Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-07-31
The Child Labor
Amendment

The national child labor
amendment to the Constitution
of the United States was over
whelmingly rejected by the
Georgia Legislature few days
ago, and rightly SO. Its reasons
for rejection are set forth by the
Georgia Senate as follows:
The said amendment is reject
ed because it would destroy pa
rental authority andresponsibility
throughout the United States
Would destroy local self-gov-a
eminent.
1t would place in the hands Of
Congress a power TO deslroy ag-
riculture and manufacturing at
will.
Would create centralized
government far removed from
the power Of the people.
Georgia has neither The right
nor the power 70 give to Con-
gress the power to limit regulate
and prohibit.
The Senate is to be congratu-
lated for lis prompt rejection
and for the clarity of its reasons
therefor.
Those enthusiasts who are re-
sponsible for the bill which pass
ed Congress during its last ses-
sion intended only what was best
for the child. They had work
ed themselves into a frenzy over
this question, and nervous
Congress passed their foolish bill.
Every child should receive
the reasonable protection Of pa
rent and state; but he should
have his leisure hours. his hours
of play, but if he or she is to be
real MAN or a real WOMAN,
he should WORK-certainly a
part Of each day, whether he be
rich or poor.
This question should be left
to the PARENT, with certain
necessary STATE regulations.
That there will be occasional
hardships, we do not deny, but
by far the larger proportion will
benefit, even though few suf-
fer
A friend sent us a most inter-
esting editorial from the New
York Commercial, which should
be read and pondered by some
parents. Bearing on the subject
of child-labor-and its benefit
or detriment TO the child-we
reproduce it in full, as follows:
A Victim Of Work in Childhood
What the Commercial has had
to say regarding the proposed
"child labor" constitutional
amendment permitting each state
In the union TO lagislate "no
work for all persons under
eighteen years of age, should be
well understood by our readers
by this time, The other day we
asked if anybody knew of an in
dividual ruined by labor while
still 2 child. We have now
found one The poor human
wreck has written us. He began
work as a telegraph operator at
the tender age of thirteen. Ow-
ing to the humiliating cfrcum-
stance cited we do not feel that
we are permitted to use his name.
He writes feelingly. But he
seems happy.
So completely and utterly was
he shattered and ruined bv his
childhood toll that today-we
can scarcely write of it without
shedding tears-he has only
achieved the goal Of the presi-
dency of a big railroad systeml
Think of it! Had law been
passed, while he was a baby, for
bidding him to work until he was
eighteen he might now be the
champion bottle pool player of his
native village and a cigarette
hound of distinction. AS a soft
handed cake eater, his life could
under such happy circumstances
have rounded out into that per-
fection which all uplifters who
favor the proposed child labor
amendment to the Constitution
esteem to be the rightful goal of
humanity-if we are to judge by
their horror of work!
AS it is, child labor has stunt
ed at least one individual by hold
ing him down to the presidency
of great railroad system. Could
anything be more condemnatory?
We trust that parents with
growing boys viii be sure to let
the lesson of this life blasted by
toll in childhood sink deeply in
to their consciousness and that it
viii move them to discourage
Willie, who is planning to go to-
work for Farmer Brown digging
potatoes in order to get enough
money for a new suit to wear to
school next winter. Let papa
dig down into his jeans and pro-
vide the mazuma for Willie's suit
and then take the dear boy into
the house and pack him in cotton
batting where he win be sure to
keep without spelling until he has
become a man,
And then, in later years, let
papa and mama sit down and