The Glenwood post., 1916-11-25
THE GREATEST TRAGEDY
OF THE AGE
lby Mrs. Austin =. Murphy

lesser Importance, some OIL greater.
At the present time, the greatest trag
edy, the war, has enveloped and cir
cumscribed the lives of millions of peo-
pie. We hear their cries of anguish
and their pleas TO rmerly and peace,
and yet because your heart and minc
are full of this great disaster through
the press and public opinion, and then,
too, because I feel incompetent to dis
cuss this world problem l hope l may
be pardoned if I drift your thoughts
to another and to me greater tragedy
that of "Child Labor; only in this
tragedy you are blessed with vision,
that of witnessing its climax in the
United States and the helpful and in
spring, example it will be to other
nations, who in the future, may be
legislation as it was our keen judgment
to enact in the Gland of the Free and
the Home of the Brave.'
If one of Shakespeare tragedies
were to be played in your midst, would
you rise up and say, 81 want none of
it.; I know the theme and all the ele-
ments that enter into it, and so it is
with this subject you may know that
climax has been reached in the
United States as federal law govern
ing Child-labor has been passed, but do
YOU know the reasons for this legisla-
ton, and your greater need for infor-
nation when products of child labor
may be used still within our own re-
spective state borders, unless each state
has adequate legislation!
We, as Colorado club women, may say
that this is suffrage state where wo-
man have been devoting their energy
and talents to protect children in the
rights of childhood; that may be true,
but what of the states without suf-
frage who need to be educated AMI
given social uplift in this matter? Are
not all people our neighbors, and are we
not anxious and willing to help them i'll
placing proper child-labor laws on their
statute books that will be enforced?
War lasts but certain period of
time; child-labor has existed for centu-
ries through the greed and selfishness
of man; the same factors that are re-
sponsible for the wars of the world.
What greater tragedy than the hideous
slavery of childhood? These little
ones, who are the country's greatest
asset; the abolition Of this slavery is
for the country's welfare and safety.
In these days of preparedness" it
afford to neglect its children; proper
care of the education and physical de-
velopment of these children is phase
of national preparedness, second in i'm
portance to none.
This labor in early youth defrauds
the child of right to an education and
fair start in life. The work is many
times of an injurious character and af-
fects the child mentally, morally and
physically. Tots of and in various
states of our Union are permitted to
snip beans or top cans from four clock
they can be kept awake during the sea-
son of ripe vegetables: and in certain
fish canneries children of s and 10
years work Is and 16 hours during the
busy season. Details of some of the
glass works of Pennsylvania, the mines
of West Virginia, the textile mills of
Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, as
well as the canneries and factories of
Colorado would stir up considerable
amount of unrest among the ignorant
if they would but read the reports of
the National ChildLabor commission.
Any industry that cannot survive ex-
cept by the employment of children
under reasonable age should be abol-
ished. DR.. Woods Hutchinson says that
"The nation that works its children
has no right to be called civilized, ana
is about as rapacious and intelligent as
the farmer who grinds his seed corn. :"
Many of our great industrial states
have laws upon their statute books rela-
tive to child-labor. The national gov
ernment in this matter is only asked to
be used to prevent few states, blinded
to their own and their country's perma-
nent interest, from obtaining tenn
porary, unfair advantage.
Georgia has decent standard for the
protection of the child, but an made
quate appropriation for its enforce
ment. Alabama has an efficient en-
forcemelt Of affair law, but plans have
been made to abolish this office. IL.
y