The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-08-12
The CHILD LABOR lkW,
SENATE ADOPTS HOUSE BILL
STRIKING THROUGH INTER-
STATE COMMERCE.
CLAUSE.
1illman Assails Owners Of Mills
Thinks Act Unconstitutional but
reels Tempted to Vote for it to Re-
Duke SclfiShncsS of Class of Capi-
taliSts i'm South.

Washington, Aug. S.--The senate
late today passed the bill to prevent
interstate commerce i'm products of
child labor by vote of 52 to IL. The
measure. which already had passed the
house, was brought to a vote in the
senate on the insistence of President
Wilson after the Democratic senate
caucus once had decided to defer it's
consideration until next December.
I Opposition to the measure had come
chiefly from Southern cotton mill
owners, and the group of Southern
Democrats who voted against it had
fought it in caucus and maintained
their opposition during the senate de-
bate on the ground that the regula-
ton proposed is unconstitutional and
would interfere with the rights of the
States Eleven Democrats from the
South-Scnators Swanson and Mar
tin, Virginia; Underwood, Alabama !;
Vardaman, mississippi; James and
Beckham, Kentucky; Culberson and
Sheppard, Texas; Ransdell, Louisiana; /;
Robinson, Arkansas, and Shields,
Tennessee-voted for it.
Senator's Broussard, Louisiana
Clarke, Arkansas; Gore and Owen.
Oklahoma, and Lea, Tennessee, were
absent and did not vote.
Senators who voted against the bill
We're: Bankhead, Alabama; Bryand
and Fletcher, Florida; Overman and
Simmons, North Carolina; Smith and
Tillman, South Carolina; Smith and
Harwick, Georgia; Williams, Missis-
sippi Democrats,) and Oliver and
Penrose, Pennsylvania (Republicans)
| In order to expedite consideration OF
the measure in conference senate con-
ferees We're appointed Immediately af-
tr the final vote, The only aynendmeai
adopted would extend the bfli's pro-
visions to bar all products Of estab-
lishments employing children from in
terstate commerce. The house meas
ure was directed only against those On
which child labor actually had been
employed.
Senator Borah did not offer the
amendment he had drawn attaching
the immigration bill as a rider in or
der to force action on it at this ses-
sion.
| Amendments to make the prohibi-
ton apply only to children under II
who could not read or write, to make
it apply to children on farms, and t.
postpone it's effective date for two
years were voted down.
The bill as passed would prohibit
interstate commerce in the product ot
any mine or quarry. in which children
under 16 years of age have been EN-.
ployed or in the product of any mill
cannery, workshop, factory or manu-.
featuring establishment in which chill
dren under II have been employed
or in which children between Il and
16 have been employed more thar
eight hours day more than six days
a week, before o'clock in the morn.
ing or later than o'clock in tho
evening. 1t would take effct one year
after enactment.
During the closing hours of debate
today Senator Tillman denounced
Southern cotton mill owners opposing
the bill, and said that while he be.
lieved it unconstitutional he was
tempted to support it because of the
seliishness of the interests fighting it
He also declared congress was toe
much influenced by the attitude of la
Dor interests.
II have been shocked" said the
South Carolina senator, ''to see men
in South CarOlina-rich, intelligent
well educated men--who were willing
to swell their dividends at the expense
of little children. The veil of sophis-
try in their letters could not hide their
heartlessness. Their plea, stripped OF
verbiage, is let the children toll that
we may live in luxury and yet we
wonder at the spread of socialism and
the increasing hostility of labor to-
wards capital"
ers to organize labor, he added, pre-
Nented as great a problem as did the
attitude of politicians 20 years ago to
concentrated wealth.
THE congress of the United States
trmblcs every time the labor unions
frown," he continued. Capital, with
It's brutal, ironical disregard for hu-
manity started the conflict and labor