Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-02-08

out to look, with those of this person
whom the Senator called master"
of this subject. l wanted to know
whether or not there is any hidden
reason of value against this amend
ment. | wanted to know why the
thing is delayed and delayed when
it is perhaps the most immediate
question before our law-givers. Miss
Abbot has no ak to grind. There is
no reason why she should be excited
about child labor except in so far as
the facts would arouse anyone
End This Poisonous Delay.
| went to Washington to see her.
whatever is the trouble?" | ask
ed. "Why all the delay? Congress
acts like kid that doesn't want to
take his castor OIL"
"Almost everyone has something he
is more interested in," she said.
"Most of US don't realize what is 60
ing on among the children of the
country. We hate to look at it and
so we don't see it around US. The
public is so forgetful and so blind
to it. It's hard to keep remembering
what an immediate, hurry-up situa-
tion it is. So, that being true of the
public, it is more or less true OF the
Congress too."
"Am l right in thinking it vicious
and disgraceful fact in many, many
places?" l asked.
eyes," Miss Abbott answered flat
ly. "But, you see, because it is better
than it was a hundred years ago or
even twenty, it is comparatively less
vicious and less immediate even
though you and l know that we
haven't the right of a moments de-
lay You see, in 1917 We led the
world The rest of the world was
behind our standards. Now we trail
the world. Almost every nation has
national standards much like those
we had before the courts threw out
our national legislation.
"Then too there are people who re-
gard the Constitution as sacred and
Interchangeable document. They don't
think with the Founders when they
think along that line. They forget
that the first Congress proposed ten
amendments, all of which the States
ratified.
"Others think, or rather do not
stop to think, and believe that the
Children's Amendment lacks import
ance. None of their children have to
work twelve hours day long before
they reach the age of twelve of four
teen. They fail to realize that other
parents children have to do it or at
least are permitted to do so. An
amendment is a serious thing, but
not so serious as people often think.
If you will read the amendments, you
will see that many have been unim-
portant compared to the Children's
Amendment.
"There are those who think it un-
necessary to have Federal legisla-
ton which the amendment would
make possible. They think the States
might just as we'll do it. But we
know from experience under the two
Federal laws which were thrown out
that the effect of such acts is infln-
itely better than local acts. Employ
ers would rather be prosecuted under
State laws than Federal laws. 1t is
a national problem, in the United
States, just as it was also in Ger
many and Great Britain and Mexico.
Those nations and many others have
handled it nationally just as some day
we must. 1t is by far the best way
really to protect the children-and
that's what we need so badly, so i'm
mediately."
"I suppose some have something to
say about State rights?" | asked.
1T can conceive of my State being
Jealous of the right to establish high
er standards than the Federal Gov
ernment might require" she answer
ed, "but l confess l can't understand
any State being jealous of the right
of it's citizens to exploit its own chill
dren. Can you?"
could not answer that effectively
and I don't think anyone else can,
so I went on to ask her how We can
get action and overcome this intol-
cradle delay, the seeming unwilling
ness of your congressman and mine
to act.
"Tell your people to write. They
have it in their power to end this
poisonous delay"
And so I have told you-will you?