The Tupelo journal., 1914-01-02
The Women Of Mississippi.

#W P0oO w N OIL Va
tate having women as members in an
fort to get some needed legislation
or our children as the result OF a
aeeting of representatives from sew
al organizations held last March in
Greenwood, an invitation to all such
tate organizations was sent out n at
IattIesburg a meeting was held to or
anize a Central Committee for work
long these lines, / was elected chair
man and Mrs. P. M. Fulger, of Nc
Comb CITY, was elected secretary. IL
vas decided to work for the following
legislation:
LIST. Improved Child Labor Laws.
Experts in this work tell us that Mis-
ssippi's Child Labor Laws are the best
10 be found in any State, but the avs
are not worth the paper they are writ
Ten on, because we have none who's
duty it is to see that they are enforced,
SO that they are just more material to
stow away in Mississippi's Charnal
House-her dead laws. We Greenwood
people thiak we have an unusually en-
lightened class of citizens, and any one
would think that a man who is intelll-
gent enough to be a depot agent,
would certainly appreciate the neces-
sity of study and wholesome recreation
for his boy ten years old. and yet last
winter right in the midst of the school
term such a boy with such a parent
came to collect one of the household
bills, and when | said, 'You ought to
be in school today. why aren't your"
the reply was, '.Yes'm, ] was in school,
but | got a job now" Where this can
happen in a town where there isn't a
factory where a child can work, what
! do you suppose is happening in towns
where there are factories, cannerles,
etc. / am not a suffragist, but who
! can doubt that women should be allowed
to say what is best for children? That
is what we were made for. Oh! Wo-
manhood of Mississippi, mothers OF
our States future citizens! Won't you
arouse yourselves to your duty to all
children? Not only your owu-those
you have given birth to-but all chill
dren. Won't you join with US IN open
ing the eyes of the men OF the State
to their duty in the matter? Some OF
YOU will not agree with me on all SUBJ
iects, but l can come to every woman
in our State with confidence that she
does in her heart have the real welfare
of the children uppermost. That she
wants her own children and their gen.
Grafton to have a fairer chance in life
than she has had. That she wants
where ignorance and poverty handi
caps the parents. for our State to
stretch her great urn over and around
them and say i il giye you the chance
10 be the very best men sd women
YOU are capable Of being made, % sec
ING that your mind and body shall have
an opportunity to develop as God
meant for them to develop" Our
men are in the midst of toll, day in
and day out. the commercial spirit has
them in their grasp, and they do not
see what our children need as we may
if we will only open our eyes to things
right around US. Won't you held US?
I'd. A School for the instruction of
Juvenile Offenders of the Law. You
mothers, who spend your lives saying
don't" to your little ones in order to
teach them that all through life that
word must confront them; can't you
imagine what a poor chance to be hon
est and upright and law-abiding the
children have who have never had the
blessing of careful training? Children
are ever reaching out for anything
which they fancy; is it any wonder that
sometimes when they have never been
taught the enormity of theft-what it
really means to their own character
that they sometimes steal and in other
ways break the laws of our State!
And then they must be put in the pen
itentiary with all sorts of criminals to
learn every trick of their trade, or
what is almost as bad. they must go
unpublished by the mercy of the court.
What can a man do when he comes
out of prison with the stain of the
prisos on his name? And think of a
boy or a girl who out OF prison
with this terrible blot, this thing to sap
all pride, all hope from his or her soullI
When | see this terrible shape hover
ing our children, who have never had
a fair chance to even be good children,
I'd life to take them all in my arms
and shelter them from it Don't you
feel 1T. you mothers of Mississippi chill
dren? If a terrible scourge of disease
came and knocked at the doors of our
homes, which one of you would stand