The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-25
VIRGINIA STATESMAN
ASKS FOR DELAY
Hon. III. St. George Tucker Wires Sem
ator Kern to Hold Up Child
Labor Law.
IN A LONESOME MINORITY
Was Only One of Large Number of
Letters Presented TO Senate Which
Opposed Early Action on Measure.
Republicans Pushing Measure.
Rx GEORGE II. MANNING.


Washington, d. c., July 24.-Of
stack of kilograms received by Sem
ator John w. Kern. Democratic leader
of the Senate, and Senator Gallinger.
Republican leader, and presented to
the Senate today referring to the pas
sage of the child labor bill, only one
opposed the passage OF the measure
That came from II. St George
Tucker, OF Lexington, Va, who at
the time of the Roanoke Democratic
State convention announced himself
as n candidate to oppose Senator
Claude A Swanson.
Senator Kern presented thirty-one
kilograms in the Senate from almost
as many States and Senator GallinEer
offered about as many more. All Of
them. with the exception Of the tele-
gram from Mr.. Tucker, urged the i'm
mediate passage OF the child labor
bill In tho strongest terms. The mes
saRes were from almost every State
In the Union and signed by the most
prominent men and women engaged
! in child welfare and uplift work. phi
, lanthropists, labor unions. prominent
politicians OF all parties, and societies
and other organizations interested in
Improvement of industrial and labor
conditions
Mr.. fuckers telegram read as fol-
lows:
Lexington. Va, July -.
Senator John w. Kern:
Earnestly hope you can postpone
child labor bill. Democrats in letters
to me from Massachusetts, to Missouri
condemn bill.
II. ST. GEORGE TUCKER"
Even the Southern Senators who Oh
tect to the passage of the bill now
believe 1t will he impossible to pre-
vent discussion OF the measure at CON
siderable length, and many OF them
fear the friends OF the legislation will
be able to force vote on It,
Opposes idea of States Rights.
The majority OF the Senator'S from
south OF the Potomac River will vote
against the measure II vote Ia
reached, and almost all OF them are
determined to prevent the measure
coming to vote II possible. The
principal ground OF their objection ia
that 1t is unconstitutional and a seri-
Gus Infringement of States rights
The Republicans are now pushing
the measure as much as possible for
the political capital they hope 10 gain
by Democratic opposition 70 t.
The Democrats opposing the bill In
sist they have agreed to adopt some
OF the Presidents pet measures and
that he should give way TO them on
this one This Is just another meas
ure, they say. on which the President
has switched" in the last few years
President Once Opposed 1t.
The President in 1911 was opposed
TO child labor legislation and believed
IT was interference with business by
politicians. In lecture on constitu-
tonal law in 1911 the President said:
The power of the Federal govern
nnent is TO regulate commerce between
the States and the attempts now
made during every Session OF Congress
to carry the implications Of that power
beyond the utmost boundaries OF rea-
sonable and honest inference show
that the only limits likely TO be OBJ
served by politicians are those set by
the good sense and conservative tenn
per Of the country.
The proposed Federal legislation
with regard to the regulation Of child
labor affords striking example If
the power to regulate commerce be-
tween the States can be stretched to
include the regulation Of labor IN mills
and factories, 1t can be made TO EN-
brace every particular OF the indus
trial organization and action OF the
country. The only limitations Con
gress would observe should the Su-
preme Court assent 10 such obviously
absurd extravagances OF interpreta
ton would be the limitations OF opin-
ion and of circumstance
This quotation from the lecture
made by Woodrow Wilson In 1911 was
inserted In the Congressional Record
last Friday by Senator Borah
The Southern Senators are express.
ing themselves as mystified to know
what caused the President 10 reverse
his ideas on this subject so quickly
and completely.