Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-12-19
CHILD LABOR
CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT


leoent convention Of the American
/ Federation q Labor reported As fol-
! lows on that portion Of the Executive
/ Councils report under the caption
Child Labor Constitutional Amend.
ment,' TIE report cf the committee
was adopted unanimously.
1t is historical tact that the
/ American Federation Of Labor has
been the pioneer force in promoting
and fuTtheling child labor legislation.
/ Il sponsored and inspired the enact
ment of state legislation rohibitug
/ the employment of children In indus
i try. Il WIS largely responsible ion
! the enactment eft federal legislation
which sought to protect child life.
/ When, at q later date, this federal
/ legislation vas declared uneenslitu-
! tional by the Supreme Court Of the
i United States, the American Fedora
/ ticn of LABOR was the first Ii suggest
and initiate d child labor constitutional
/ amendment. Our great organization
the American Federation d Labor
has consistently pursued policy look
/ ing To the protection, by proper and
appropriate legislation, 81 the child
/ life of our nation II was assumed
when the first federal statute provid-
ing for the regulation of child labor
was enacted into law, that public
sentiment was universally In favor of
this character of humane legislation.
/ Ii was cur opinion and deliberate
amendment were adopted b. the Con-
! gIess Of the United States providing
for the enactment Of federal child
labor legislation, the legislatures Of
| the different states would promptly
and willingly ratily such constitu-
tional amendment.
In conformity with this belief The
Executive Council Of the American
Federation OF Labor, in conjunction
with other groups which we're friend
ly, prevailed upon Congress 10 adopt
a constitutional amendment when
reads as follows:
Section l. The Congress shall
! have power to limit, regulate, and
| prohibit the labor OF persons under
is years of age.
Section :. The power of the sew
eral states Is unimpaired by this arti-
Gle except that the operation OF state
laws shall be suspended TO the extent
necessary to give effect to Legislation
enacted by Congress"
As stated by the Executive Council
in its report, the proposal for the
ratification Of the child labor amend
/ ment is now before the state legls-
! latures, four of which have already
acted. To the genuine surprise of the
friends of child labor Legislation,
! strong opposition has developed
against the ratification of the child
/ labor constitutional amendment. The
enemies OF the proposed amendment
/ have misfepresented its pufport and
! have endeavored to prejudice unsus-
/ pecting and well-meaning people
against il. 1t is astonishing TO OBJ
serve the means and methods EN-
/ ployed by those who are hostile to this
form of legislation in the attempts
which are being made TO defeat It..
The farmers of our nation are being
told, no doubt by those who seek to
profit by the employment of children
in industry, that if this constitutional
/ amendment be ratified no person un-
/ der eighteen years Of age can per
form any work at all. This vicious
i propaganda and misTeprese ntatiOn is
having its effect. More and more 1t
becomes apparent that campaign of
education must be vigorously Waged
in order 10 offset and counteract the
harmful and n.Iuthfu statements
which are being circulated.
We can not help believing that the
enemies OF child labor Legislation
know full well that the Congress
could not and would not enact legisla-
tion preventing persons under eiga-
teen years of age from performing
work if the proposed constitutional
1 amendment were enacted. Il, as the
/ Executive Council states, that was
+ the intention Of the amendment, the
words ito limit" and "to regulate
would not have been incorporated. Il
is clearly evident, therefore, that the
campaign of opposition Is based upon
/ deception, instrumentation and
/ hypocrisy.
Organized labor must leaf in the
/ campaign of education. information
and persuasive effort which has for
/ its purpose the ratification OF the
| child labor amendment. Obviously it
is going to be d bitter struggle be-
tween those who seek 10 exploi. the
child life Of our nation and those vino
have for their purpose the conseTa-
ton and protection Of child life. The
isue is clearly drawn between the OPP
ponents of child labor legislation and
those who favor it. There IS no doub,
about the attitude Of organized labor
It must be on the side Of the children
Of our nation and must stand solidIy
in support Of the child labor amend
meut.
Your committee recommends that
all who favor the enactment Of the