The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-09
PRAISES PRESIDENT WILSON
 FOR INITIATIVE IN SEEING
 CHILD LABOR BILL PASSED
Only President Who Coined His Words Into Deeds Says Author of Measure Commands Ship of State Be- cause He Is the Best Man on It, Colorado Man As serts
(By Hon. Edward Keating of Color
 ado, Author, Federal Child

(By Hon. Edward Keating of Color ado, Author, Federal Child Labor Law.) The story of the passage of the so- called Keating-Owen Federal Child Labor Bill may be told in a sentence: Woodrow Wilson did it.
 And he did it just like he has done so many other big things during the last four years-he frankly and pub licly advised his Democratic asso- ciates who control the legislative branch of our government to act on what was the manifest will of their constituents and strike the shackles from the limbs of children in indus try.
 Wilson is a great Democrat, but in addition to that he is bosn leader of men, Like John Paul Jones he commands the ship because he is the most capable man aboard the ship. His crew has confidence in his judg- ment and patriotism. It isn't neces- sary for him to use the belaying pin. He gets results without adopting the tactics of distinguished predecessors who belabored their comrades in the Halls of Congress with a Big Stick or starved them into submission by de- priving them of post office patron age.
 Other presidents have emphasized the need of federal child labor legis- lation, some would-be presidents are proclaiming before high heaven that they love the children and yearn for an opportunity to tighten their bur dens but Woodrow Wilson is the only president who ever coined his words into deeds on this subject.
 His influence put the bill through the Senate, his signature made it law, and to him belong the. honor and the glory. God bless hint!
 It wasn't an easy fight I intro duced the bill on the opening day of the Sixty-third Congress. A score of cooks had a finger in the pie. Owen Lovejoy and Dr. A. J. McKelvey of the National Child Labor Committee had devoted the best years of their lives to the task of creating a public sentiment which would compel Con- gress to deal with the problem in an effective way. Jane Adams, Felix Adler, former Congressman A. Mitch ell Palmer of Pennsylvania and scores of other big-hearted men and women from every section of the country had contributed time and money and thought Prof W. S. Parkinson, of Columbia-who should be on the Su- preme Bench-supervised the legal work and made wonderful argument in support of the constitutionality of the bill.,
 We encountered the lobby at the beginning of the contest. It was wel1-organized, apparently generously financed, and absolutely tireless. It employed distinguished lawyers to raise constitutional objections, pro- duced medical experts who insisted that boys of ten might be worked twelve hours day in cotton mill without deleterious effect" and par aded an imposing array of business men do were sure they would be ruin ed if they were deprived of the ser vices of their little serfs.
 In the face of this opposition it re- quired two months to force the bill through the House. We won on Feb. 2, 1916, and the fight was tfans- ferred to the Senate.
 The lobby was not discouraged. Its leaders boasted that the bill would be piseon-holed in the American House of Lords, or failing that would be talked to death. With the assistance of such valiant champions as Senator Joe Robinson of Arkansas and Senator John W. Kern of Indiana we avoided the pigeon-ho1e and had the bill fa- vorably reported to the Senate.
 But the calendars were crowded with important constructive legisla- nf anxious to get away to their districts To talk the bill to death seemed easy The mere threat of filibuster might be sufficient. The lobbyists rejoic- ed.
 Woodrow Wilson. Returning from a covered the situation and acted with the decision and directness character istic of him.
 He went to the Capitol, called the leading Democratic Senators about him and told them that in his judg- ment Congress should not adjourn until the child labor bill was pass ed.
 The story of his visit and its ob- feet was carried to the country and the people from Maine to California lost no time in making it clear that they were back of the President.
 The lobby stole away from Wash ington and the bill was passed.
 The bill provides that children shall not be employed in mines or quarries before they are siyteen years old, or in mills, workshops. cannaries, etc, before they are fourteen years old, and that children between fourteen and sixteen years shall not be employed in mills, workshops cannaries, etc. for