The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-06-25
BEWARE THE MEDDLEKS

| truth. For instance, In the matter of
child labor In the cotton mills The
editor Of the The Intelligencer was
fortune to be permitted to assist
in getting the first bill through the
South Carolina Legislature. 1t was
introduced Col. J. q. Marshall, and
champiOned by the late \. G. Con
zales. These two men did more for
the laboring classes Of the State than
any other dozen men in the last %
years. Both have passed to their re-
| ward
a law to protect children from
| heartless parents who would force
| them 10 work in the mills was ne
| cessity and is yet. But there should
be some common sense displayed III
the matter. When the child labor law
was first passed. il came In response
to the appeal from the laboring peo-
pie themselves. and the mill man
ayers offered 10 objection except to
state that along with this law there
should be compulsory education
law to keep idle children off the
streets and out Of mischief. And
right there is wherein roye the OBJ
lection to the compulsory attendance
law coming from politicians who did
not want 1t merely because the mill
managers did
At the time OF the enacting of the
law. there was a widespread public
sentiment in its favor and public de-
mand for 1t, but there ls no great dis
satisfaction at present, that we can
hear OF. Occasionally we hear that
the law Is not being enforced, and
that there has been some criticism of
the governor OF the state. We wish
to say that this In unfair to him as
the enforcement OF this law Is not
placed In his hands, although If viola
tions were brought to his attention.
he might get in behind the loafers
who are letting 1t go on.
We believe that the mill managers
are the best friends of the mill peo-
pie. Even II they were mol so from
a humanitarian standpoint. they
should be from a sta aldpoint CT econ
omy-and they are from both stand
points. There are men in the manu-
featuring business whose minds are
no greater than their great hearts, and
their sympathies are broad as the
field OF their endeavors.
We do not believe that the mills
OF the state are employing any con-
siderable number of children. And
we have visited some OF the mills and
our observation is that what chill
dren are to be seen, have light en-
ployment, get pretty fair wages, arc
treated nicely, have lots Of fun in
the mill and outside. and are great
deal less driven With labor inan are
hundreds of chore boys on the farms.
We believe that the mill managers do
more charity voluntarily than all of
the charitable societies OF .he coun-
try, outside Of that grand institution,
the Salvation Army.
And this leads to the conc:nsion-
The great and admirable movement
with reference to preventing the la
bor Of children In mines and factories
is being ridden by high salariei Of
ficials whose business is to agitate.
We have read statements ard pub
locations and even books from them
that are grossly and grotesquely false.
How much of this agitation is caus-
ed by the mills OF New England und
the enemies of the contentcd labor Of
the South we do not know. We Know
some OF the workers In this held
and believe them to be sincere, though
highly theoretical and slightly fan
atical. We believe In remedial laws
but we do not believe that legislation
should be forced upon industries when
1t is not needed.
What would the South be today II
It were not for our textile industries? i?
How many OF today can remember
before the day OF creation of inter-
est in the building of manufactures:
All such know that but for the mills
and their payrolls the South would
today be but little better off than
1t was at the close of the war, ex-
cept agriculturally. The mills are
not entirely patriotic or benevolent or
benif1cent, but they do more for their
employees than the same number of
employees in any other class OF la
Dor get.
The mill people are becoming an edu-
Gated, proud and ambitious people.
They are among our best citizenship.
They ore not in need OF paternalistic