The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-06-26
BEWARE THE MEDDLERS

oi'HCuit 10 arrive al Wnat iS the
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. II wss
introduced Col. J. @. Marshall, and
championed by the late N. q. Con-
zales. These two men did more for
the laboring classes Of the State than
any other dozen men In the last 26
years. Both have passed to their re-
ward.
A law to protect children from
heartless parents who would force
them to work in tile mills was a ne
cessity and is yet. But there should
be some common sense displayed in
the matter. When the child labor law
was first passed. 1t came in response
to the appeal from the laboring peo-
pie themselves. and the mill man
ayers offered no objection except to
state that along with this law there
should be comp ,ory education
law to keep idle children Off the
streets and out Of mischief And
right there is wherein rose the OBJ
lection to the compulsory attendance
law-coming from politicians who did
not want It merely because the mill
managers did.
At the time Of the enacting OF the
law. there was widespread public
sentiment in its favor and public de-
mand for 1t. but there is 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 IL viola
tions we're 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 IL they were not so from
q humanitarian standpoint, they
should be from a standpoint Of econ
omy-and they are from both stsnd-
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.
Ne do not believe rhat the mills |
OF the state are employing any con-
Eiderable number of children. And
we have visited some OF the mills and
our obsf rvatiOn. is that what chill
dren are to be seen. have light en-
get pretty faff's Wages ::arc
treated nicely. have lots Of fun Iii
the mill and outside. and are n great
deal less driven with labor than are
hundreds of chore boys on the Tarms.,I
We believe that the mill managers do
more charity voluntarily than. all of
the charitable societies OF The coun-
try. outside OF that grand institution,
the Salvation Army
And this leads to the conc:usion--
The great and admirable movement
with reference to preventing the la
Dor Of children in mines and factories
ID being ridden by high salariei Of
ficials whose business is to ag!tate.
We have read statements and pub
licatiOns and even books from them
that are grossly and grotesquely false.
How rnnnh ne Co =
ed by the mills of New England and
the enemies or the contented labor or
the South we do not know. We know
some of the workers In this held
and believe them to be s!s;cs-e, though
highly theoretical and slightly fam
attcal. We believe in remedial laws
but we do not believe that legislation
should be forced upon industries when
It Is not needed.
e. What would the South be today IL
It were not for our textile industries?
: How MANY Of today can remember
before tie day of creation of inter-
est In the building OF manufacturer
ALI such know that bur &c: the mills
and their payrolls the South would
today be but little better or than
1t was at the close of the war, ex-j
cept agrfculturally. The mills are
not entirely patriotic or benevolent or
benificent. but they do more for their
employees than the same number Of
employees in any other class of la
bor get.
The mill people are becoming an edu.