Middletown transcript., 1915-02-13
MISS BISSEL'S REPLY
Child Labor Commission Sent Letter
to the Governor
OBJECTS TO BILLS PASSING

Miss Emily L. BlSsell, chairman OF
the executive committee of the Child
Labor Commission, has sent the follow
lag open letter to Governor Charles R..
Miller, at his home in Wilmington:
"My Dear Governor: The recommen-
dations of the legislative comm ttee,
appointed by the Legislature, with your
concurrence, to investigate the State
Child Labor Commission, are printed in
today's papers. AS the chairman of the
executive committee of that commission
l have been, as you know, under steady
fire for month past. The recommenda-
tions of the legislative committee prac-
tically discredit the State Child Labor
Commission, and bills are already pre-
sented to abolish it as far as women
members are concerned. If these bills
are enacted into law, the work of caring
for the children of the State is to be
taken away from the women of Della
ware.
II need hardly point out to you the
personal bearing of this, if the bills are
carried through; for in that case, after
four years of arduous and unpaid work
for the State, in an official capacity, in
child labor matters, my service will be
rejected as valueless, and whatever sin
cere effort made, while on the exc
cutive committee, to have the law
rightly enforced, will be condemned.
Far be it from me, if the State shall SO
decree, to contest this point. Who am
l, to say that my work is good, if my
service is set aside as not satisfactory
to the State? If am judged and con-
demned by the present administration,
must accept that verdict not in pride,
but in humility. 1t has been onerous
work, unsought by me which has cost
me much money and time, and has sub
jected me to public insult and public
clamor such as / could not have i'm
agined against woman whose only de-
sire was to be faithful to the RESPONSE
bilities laid officially upon her, not by
her own will, but by the State of Della
ware. No outside unofficial criticism
and attack of this nature, however,
could relieve me of my responsibilities to
the Commonwealth But if the State
itself, through it's present Legislature
and Executive speaks now and discredits
me publicly, my responsibilities will
thenceforth be over, as any one can see.
For years have tried to serve Della
ware in every way that she has honored
me by desiring me to serve her. Ihave
been for six years on the State Tuber-
culosis Commission, and also on the
Commission to Decorate the State
House. | have endeavored as woman
entirely out of politics, entirely unpaid,
to offer to my native State the best
that in me lay. That best is now, by
the legislative committee, held up as
worthless and thus discredited before
the people.
''If these bills pass, shall be sorry
to have the State which love rebuke
my work. should be sorry to serve
my State no longer. But the situation
will have to be faced without resent
ment, without refusal to recognize plain
facts. When l face the fact of being
discredited by my own commonwealth,
l must face the fact that a valueless
worker, dismissed in disgrace, can have
no standing and must discredit anything
else with which she is connected in State
matters. Whether ! like it or not,
makes no difference. If it happens, l
must recognize it.
81 therefore lay before you the ne
cessity- not of my making-of my re-
sgnation, if these bills pass, from the
Delaware State tuberculosis Commits
sion (which would regret exceedingly
and from the Delaware Commission to
Decorate the State House. If / am
not counted worthy to serve the State
on one commission. l am unfit for the
others, and desire that Delaware shall
have only those representatives whom
she approves and sustains.
"On account of our long personal
friendship, know that you, at least,
will understand my position. Those
newspapers and there are several
which have steadily misrepresented me
will descant upon my resignation as
proof of personal spite, the anger of a
disappointed woman, peice of Machia-
vellian effort, threat, a play to the
gallery, or anything else that will make
a spicy editorial. The enemies of the
State Child Labor Commission will find
thousand ugly things to say and
some of them will hurt, for it is hard
for woman to be living target But
you, as a friend will know that so long
as can acceptably serve the State l
would ever desire to do so; and that if l
am dismissed from her service by the
voice of her Legislature and her Exc
cutive, l will leave it with submission
to her authority, and with deep regret
that my work has not seemed to Della
ware to be of value enough to sustain
it.
Yours always sincerely,
Emily P Bisselll.
February 1st, 1915.