The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-07-07
Child Labor Legislation
The Experience of Sparta and Athens Compared-s the
proposed Legislation Helpful?
By J. M. DAVIS

foundly interested for NUMBER o.
years, and | have naturally given II
the most careful consideration o.
which was capable 1t is a SUBJECT
furthermore, which has claimed the
attention of the best minds of this and
ether great nations. What l shall say
however, in the brief time allotted
me. will be based not so much upon
what have read on the subject as u
will be upon my own personal ooser-
vation. Some great and clear minds
have approached solution of our
question, while other men, wise may
be in some lines of thought, lose
themselves in wilderness of confus-
ed ideas when they take up Child
Labor Legislation"
OF course, in such an audience as
this there is no one who does not
readily realize that the prosperity OF
our country and the integrity of the
nation will in a few years rest upon
the boys and girls of todav We hear
this so often that the mere petition
of the thought sounds commonplace
to US: and yet, gentlemen, it is
freighted through with sacred truth
And the sacredness of this truth, Mr..
President, is as dear to the hearts OF
the men at the head of our great cot
ton industries as it is dear to the
hearts of any other class Of men on
Gods green earth. If can want to
clear the atmosphere in the outset OF
the impression that the management
of our cotton mills is essentially the
enemy of the children. Some peo-
ple seem to think of US as a great
dragon that annually requires the
sacrifice of hundreds of tender boys
and girls. We, together with all true
forward looking men, desire to see
the younger generation develop into
citizens of lofty ideals, with we'll
trained minds and strong bodies, and
able, when duty or opportunities Of
fer. to iii places of honor and re-
sponsibility in the industrial life OF
our nation.
This ideal condition can only be
reached by the sane and honest
thought of all of our best men united
upon this one supreme task; and it
will never be reached by the ill-ad-
vised and slipshod legislation of men
essentially ignorant of the ills they
would cure, and who are more inter
ested in the retention of their office
than they are in the permanent good
of any legislation. Those who would
contribute to the solution of the sub
ject must approach it in the light OF
generations and not as if it could be
solved by some two -by-four politician
in some law-making body. Very little
of the legislation thus far on this
question has materially affected the
welfare of the children-though many
of the States have laws of some kind
or another.
1 was interested in reading the
story of ancient Greece few days
ago. I find that Greece, long before
the imperial city of Rome was even
thought of, had her children's prob
lem. The two leading cities of this
wonderful people dealt with this
qr"~tion in exactly opposite ways.
Sparta took the child from the pa
rents at the age of seven and made
him the ward or child of the State.
The parent had nothing more to do
with the child. He, henceforth, owed
everything to the State. Athens, on
the other hand, left The child in the
care of the parent. She conceded the
mutual duty and obligation of parent
and child, arG aided both. The wis
dom of this latter course has stood
the test of future ages; and Athens,
the home of philosophy, art and
poetry, was wiser in nothing than in
aiding rather than dogmatically die
tating to the parent what his child
should and should not do.
There are four requisites in the de-
velopment of an ideal citizen. First,
a strong and healthy body; second,
genuine moral training which imbues
the possessor with high conception
OF honor and fair dealing with his fell
lows; third, well trained mind,-en-
abling one to weigh well all sides of
every proposition; and, fourth, an in
dustrial training which teaches him