The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-12-22
EDITORIAL
SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO
ME, AND FORBID THEM NOT; FOR OF SUCH IS
THE KINGDOM OF GOD"


Christ the Lord is born today will be the word going
through land Christmas morning when celebrate the
Al Christian peoples the birth of Christ the great
man whose teachings if really put in practice by would
AS His reward He hung cross and many His
followers were hung shot killed other put in
Many of his followers are jail today and many perse
GHted in our Christian world because they teach the teaching of
In great country the United States of America the
called Christian nation
here the United say we are worth to be called
will answer this question directly but call the at
enton to the fact that Christ called the of Have
any peace?
Are children taught to kill in our schools?
Are not scientists employed by governments to discover
Are not warshps built and armies made effective?
Is science not used to produce the most deay and
Is it done for the purpose teach Christianity?
Is the above quotation from the Bible spoken by Christ
Let's what Secretary Of Labor James Davis his
"The reports bureau of census would indicate
that more than a million children between the of
10 and 6 engaged in ganfu work in industry. The
the number of approximately $4,000 engaged in
sugarbeet fields the cotton fields and the onion fields
of the land. Apparently the usual method is to employ
whole families by contractors to work in these fields
the children work with the adults usually from sunrise
to sunset, walking in stopped position crawling
through the fields pulling the weeds, pulling up
in picking cotton. There number of definite
ments of these families composed largely of children
from state to state where these agricultural industries
thrive"
"A complete survey would indicate that 100000
American children now the victims of premature
homes of this country. This is all wrong. The great
problem of childhood is of the utmost Importance the
perpetuty of the nation. Our children entitled
life that will conserve their strength while young and
that will enducate their minds and hearts that they
may be efficient when they grow to maturity"
Long continued hours of toll at a time when the
bones and the muscles body of the child are I'M
deyeoped bring about "a condition which reardS its
children of u years whereabouts compelled to
labor and 10 and y hours per day in employment
when night comes and they unable sleep. The
destiny OF such poor victims seems clear, When they
being able to do their share of the worlds work and
do it effectively and efficiently they wrecks, phys-
cally, mentally and morally large percentage of them
landing in the poorhouse, the madhouse, the jail
urged this awful system and every instinct of hu-
mainly prompts its abolition. But beyond instinct of
humanity, ordinary wisdom and prudence any Gov
eminent viii prompt it to conserve the physical mental
the standpoint of inuring the perpetuaon of the Gov
eminent"
. Can we call ourselves Christian nation?
All, who are these on whom the vital bloom
Of life has wthered to the dust Of doom?
These little pilgrims premaurely
These childish faces palHd and fororn,
To dull for laughter and too hard for tears?
Is this the ghost Of that insane crusade
That led ten thousand children long ago
book Of innocents, deceived betrayed
Yet pressing through and
Nay, for million children now
Are marching in the long pathetic line
= With weary step and wrinled brow;
And at their head appears no holy sign
For unto them is given
No to carry, but cross to drag
The load Of labor, toiling underground
In dangerous mines and breathing heavy air,
Of crowded shops; their tender lives bound
To service of the whirling SCATTERING wheels.
That fill the factories with dust and noise;
But little hands" who bndly, dumbly feed
With their blood the hungry god of greed
DR. Henry Van Dyke.