Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-04-01

case OF Hammer vs. Dagenhart. decid-
ed in 1918, the first case which de-
cided the ncQnstitutionality of the
act of Congress regulating child labor
And he said: THE notion that pro-
hibition is any less prohibition when
applied to things now thought evil I
do not understand. But IL there is
any matter upon which civilized
countries have agreed-far more
unanimously than they have with re-
gard to intoNicants and some other
matters over which this country is
now emotionally aroused-it is the
evil of premature and excessive child
labor. I should have thought that If
We were to introduce our own moral
conceptions where in my opinion they
do not belong, this was prominently
case for upholdiag the exercise of all
its powers by the United States.
But l had thought that the pro-
priety of the exercise of power ad-
mitted to exist in some cases was for
the consideration of Congress alone
and that this court always had dis
aVowed the right to intrude its
judgment upon questions Of policy
or morals 1t Is not for this Court
to pronounce when prohibition Is
necessary to regulation IL 1t ever
NAV De ncCeSSdl Say tiiuN - -
permissible as against strong drink
but not as against the product Of
ruined lives"
In other words, the learned Jus
tice says that when We ratify the
Eighteenth Amendment to the Con-
stitution, the prohibition amendment.
and when we now refuse to ratl1y
the Twentieth Amendment, the Child
Labor Amendment that in refusing
to ratify the Child Labor Amend
ment, we strain at gnat when we
have swallowed a camel.
They have argued that. the age OF
eighteen years Is too high limit
We'll. the State of Maine has the
eighteen years; we undertake to pro-
tect youth up to eighteen years. You
NAV consult the Revised Statutes
and YOU will find that It is unlawful
for any minor under eighteen years
of age to operate an elevator that
runs faster than two hundred feet q
minute, and 1 might say, for myself.
that | never saw an elevator mat
ran at less speed than that.
They say that under this amend
ment Congress will have power to
control the education of our youth.
and ! have read articles by people
who have, at different times, advo.
Gated a law-if such thing coulu
be done under the Constitution or
the United States-to compel every
child in this country to go to one
and one only school, the school that
the stated picks out; and people are
now arguing against the Child La
Dor Amendment because they rear
that Congress may do that very
thing. ..
do not believe IN the sincerity OF
such people. The Supreme Court OF
the United States is still sitting In
Wa shington, and the Court has time
and again construed CONSTITUTIONAL
amendments as restricting the pow
of CONGRESS strictly to the things
contemplated by the amendment. and
the Supreme Court can be depended
upon to prevent Congress from read
ing into that amendment legislation
which is not therein.
great deal has been made OF the
argument to the conservative 1ar-
mer, and I fear that MANY or the
farmers have been taken in by that
argument of conservatism. I have
ne}er believed. myself. that the far
mer is really a conservative. Wnat
little / know of the history OF the
world leads me very strongly 10 me
opposite opinion. If the farmer is
such a conservative. who was 1t that
fired the shot Mt Lexington and Con-
cord that was heard around the
world? I do not know, how you
learned 1t. but learned it in my
school history in the grammar
school, that it was the embattled
farmers of New England. And again
at Bunker Hill.
Who was it that started the great
French Revolution? 1t was tire far-
mers of France who till the SOIL. me
reasants. as they are called. VINO
was it that started the Russian KEY
olutiono It was the peasants. the
serfs, or Russia. the men OF the SOIL.
And as you go back through history.
every real and every great reVoIu-
ton was started by the farmer. re
is the man behind the gun and ne
knows how to use it. And you can
90 back through the history Of the
United States. Who was 1t that
mashed the United States bank
during the presidency OF President
Andrew Jackson? If was farmer.
And in my opinion the great farmer
electorate of this day is consciously
or unconsciously. perhaps. getting
ready to destroy the Federal Reserve
Ponll system for the sane reason
that they destroyed the United states
Bank.
They tell us. and they tell the far
mers-and I never could really ne
lieve that the farmer would believe IL
they tell the farmer that if this
amendment were ratified and Con-
gress should begin to pass laws UNI
der it. that his own boy under the
age Of eighteen years would refuse to
milk the COW, would refuse to bring
in the wood. would refuse to do the
chores. Well. it is foolish to waste
time over that argument and / will
ONLY say this, that If I know the
Yankee farmer of Maine-and he Is
tvpical of the East-I can imagine
what wou,.l happen If his boy
should come home some evening from
the country store or the post once
and his father should point to the
woodbox and suggest to the boy that
it needed replenishing. and the BOY
should say. "Well. Father. l was just
down to the corner store ana the
papers have just come in ana L heard
them saying that | have not got 10
do any more work, | have not got 10
fill any more woodboXeS or 40 any
more chores. because Congress has
said that the youth of the land must
not work. UP to the age of eighteen.
7 can imagine what that farmer
would say. lie would probably say
something like this. My boy, | know
that YOU are going to be great
statesman. the profundity of your
reason proves that. but | want to say
right now that whereas Congress IS
an fmbecilc, YOU are an ass Tor pc
licving that Congress has power 10
repoal n law of God, and if you Will
come out into the woodshed now, we
will find ont whether Congress or
ALMIGHTY God is running this world.
Uaughtero
They have snccred Mt the splnster
ladies who would be employed oE