French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-01-20
AN INTERESTING WITNESS.

Well, the industrious Mr.. Clark has
centered the spotlight on himself. He
had the undivided attention of the
house labor committee for once; and
we imagine that he is going to have
the attention of the cotton mill men
| ere long. He was the mill mems wit
ness, and he didn't fail to testify. North
Carolina, as well as the committee,
has learned a good deal about herselE
from the testimony of this star.
For instance. according to the Able
Editor, the mountain people of the
state are welded to ignorance. Back
| in their coves and Businesses they re
fuse to be enlightened; they delight to
hold their children in the bondage of
mental darkness, and onIy on the inter
vention of the benevolent cotton mill
men has served to spread the light of
education among such of them as nave
learned. Nice reputation he gives the
people of a large section of his own
state, isn't it?
Furthermore, if education is forced
upon these benighted heather. they
promptly go Republican. We have a
suspicion that Mr.. Clark is a Democrat.
OOuDGl0SS IuS 10duSTS vi HIS party Will
be deeply grateful to him for the init
nation that ignorance and Democracy
are AS cause and effect. Western Car
DINA Democrats should be particularly
pleased.
Again. while Mr.. Clark looks upon
inspection of cotton mills in general
as "a grating proposition" if it is to
be done by the county superintendent
OF schools he would favor it. We are
not quite certain whether this is a
practical application of the doctrine
of trading at home, or merely an init
nation that county superintendent
would come cheaper than government
inspectors. At any rate, it is a matter
that possesses a high degree of inter
est for the gentlemen who run The
schools.
Finally, Mr.. Clark cheerfully admits
that the cotton mill men are the sort
Oh citizens that would descend to brib-
cry and corruption to evade an en-
barrassing law. Wonder if Mr.. Clark
figures that that was what happened
to the child labor bill in the last legis-
lature Everybody knows that its teeth
were drawn, but we had not heard it
iptimated that they were extracted
with golden forceps. But Mr.. Clark is
the cotton mill mems own witness.
Presumably he knows what he is talk
ing about, else they would not have
sent him to Washington.
1t is interesting to observe, also, that
this witness seems to think that the
fight on the child labor bill is not u
fight for right, or injustice or constitU-
tionality, or any abstract principle,
bat merely an earnest endeavor to cut
expenses. If the law is not going to
be observed anyhow, the only good
that could result to the mil linen from
its defeat would be relief from the ex-
pense of buying up inspectors.
Indeed an interesting witness. APP
parently he would have the committee
believe that the mountain people of the
state are semi-barbarous; that the dom
inant party in the state owes it's DOM
nance to the ignorance of the popu-
lace; that the school men of the state
are venal; and that the cotton manu-
facturers of the state are criminal.
We suggest to the mill men that the
next time they need a witness they Sc
lect A. J. McKelway. He. at least,
can't tell too Neutrality-suspicious. News.