought to be driven from
civilized society. (Applause.) That
bill had been before the congress Of
the United States In some form for
| thirteen years. 1t had been session
after session throttled in the committee
or destroyed upon the floor by the
powerful influences which would incor-
porate and organize the very blood OF
the children of the land into dollars
and cents. / said in the beginning
that 1 do not criticize the man Of
wealth; do not find fault with him
who through frugality and industry
gathers largely of this worlds goods, II
he has gathered 1t rightly and uses it
rightly; he Is not only not to be at
tackled but he is to be commended by
| his fellow citizens; but I am at war
now and forevermore even II 1t causes