The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-01-07
MISS WELLS ANSWERS

N EISS Marguerite Wells, president of the Min
MI nesota League of Women Voters, takes ex-
" ception to several of the things the Min
neapolis Journal has recently been saying con-
corning the Child Labor Amendment. Her re-
plies to several of the statments appeared in
letter recently published in the Mail Bag of the
Journal and are reprinted here for the enlight-
ment of Gazette readers who may have found
themselves more or less influenced by the Journal
concerning this very important Amendment.
"The Minneapolis Journal has been making
certain charges about the proposed child labor
amendment and, incidentally about the Mime
sofa League of Women Voters, that call for
categorical reply.
"The authors of the amendment are
socialistic. 1t is soviet mea-
sure pure and simple" Journal, Decem-
Der 2.
''The amendment in it's present form is the
outcome Of months of consideration by Congress
of 20 to 80 resolutions for such amendment.
introduced by as many members of House anc
Senate in the two last sessions of Congress, and
including such well known conservatives as Sena.
tor Lodge of Massachusetts,, Senator Mccormick
of Illinois, Senator Shortridge of California, Mr.
Fitzgerald and Mr.. Foster of Ohio. These vari-
GUS resolutions considered for months by
subcommittee of the judiciary committee OF
House and Senate, in consultation with repre-
sentatives from the United States department of
labor, the children's bureau, 16 national women's
organizations such as General Federation of
Women's Clubs, Business and Professional Won.
ems Clubs, Consumers League, Y. w. C. A., Par
ent and Teachers Association, League of Women
Voters; in consultation also with National Child
Labor Committee, DIR. Worth M. Tippy, repre-
senting the Federal Council of Churches; Father
John A. Ryan, professor of theology in the Cat
holic University of America, representing the
National Catholic Welfare Conference, and
Samuel L. Gompers, president of the American
Federation Of Labor. Conferences were also held
with Senator Walsh of Montana and Senator Pep
per of Pennsylvania, two members of the Senate
who are outstanding authorities constitutional
law. The opinion of many other legal author-
ties was sought, that of Professor Walter w. Cord
of Yale, Dean Henry M. Bates of Michigan, Pro-
lessor Funk of the University of Chicago, Dean
Pound of Harvard, among others. AS a result
of all this consideration and discussion, Senator
Pepper drafted the amendment which was pass
ed by Congress and is now be fore the states fol
ratification
Such is the socialist origin of the proposed
amendment.
"The soviet of Russia seeks to control
the children of the state. That is what
the amendment proposes, as The Journal
reads it and that is why The Journal
classes it as soviet measure" Journal,
December 16
1T should already be apparent that The
Journals opinion the meaning of the amend
ment is not shared by such outstanding conserva
tives as Senator Lodge of Massachusetts and
Senator Pepper of Pennsylvania nor by such au-
thorities constitutional law Pound of Har
ward and Bates of Michigan. 1t was not shared
either by President Coolidge who has been an
unequevocal supporter of the amendment, by John
w. Davis, conservative and leading legal au
thority, not only candidate for president of the
United States but president of the National Bar
Association. In such a case the reader must
choose between authorities, between The Journals
opinion unsubstantiated by single accepted au-
thority on constitutional law, and such opinions
as those that have here been mentioned.
'It (The JournaD regrets that the
League of Women Voters :. is so
determined to carry this amendment
without investigation in the face of its
recent rejection by the state of Massa-
chusetts." Journal, December 16. ). .,.
'The League of Women: Voters is not sup,
porting the amendment without invsstigasop,
Representatives of the League Of Women Voters
have been intimately associated with every step
in the process of determining the need for the
amendment and in adopting the form of amend
ment best adapted to meeting that need. They
know of their own knowledge that every word
in the final form has been subjected to the most
searching consideration. They believe that nc
section of the Constitution ITSELF nor any of its
10 amendments was ever more carefully and IN
diligently considered.
mo one who takes the trouble to investigate
what happened in Massachusetts, will find there
single reason for abating by jot or title his
support of the amendment. An association or
ganized to promote the commercial advantage of
its members and financially interested in the de-
feat of the amendment and in the use of cheap
child labor carried on there campaign of almost
incredible misrepresentation. The public Of Mas